New York-based Dream Theater, considered one of the bands considered most responsible for the development and popularity of the progressive-metal genre, has embarked on the “Dreamsonic” tour with opening acts Devin Townsend and Animals As Leaders supported by the first L-Acoustics L Series deployment (L2 and L2D enclosures) in North America provided by PRG.
Steve Thom, PRG’s system engineer on the tour, says, “It’s an absolute privilege to be one of the first to be hands-on with technology like this on tour,” adding that L-Acoustics provided training on the new L Series before the tour and support as needed once it began.
He cites in particular the fewer boxes it takes to assemble a system adapted to accommodate all venues on this run, which he accomplishes using L-Acoustics Soundvision software. “Depending on the size of the venue, we’ll do either two or three L2 over an L2D. The largest we’ve done is three L2 on top of an L2D, but even that is far more compact and streamlined than any system we’ve used before, even K2. We don’t have to set 16 inter-cabinet angles and eight jumpers as with a conventional line array. We only have four elements to connect, instead of 16, without sacrificing any output.”
Two other new components also make the assembly process easier, he adds, including the new LA7.16 touring amplified controller, which supports L2 and L2D with 16 channels of high-power amplification and processing, comes in a new LA-RAK III touring rack offering 48 channels of amplification in a Milan AVB-ready package, and the forthcoming new Clamp1000 that can carry up to four L2/L2D and allows users to rotate a flown line array from the ground.
“LA7.16 is incredible,” says Thom. “Everything you need is integrated into a single amplifier, so you don’t need multiple amps, and the multipin connector on the back takes any guesswork out of the process. L-Acoustics literally thought of everything for the L Series.
“Compared to a conventional line source that will most likely have one group of FIR filters dedicated to four compression drivers, each group of FIR filters on the L Series is dedicated to each individual compression driver in the line, providing increased resolution,” he says. “Also, the transition from component to component is incredibly precise, so there’s no gap in coverage, and the system’s tight directivity really helps clean up the sound on stage.”
Out in front of the system, Dream Theater front-of-house engineer Michael “Ace” Baker notes, “It’s been exciting to be part of this. When we go into new venues, I see staff there, who didn’t have to come in that day, show up just to see and hear L Series. That’s happened multiple times on this tour.”
He says he’s noticed that in reactions from audiences at shows who comment on the sonic quality, but also from a particular and knowledgeable source: the bandmembers’ wives, some of whom are traveling with the tour. “They’re all musicians, too, and they knew something was up with the sound right away,” he says. “They could clearly and distinctly hear greater definition of each instrument.”
“This is an awesome box,” he adds. “In each venue, it felt like it was exactly the right system for that room, and you didn’t have to wait until halfway through a show to realize that. Talking with the front-of-house engineers for our openers, Devin Townsend and Animals As Leaders, we all say the same thing: L Series truly makes us excited about mixing again.”
