Escondido, CA-based Sound Image equipped Grupera band Los Bukis with a main system headed by JBL Professional loudspeakers driven by Crown Audio amplification for its recent 2021 reunion tour that appeared in stadiums across North America.
“The biggest challenge for stadium tours is the scale of the venues and making sure that we can cover every seat,” says Cameron Whaley, systems engineer for Sound Image. “Also, Los Bukis’ type of music has a lot of impact in the low-mid region and uses a lot of synths. It’s an interesting eighties pop vibe but with a very defined low-end punch, which the JBL VTX speakers are really good at reproducing. We went back and forth with different rig designs, and with our final design, we’re not overwhelming people in the front but we’re still getting that impact that we want throughout the stadium.”
The system employed 148 JBL VTX V25-II-CS line array loudspeakers with a newly designed, fourth-generation waveguide technology to provide broader coverage with fidelity. The V25 cabinets served as mains in addition to delays.
“The V25 is a really good box for this kind of music because of its low range and really good throw characteristics,” Whaley adds. “And it’s really helpful that the delay speakers are the same box as the mains; we’re able to throw that low-end energy up to the very top seats, which we wouldn’t normally be able to do with a smaller box. This is my first tour with the V25, and I’ve been pretty impressed with the compression rigging. It’s been going very quickly for us, so I’ve been happy with the speed and the logistics as well.”
Low end support came via VTX S28 dual-18-inch suspendable subwoofers. When singer Marco Antonio Solís requested less bass onstage from the audience loudspeakers, the Sound Image team switched the S28s to cardioid mode for improved rear rejection and vertical pattern control. In addition, JBL VTX V20 line array modules were deployed for fill applications. Audio power was provided by more than 200 Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers with BSS OMNIDRIVE HD processing engines.
“Since this is a historic tour for the band, the audience is really excited about it,” Whaley says. “Since they’ve been around since the seventies, you get whole families of grandparents and parents and their kids, which is cool to see. I enjoy seeing how excited people are to see the show.”
