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Prog-rock innovator Robert Fripp and his band King Crimson recently completed a short string of select American dates—their first since 2003—their reputation for impeccable live audio quality reinforced by a Midas XL8 console at FOH, manned by Ian Bond. In addition, a Klark Teknik DN9696 hard disk recorder was used to record the shows.
Ian Bond, a longtime Midas user, explained how the XL8/DN9696 combination provided a unique solution for this much anticipated ten-date tour: “The XL8/DN9696 package was ideal for three good reasons: the tour used house/hired-in systems, the band required a lot of detailed monitor mixes, and the shows were recorded. Since I handled all three as the sole engineer on the tour, I needed the best-sounding, most versatile system available for mixing and recording.
“Though the XL8 is a formidable piece of technology with immense capabilities,” Ian adds, “using it is as straightforward as with a Heritage—you can walk up to it and be ready for a show in five minutes. For this particular tour, I put the XL8’s digital flexibility to task, running it for FOH, monitors, and recording. It only took about an hour to set it up in rehearsals. I ran an internal ‘Y’ split, essentially making channel 1 and channel 49 the same. 1 to 48 was the FOH desk; 49 to 96 was the monitor desk. This meant I could give the band separate EQs and Dynamics as necessary, which we then routed through to 21 separate monitor mixes—16 stereo, five mono—for wedges, in-ears, etc.
“The POP(ulation) and VCA (Variable Control Association) groups are perhaps the features that set the XL8 apart the most,” Ian continues, “Unlike any other digital desk, where you have to dig around to find your channel, you can pre-assign all your inputs and effects into a group, push a button and it comes to you. The channel to your left, for example, becomes whatever you want it to be with the VCA; at the push of a button, channel 96 comes to me, right next to my effects, which helps when you’ve only got two hands! These features are exceptionally different, and were worth waiting for.”
As the PA’s changed from show to show, having Midas sound quality on-hand was a big help in terms of consistency, as Ian explains: “The EQs are amazing—it was just like using an XL4, only better! EQ-wise, I found XL8 to be even more precise, in terms of placement and panning; you turn a knob to ten o’clock and the adjustment appears in front of you at ten o’clock from mix position. This was especially helpful when mixing the two drummers, Gavin Harrison & Pat Mastelotto—the separation and definition was exceptional.”
The Klark Teknik DN9696 hard disk recorder’s superb audio quality is also matched by a user-friendly feature set: “In addition to 96/24 recording for archiving the shows, the DN9696 was a really useful tool for the band to play back and check arrangements—again, especially for the drummers—during rehearsals, and for me to fine tune gates, comps, and effects, all at the touch of a button.”
In closing, Ian summed up what is perhaps the most valuable aspect of the XL8: “The Midas sound is alive and well in these mic preamps and EQs—they helped the band—and every PA we they played through—sound their best.”
Photo: L-R: Gavin Harrison, Tony Levin, Ian Bond, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Pat Mastelotto
A veritable who’s who of audio professionals from across the U.S. flew in to Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 10th to attend the two-day U.S. launch of the new Midas PRO6 digital console — perhaps the most eagerly anticipated pro audio product launch of the year. This was the latest in a world-wide program of global launch events for the new Midas console.
Having raised the bar with the flagship XL8 system, the introduction of the PRO6 brings Midas digital technology to a more compact size and price point. The PRO6 has been introduced to the world as “digital, with Heritage”, invoking the legacy of its industry-standard analog predecessor the Heritage 3000 while taking Midas deeper into the digital realm.
The launch took place at the MYTH concert venue, where three PRO6 consoles were demo’d through the club’s Electro-Voice X-Line sound system in a 5.1 listening environment. Guests had plenty of hands-on time with the PRO6 and the response to the system’s feature set, work surface, and sound quality was uniformly enthusiastic. Judging by the buzzing cell phone and email traffic during breaks, tour riders and installations around the world will soon be spec’d with the PRO6.
