The Montréal International Jazz Festival came back to life in 2022 in offering 350 concerts scheduled over 10 days — two-thirds of them free — with AVL supplier Solotech equipping eight indoor and outdoor stages, including the Scène TD main stage, with reinforcement systems headed by Meyer Sound loudspeakers and supporting components.
Festival technical coordinator Dan Meier and his team from L’Equipe Spectra worked closely with Meyer Sound and Solotech to develop and deploy the sonic experiences at the festival. Director of R&D and technological solutions David Brazeau was responsible for overall supervision of AVL systems on behalf of Solotech.
“We’ve heard only great reviews on the performances from people who were there and from the media,” Brazeau says. “There was no particular mention of the sound, but then the whole idea is to make the reinforcement transparent, so it’s not noticed. When the sound is perfect you don’t hear anything about it.”
The Scène TD stage system comprised main front arrays of nine per side LEO linear line array loudspeakers with low end from end-fire arrays of six per side 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. Frontfills were MICA line array loudspeakers, with MSL-4 loudspeakers as outfills. First delay was two arrays of six MICA loudspeakers augmented by six 900-LFC elements in cardioid configuration, with pairs of CAL 64 and CAL 32 beam-steering column array loudspeakers supplying directional sound for the second and third delays. The VIP section was covered by four M1D line array loudspeakers.
Meanwhile, a MINA line array system was deployed at Maisonneuve Theatre for, among others, Al Di Meola, Manhattan Transfer, and Pat Metheny. At Montréal Symphony House, JM-1P, UPA-1P, and UPQ‑1P loudspeakers supported Gregory Porter, Ludovico Einaudi, and Ravi Coltrane, while at Monument-National Tommy Emmanuel, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Bill Charlap were heard through UPQ-1P, UPA-1P, and veteran UPA-1C loudspeakers coupled with 700-HP subwoofers.
Other outdoor stages equipped with Meyer Sound components were Rio Tinto, Club Montréal, Stage Loto-Quebec, and Pub La Traversée Molson Export. Solotech has been an integral part of the Montréal International Jazz Festival for as far back as Brazeau can remember. “I’ve been with Solotech for 25 years and we were supplying systems back then,” he says. “We are much more than a rental house, but really a full partner, one part of a team that for many years has included our key trusted suppliers, including Meyer Sound.
“Meyer Sound always has been a go-to partner for the festival,” Brazeau continues. “Whenever we have an issue of any kind, they jump right on it and give us full support. David Vincent of Meyer Sound tech support here in Canada helps us out every year, collaborating with our team on system designs.”
This year, Vincent and the Solotech team made use of Meyer Sound’s MAPP 3D prediction software, which proved an important tool in shaping coverage to fit the venues without excessive bleed into adjacent part of the city center. “They worked hard to focus the energy down on the crowds, and they have been very successful in doing that thanks to MAPP 3D and our deep inventory of Meyer Sound loudspeakers,” notes Brazeau.
