Leading UK company SSE Audio has deployed Lake LM Series digital audio system processors – including the new LM 44 – on recent tours by Arctic Monkeys and Example.
Both tours allowed SSE engineers to work with the company’s recent purchases of the LM 44, integrating the units into their existing inventories.
Simon Gladstone, technical manager at SSE, explains, “We used both the LM 26s and the LM 44s on The Arctic Monkeys tour. In the past, we would normally have used our old Dolby DLPs for such big gigs, but having the LM 44 allowed us to leave these out, which is testament to the capabilities of the new units.”
The LM 44 provides four analog inputs and four analog outputs, in contrast to the LM 26’s 2-in/6-out. In addition, the LM 44 accommodates 8-in/8-out AES3 and 4-in/8-out Dante digital audio transport with full dual redundancy, while the devices are “stackable” for larger multiples of analog I/O.
The LM 44 benefits from the latest implementation of Lake’s ‘Mesa EQ’ configuration, utilizing four Mesa modules, each with an independent input mixer and output signal processing chain.
With this configuration, it is well suited for a wider number of different front of house applications, including as a mix-matrix and full system EQ – sitting between a mixer and any high-end performance loudspeaker system – switching between consoles on large events, inserted EQ for monitor systems, front of house to stage digital transmission, line driver for self-powered systems, and as a Dante break-in/break-out box.
SSE’s engineer on the Arctic Monkeys tour, Mark Pantlin, had an LM 44 out front taking AES from an Avid VENUE Profile digital console, and clocking externally from an Antelope Isochrone OCX. The audio was then transmitted via Dante to two LM 26s either side of the stage, over SSE’s bespoke Cisco/Neutrik fiber optic digital returns system, with an analog backup in place. This set-up was used to drive L-Acoustics K1 line arrays.
“One challenge we did have was when the Profile was removed and an analogue playback was used, the Dante master would change,” says Gladstone. “This was a bit of a worry for us, but the crossover happened seamlessly, with no break in the audio. That’s thanks to the technology that is packed into Lake’s LM Series.
“The Lake processors are in a league of their own. Number one is the sound quality, but then there’s the flexibility of the product, and also, to have such a good graphical interface that is really intuitive to end users is a big selling point. One of the best things about Lake for us is that the units are so modular. So we can piece together a system using different processors, and if we need more output on one side, we can add another unit and link them all together with Dante, so it really does give us an added flexibility that is vital.”
After the success on the Arctic Monkeys tour, SSE sent the same system out on tour with Example, on that occasion in conjunction with L-Acoustics V-DOSC arrays.