One of the launch attendees was Front of House Engineer Nigel Paul, whose credits include progressive rock luminaries Dream Theater, guitar virtuosi Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, and Avenged Sevenfold, amongst many others. Paul offered some thoughts on the new Midas: “Finally, after several years of treading digital water, I can fully embrace a digital console with a clear conscience. With the PRO6 I know I’m not surrendering even half-a-percent of the sound quality of my long-favored XL4 for all the functionality that I acquire from a digital mixing system. Sonically, operationally, ergonomically, and aesthetically the PRO6 Live Audio System is a masterpiece. Plus, it’s a Midas, offering everything the name implies in terms of reliability, engineering, design excellence, factory support, and musical pedigree. My sincerest congratulations to everyone involved in the creation of such a landmark product”.
The European unveiling of the PRO6 took place at the PLASA show in London during the first week of September, where four PRO6 systems were the stars of the show, keeping Midas booth packed with wide-eyed visitors. The PLASA launch of the PRO6 marked one of the most successful show debuts in the company’s history, with a slew of orders — including those from leading rental companies Britannia Row and SSE, who each purchased six.
PRO6 will also be introduced at the upcoming shows:
LDI (Las Vegas, Oct 24-26, Technologies for Worship Booth #2176, South Hall)
WFX (Worship Facilities Expo, Houston, Nov 6-7, Booth #1001)
Horne Audio (Portland, Oregon) added to their extensive Electro-Voice loudspeaker inventory earlier this year, bringing on board new 90-degree horizontal dispersion XLC-907DVX and XLD291 line-array elements (Horne already has a complement of the 120-degree version of each, the XLC-127DVX & XLD281). The new boxes allowed Horne Audio to up the ante once again at their largest annual gig—the Oregon Jamboree in Sweet Home, Oregon—while bringing increased sonic control to two more big regional events, a Luis Palau Christian Festival held in downtown Portland and a summer concert series at the Oregon Zoo (Portland).Owner Peter Horne explained how the new 90-degree versions of the XLC and XLD add finesse to his EV rig:
Oregon Zoo
“In the past we have used delay towers at the open-air zoo amphitheater,” says Horne. “We have been pretty successful covering this venue with our 120-degree XLD281 boxes, but the 90-degree (XLD291) boxes gave us more even coverage throughout the venue. That said, the amount of time saved setting up for this show demonstrated to us that they will be more than worth the investment. These boxes minimize the amount of energy that’s dispersed horizontally, which allows better zone control and focus, with around 3dB more in the HF at the back of the venue—250-feet away—without the delays. Our goal was more even coverage throughout the venue, and the new XLDs helped us achieve that very well.”
Oregon Jamboree
“The Jamboree continues to be a very successful event for us,” Horne continues, “and we like to raise our own bar every year, listening closely to the organizer’s suggestions, and adjusting or adding to our equipment spec accordingly. The PA is based around main XLC-DVX line arrays (with XLD281 down-fills), flown XLC215 subs, XLD281 side-fills, and XLC delay towers. Of the 12 XLC boxes in the main hangs, the top six were the 90-degree versions (XLC-907DVX) and the bottom six were the 120s (XLC-127DVX). This is an outdoor festival, and the venue is almost 400-feet long. The 90-degree boxes helped to push the sound out to the edges of the field, acting as long distance fills for the areas furthest from the delay towers. You couldn’t notice any difference between the house sound and the delays, it was that effective.” The show by Texan country stars Sugarland was a particular highpoint: “Festival Director Peter LaPonte remarked that it was one of the best-sounding shows he‘d ever heard anywhere,” Horne says. “Adding the more focused 90-degree XLD boxes to the mix kept the sound warm and clear across all the audience areas better than ever before—they added finesse to an already superb system.”
Luis Palau
Held by the waterfront in downtown Portland, a two day festival for internationally-known evangelist Luis Palau was the third major proving ground for the 90-degree additions to Horne’s XLC/XLD rig. Whereas the first two events needed to deliver sonic quality at long distances, this application was all about the control of a narrower dispersion pattern. Attendance was around 100,000 for the two-day event.
