According to Sound Image Director of Touring Mike Sprague, the typical loudspeaker setup for sheds on the tour is an LCR arrangement featuring left and right hangs of 14 K1, eight K1-SB and three dV-DOSC for down fill, plus 8 KUDO flown in the center.
In arenas, the sound crew adds an additional 8 to 10 KUDO boxes per side for far left and right audience coverage.
With the K1 system’s accompanying networked LA-RAK amplified controller racks providing processing and power, the arrays have been used successfully in both arena and shed configurations.
The drive rack at the house mix position is a tablet, period, and not one stitch of additional gear is needed in terms of the drive system.
“We’ve had V-DOSC, dV-DOSC and ARCS in our inventory for some time now, but the premium K1 system really takes L-Acoustics to the next level,” states Sprague.
“Its sound is extremely honest and open – very sonically true to the source. In addition to sounding great, K1 features a rigging system that is extremely well thought out and implemented.”
Analogous Experience
A pioneering force in the cause of integrating digital into the world of live sound, Scovill offers some pointed comments on the idea of “choice fatigue”- a possible downside to the digital world that’s offering a myriad of sonic options.
“It’s something live sound engineers have never been faced with before,” he says, scratching his head and trying to recall a time in his 30 years of professional life when such a thing could even be considered a problem.
“In the past, what dictated our choices was whatever the sound company had sitting on the shelf. If you went outside of that, then you were confined by space, budget, and rental agreements.”
“There were a lot of constraining factors. Now our work flow is very analogous to that experienced in the studio. You can say this is what we need and just load it on your system and get to work.”
As for the logic and creativity used to build his mix out front, Scovill relates on a final note that in many respects, all he has to do is get out of the way.
“The sources are just so good,” he says with reverence for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, masters of their craft. “
These guys are so good at voicing their instruments and orchestrating their parts, that you just have to let them do their work. In terms of mixing the show, I like to say I overemphasize the obvious. If there is a solo, I bring it up. If there is a critical rhythm part under that solo, you have to hear that too.
“Tom and the band have taught me over time that there is just as much skill in revealing something as there is in bringing something up. It’s not always about louder, it might be a matter of pulling something back so something else shines through.”
Gregory A. DeTogne is a free-lance writer and publicist who has served the pro audio industry for the past 30 years.