For more than two decades Gary Hartung has worked with a top touring and installation sound company, mixing sound for an impressive roster of talent including Crosby Stills & Nash, Pat Benatar, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
For the last six years, he’s added production manager to his resume—a role he balances with front of house duties for the Doobie Brothers.
Hartung recently had the opportunity to audition a pair of i-Class loudspeakers from VUE Audiotechnik, with the result being that he’s added a pair of VUE i-8a powered two-way loudspeakers, and he also now brings along a pair of i-6a powered systems for use when space is limited.
“I’d been in the market for a new set of powered systems to use as reference monitors for the current Doobie Brothers tour,” explains Hartung. “I rely heavily on my monitors at the FOH position as a critical reference point in challenging rooms.”
He continues, “I’d heard a lot about VUE from friends in the industry. They spoke highly of VUE’s sound quality and consistent voicing. Plus I’ve worked closely with Mike Adams for nearly 20 years now and have tremendous respect for his design talents. I knew immediately that these speakers were worth a listen.”
Hartung keeps his i-Class systems handy at every show, and notes that they’re getting more and more use as time goes by.
“Over the years I’ve tried countless different loudspeakers in this capacity and have never been truly satisfied until I plugged in the VUEs,” he states. “The i-8A’s are so powerful and smooth. They image perfectly and have an incredibly flat response-an essential quality for a monitor. “
“We’re planning to utilize virtual sound check more frequently on the Doobie Brothers tour in the coming months,” Hartung concludes. “I really trust the i-8as, so I fully expect they’ll play an even greater role moving forward. In fact, I can’t imagine using anything other than the VUEs from now on. They’re just smokin’!”