“The challenge here was keeping the sound contained,” Horne explains; “one side of the long, narrow venue is along the river, the other along the city’s downtown edge. We needed to stay within the noise variance—set at 80 dBA for maximum peaks—measured across the street. Keeping the sound focused was key, and the 90s were the perfect tool to do this.
“The PA wasn’t very large—two low-flown arrays of six XLC per side with a couple of XLD under-hangs. The top three boxes on each main array were the 90-degree versions. I was able to get 95 dBA for the engineers at FOH, staying within the noise variance across the street, which was literally a stone’s throw from mix position. That narrower dispersion was critical to the success of this show.” The overflow system adjacent to the main venue, which had a large screen for people to watch the event, also used 90-degree XLC boxes.
“We’re finding new uses for these boxes all the time,” Horne adds. “That’s what I like about the EV product line: they offer application-specific solutions, giving us options to precisely address the various sized—and shaped—events we handle.”
An Electro-Voice XLC sound system from Mason Sound (Jacksonville, IL) raised the bar for sound quality at this year’s Illinois State Fair, which ran from August 8-17 and featured live performances by big names including ZZ Top, Fergie, Brooks & Dunn, Joan Jett, Huey Lewis, and Trace Adkins.
“Since taking delivery on our new EV XLC-127DVX system in January, we’ve continued to be very impressed by its ease of use and excellent sound quality,” says Mike Mason. “The main stage at the Illinois State Fair was our biggest show so far with the system, for which we deployed 36 XLC-DVX127 line-array boxes (18 per side) powered by TG-7 amps (loaded with RCM-26 DSP modules with FIR filters), running three amps for six boxes. The entire system is controlled by IRIS-Net, which is very intuitive and easy to navigate—very straightforward. This system has the capacity to cover between 13,000 and 15,000 people, and it’s a relatively compact and lightweight system for what it can do, with very straightforward rigging—it goes up and down easier than any system we’ve ever worked with. We’ve done indoor theaters with four boxes ground-stacked per side, all the way up to the long hangs for these big summer fairs. IRIS-Net control and the DSP modules, coupled with the performance of the DVX woofers and audio quality of the amps, all ensures consistently excellent sound quality with minimal tweaking—the system just sounds good.”
“The XLC-DVX is cleaner and clearer than any other line array I’ve heard,” Mason adds, “and thanks to the FIR filtering there’s more separation. Everything has sounded crystal clear in every application. We had uniformly positive feedback from the engineers mixing on the system at the state fair, from ‘it’s the smoothest, truest-sounding PA I’ve ever mixed on’, to ‘I heard things I didn’t know the band was doing onstage before’. That’s what we like to hear. Sonically is all there, and in equal parts; hardly any EQ’ing or tuning has been necessary beyond the factory settings EV supplied. We were happy to see engineers turn up the rig and say ‘sounds great—we don’t have to do anything’.
The customer support we’ve received has been fantastic—another strong point with Electro-Voice. If I had to rate it on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give it a 15. George Georgallis and Stu Schatz (EV Tech Support) provided IRIS-Net and LAPS (Line Array Prediction Software) support and were right there, eager to help us get comfortable with the new system. It sounds incredible, and impresses everyone who hears it, plays through it, and mixes on it.”
Knox-Array Event Production of Champaign, Illinois, have added to their Electro-Voice inventory with a new XLC-127DVX line array system, with Xsubs, Xw monitors (Xw12s, and Xw15s) T-G7 amplifiers (with RCM-26 DSP modules), and NetMax digital matrix controllers, all operated by IRIS-Net software.
“I’ve been an EV dealer for 15 years and have been a longtime X-Array user,” says Brian Knox, “and I’ve always liked the EV sound. X-Array was a real turning point in sound reinforcement, all about quality rather than quantity, and it was very versatile for my needs at that time. I always liked its robust, full low-end, and the clarity and purity in the vocal range and high frequencies. While the X-Array is still widely accepted and appreciated, it was time for the next generation line array. With DVX, the development and technology of XLC has truly reached maturity, and the time was right for me to invest in a system to move into the current arena of sound reinforcement.”
