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David Byrne (right) and the company of “American Utopia” performing at Broadway’s St. James Theatre with support from Meyer Sound LEOPARD arrays. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Meyer Sound Powers Dual Broadway Runs Of David Byrne’s “American Utopia”

LEOPARD line arrays deployed in both systems for production's first run at the Hudson Theatre followed by a second run at the larger St. James Theatre.

The Tony Award-winning Broadway production of David Byrne’s American Utopia had a first run at the intimate Hudson Theatre followed a second run at the larger St. James Theatre that opened in September 2021 that have both been served by main audio systems utilizing Meyer Sound LEOPARD line arrays.

The production has no set and for music there is no isolated “pit” band relying on click tracks and pre-records. Instead, all music is played live on the stage by an ensemble (including Byrne) of 12 musicians/vocalists, with six on percussion and all 12 on vocal mics. Everyone is mobile using wireless connectivity, allowing for a freeform choreography that blends the fluid movements of Brazilian percussion ensembles with the disciplined formations of American marching bands.

Managing the mix is Pete Keppler, a veteran front of house engineer who came on board prior to the tour and mixed the shows at outdoor festivals and in venues clustered in the 3,000 to 5,000-seat range. When American Utopia transitioned to the 970-seat Hudson Theatre, Keppler sought a loudspeaker system scaled to a new set of demands.

“There was essentially no room beside the proscenium, and the creative team was adamant that the arrays stay out of sight lines,” explains Keppler, who took on the dual role of sound designer and production sound mixer. “I needed a powerful system suited to rock levels but with a slender profile. I consulted with the crew at Sound Associates, and they recommended LEOPARD. I had heard LEOPARDs before as delays and in some smaller tour venues, and I liked them. I immediately agreed.”

The main hangs at the Hudson were relatively straightforward, with left and right arrays of 12 LEOPARD line array loudspeakers. “That was far more power than I needed, but I needed the array height to cover the vertical,” says Keppler.

The follow-up production at the 1,710-seat St. James Theatre was more complicated as the location of box seats required a split array configuration, with six LEOPARD loudspeakers on the lower hang and eight on the upper. Six LEOPARD loudspeakers were set three per side as infills, with ten more as balcony delays. Eight 900-LFC low-frequency control elements fill out deep bass, while five UPJ-1P and 11 UPJunior loudspeakers were deployed in fill and delay systems. Four Galileo Callisto processors provide system drive and optimization.

“LEOPARD is the best smaller PA I’ve ever had my hands on,” Keppler says. “What I’ve gotten out of it at both the Hudson and the St. James is absolutely wonderful, exactly what I wanted to hear. And I’m also a big fan of the 900 subs. They impress me as being very musical. I can hear the full spectrum of bass notes from keyboard, low guitar strings, and drums tuned to specific notes.

“The [Meyer Sound MAPP] modeling software was great,” he continues. “When we set up the system, the coverage went exactly where it was supposed to be. The Galileo processors sound really good, and I love the Compass software. It’s easy, intuitive and boots up on a tablet in seconds. Domonic Sack from Sound Associates did the time alignment, showed me a couple things with it, and I just took it from there. I also have to give credit to Sound Associates, definitely one of the best sound companies I’ve worked with. Domonic, Peter Fitzgerald, Greg Reif, and Bob Hanlon, along with Matt and Joe Maloney, all greatly contributed to the success of this show.”

Front-end equipment for the production includes 70 channels of Shure wireless with Axient digital for microphones and PSM-1000 systems for IEMs. Keppler mixes on a DiGiCo SD10 console equipped with a Waves outboard processing package.

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