Knox listened around at some of the other available line array options, and once again EV quality stood out—and the price point was right too. “Moreover, I really love the simplicity of the LAPS II prediction and IRIS-Net control software interfaces,” he says. “It truly integrates the speakers, TG amplifiers, and the RCM-26 processing cards into a whole system that is easy to set up, control, and monitor. Listening to the final product is proof that this is the right solution for us. We’ve had the rig out on about a dozen shows now, and it has been amazing every time. Not only is that inherent sound quality there, but rigging, hanging, and managing the XLC system is all very elegant—it all makes sense and saves time. You see companies out there with great big bumpers and all sorts of other moving parts. I’d compare the difference in industrial design of XLC and other line-arrays to that of Apple® computers and your average PC. XLC is simply a very beautiful balance of form and function—a lot of thought went into it, and it shows.”
Knox-Array’s additions to their EV rig include the following:
20 XLC-127DVX
16x TG-7 & 8x TG-5 amplifiers, with RCM-26 DSP modules
Leading Canadian rental and production company Sound Art deploy Electro-Voice sound systems for Canada’s largest annual events, kicking into high gear every summer for the outdoor festival season. This year saw them supply a suitably muscular EV X-Line system for the Monsters of Rock festival at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, featuring heavy metal legends Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest.
The system’s X-Line component featured left and right arrays of 12 Xvls and two Xvlt, each flanked by 12 flown Xsubs. 12 XLC-DVX127 per side were deployed as out-fill arrays, with additional low-end support via 12 ground-stacked Xsubs. Four Xf, four Xn, and eight Xb (per side) from EV’s X-Array line served as front fills. 56 P3000RL amps powered the X-Line and Xsubs, with 12 TG-7 for the XLC. IRIS-Net control and supervision software was used for the X-Line and XLC systems.
Sound Art Calgary Operations Manager Ronan McGurk was Systems Tech for the show, and described why X-Line is hard to beat when it comes to delivering massive sonic horsepower for heavy rock:
This was the first large concert at McMahon Stadium in years, and it was an amazing-sounding one. We had more than enough PA to cover the whole stadium. It was typical EV: simple to fly, simple to use, sounding great. All the engineers at the show were very pleased with the sound quality. The X-Line and Xsubs always impress; the newer equipment, particularly the TG amps and XLC-DVX, are great too. The DVX speakers provide so much body and definition, though it’s not just the woofers that have impressed me with the DVX upgrade from the XLC-127+, it’s the whole box. It was a big, loud rock show, and this PA was perfect.”
JC Audio and Light LLC deployed their Electro-Voice XLC line array system for a concert by hip hop star Common at Michigan State University Auditorium in Lansing.
JC flew 12 XLC127+ line array enclosures per side, with low end support via three XLC215 flown at the top of each full-range array. Ground-stacked Xsubs handled additional sub output, Xi-1152s provided front-fills, and Two Midas Heritage 3000 mixing consoles were deployed for FOH and monitor mixes.
“We typically put arrays of six to eight boxes per side in this room, with subs on the ground,” says Jeff Chaffin of JC Audio, “but the client had budgeted for a larger rig, so it was a chance for us to really have some fun with the system—the coverage was great across every seat in the house, and there was so much headroom on hand that the rig really just idled through the evening, but with all the dynamic detail you could ask for. The house engineer was ecstatic with the sound quality.
“We have 20 of the XLC215 subs,” Chaffin adds, “and are big fans of flying them—it’s definitely the way forward for us. They yield superior overall coverage, getting rid of the problematic power alleys that can occur down the middle of venues like this. In combination with some Xsubs on the ground, I would always like to be able to fly eight to twelve subs per side; the definition and punch they provide is excellent. The XLC215 is the right size and easy to use, making it versatile for a very wide range of applications. They are definitely one of my favorite additions to our inventory.”
April 24, 2008 saw the Olympic Torch Relay arrive at Australia’s national capitol Canberra amid much fanfare and media attention. Following incidents earlier in its travels, local organizers worked overtime to ensure that the event ran as smoothly as possible.
The audio specification for the event required systems be provided at two locations, the first at the dawn torch lighting ceremony and the second for the end of relay presentation and concert. Leading Canberra company Eclipse Lighting and Sound were contracted to supply the audio design and equipment for the event. This also included a small system at Canberra airport for the torch’s arrival. The whole event saw an extensive array of Electro-Voice equipment used throughout.
Torch Lighting Ceremony:
The opening ceremony for the event was held at Reconciliation Place, located beside Lake Burley Griffith and leading up to Parliament House. The event coincided with the Canberra Balloon Festival, which saw multiple hot air balloons taking off between the presentation area and parliament house.
The ceremony involved pre-ceremony entertainment from the Australian National University Percussion Ensemble playing from two stages, followed by a performance from the Spectrum Swing Big Band from a third stage stage. Additional performances were supplied by the Aboriginal dance group ‘Descendance’ as well as the ‘Shaanxi Folk Arts group’ from China. The official ceremony involved a smoking (purification) ceremony from the local Ngunnawal Aboriginal community, followed by the national anthems of both Australia and China.
The official torch lighting ceremony led by the local chairman Ted Quinlan then saw the torch handed to the first of many runners that took it on a three hour route through the centre of Canberra. Entertainment for the official event was supplied by the Samsung choir who performed at Commonwealth Place on the lake’s edge. Audio was fed via a RF link to the main presentation site.
The audio specification was beefed-up close to the event to ensure that organizers were able to easily drown out any boisterous behavior from the crowd. This resulted in a 16 box per side XLD line array system being assembled in front of the main presentation area. This was supplemented by an eight box per side XLE system to cover the area behind the presentation area; additional XLC boxes were distributed to provide side fills. Foldback for the event was via T221M wedges; all power was from EV ‘P’ series amplifiers. Powered SxA360’s were deployed at Commonwealth Place as local reinforcement for the choir performance.
Electro-Voice microphones also saw lots of action: the choir was equipped with over 30 EV RE510 and PL80 microphones. In addition, the main presentation lectern was equipped with an N/D967. Despite the presence of over 10,000 people with an obvious political agenda, the audio was sufficient to ensure that all aspects of the presentation were clearly heard and no interruptions were made.
Torch Relay Conclusion Concert:
The torch relay concluded at Stage 88 in Commonwealth Park, where, on the shores of the lake, Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe was the final runner to the podium where the torch was handed over to its custodians for transport to its next location (Japan). This ceremony saw another performance from the Samsung Choir, as well performances from Australian Rock legends Russell Morris and Brian Cadd. The concert concluded with a set from Australian Idol performer Shannon Noll, to an appreciative audience in excess of 10,000 people.
The audio system for the relay conclusion consisted of an eight box per side XLC DVX system supplemented by three XLD per side (utilizing EV’s AGCD adapter bracket) supplemented by four Xsubs per side. All amplification was supplied by EV P, CP, and TG series amplifiers. The band foldback system consisted of 12 EV-loaded Dynacord Madras M15’s. Choir foldback was via EV Sx300’s and the system front fill was supplied via EV’s new ZX3 cabinets.
The whole event involved a cast of thousands, with over 40 crew members involved with the audio and lighting production. The organizers were exceptionally pleased with how the event was run and were very appreciative of how well the audio systems worked for the event. Eclipse MD Chris Neal received much praise for his efforts, those of his crew, and of the performance of the gear. Yet again EV ensured Eclipse with another stellar, stress-free event.
The largest street party in the U.S. and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008, the Calle Ocho (“Eighth Street”) carnival is a colorful celebration of Latino culture that fills the heart of Miami’s “Little Havana” district with over a million visitors each year. This year’s Calle Ocho sounded better than ever, thanks to an Electro-Voice sound system from Sound & Lighting Solutions.
24 blocks of SW 8th St. are closed off for Calle Ocho, a free event which takes place over two weekends as part of the citywide Carnival Miami. Along with an array of Caribbean cuisine and revelers from around the globe, the streets are filled with a kaleidoscope of carnival music; meringue, salsa, reggae, and bachata can all be heard on any of over 30 sponsored stages. As parties go, it doesn’t get much bigger than this…
Fort Lauderdale-based Sound & Lighting Solutions Inc. deployed a powerhouse sound system for the main stage at this year’s Calle Ocho, built around their new EV Phoenix manifold technology loudspeakers—a new line designed to provide a perfect balance of muscular punch and musical detail. SLS used 4x PX2181 subs under 2x PX2152 boxes per side; PX2122 completed the three pack stacks. This main rig was powered by EV CP4000S and P-Series amplifiers. In addition to the Phoenix rig, SLS deployed a stage-wide spread of Dynacord FX 20 subs and four flown FX 12 boxes for long throw duties, both powered by Xa 4000 amps. EV microphones, EV Xw stage monitors, Midas Venice 320 consoles, Klark Teknik graphics, EQs, and processing completed the spec.
“This was a huge event, and we brought the right PA for the job,” says Jay Krause of Sound and Lighting Solutions. “It was estimated that 565,000 people passed the stage between the hours of 11am and 7pm. We wanted to use a PA that would stand out, in terms of both sheer power and sonic fidelity. Since this stage was all about rap and reggae—featuring top tier artists like Flo Rida, Shaggy, and Timbaland—we needed lots of low end. Not a problem with the subs we were packing! The whole system sounded fantastic.”
Krause gave a no-nonsense post game wrap up on the day’s PA performance: “What didn’t happen at the show? Let me tell you: we never had a single amp go into clip mode; we didn’t lose a single driver; we didn’t have a single issue with the mics—static, etc.; we didn’t trip a breaker. What did happen at the show? We had 121dB’s with a 120Hz bass wave 75 feet from the front of the deck, with 126dB at the front of the stage; we confused the generator guy as to why the electrical draw was so low for such insanely high output—thanks to the CP4000 amps; we had compliments from all of the performers, regarding the clarity, bass, and overall performance; we had six audio companies from other stages stop by and ask us, amazed, ‘whose system is this?’ That said it all—in terms of sound quality and reliable performance, this rig was jaw-droppingly impressive… in a league of its own!”
Audio Crew:
Concert Production Manager – Bryan Rush (Rush Sounds)
Master Audio Engineer – Jay Krause (Sound & Lighting Solutions)
Front of house engineer Davy Kirkwood has been using a Midas XL8 Live Performance System provided by Britannia Row for the UK and European leg of the Rihanna tour.
Kirkwood arrived at the first date in Dublin directly from Jamaica in time for a few run-throughs with Britrow’s Josh Lloyd, who has completed the XL8 training at Midas’ Kidderminster headquarters.
“I’ve always been a Midas fan and have been using their consoles since 1977, but I think this sounds even better than the XL4,” says Kirkwood of the XL8. “Although I’d used other digital desks, I’d never felt as comfortable or as fast on them, and audibly they were a step down. However I find the XL8 a far more natural way of working, and very similar to using an analogue console.”
Kirkwood soon got to grips with the XL8’s automation, onboard effects and its many unique features.
“We used the automation on a song-by-song basis for effects and to change all levels except Rihanna’s vocal from song to song, and for a high pass filter in one number,” he says. “I accessed the channels via the POP (population) groups when mixing, and used a variety of compressors types on the two bass guitar channels and the keyboard bass.
“The onboard KVM let us view and control our show computer running the speaker system controllers from the desk itself. We also had our RT analyser computer running throughout the show on the surface.”
System engineer Chris Morrison took advantage of the Area B zone on the control surface throughout the show to control VT levels, CD etc, and help tweak things at one end of the desk.
The sound team also routed audio through the XL8’s network, without passing through the desk itself, removing the need for running any analogue cable from front of house to stage. The signal chain was completely digital between the stage box and the amp racks, routing digitally out of the XL8’s networked hardware into the on-stage processors.
Summarising his first XL8 experience, Kirkwood says,” This desk has changed my life. The quality of the pre amps and the overall audio quality is higher than any other desk I’ve worked with. The combination of the great desk and how Chris Morrison gets the system sounding every day makes it the best sound I’ve had with Rihanna since the start.”
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