Imelda May and FOH Engineer Trevor Gilligan Tour with Condenser Mic DUBLIN — Singer-songwriter Imelda May has shared the stage with a long roster of established artists including Jeff Beck, Lou Reed, Bono, Meat Loaf and The Supremes. But if fellow artists have long appreciated her distinctive vocals and rockabilly style, the challenge for Trevor Gilligan, who took over front of house mixing duties for Imelda and her band in early 2011, was to find a vocal mic that would really suit her voice. “After a couple of shows, I realized that the dynamics in her incredible voice really needed a microphone that would make the best of them,” he said. “We tried microphones from a range of other manufacturers, but none of them were quite right. She found most of them too clinical. “As she likes to sing at a good distance from the mic, both when she’s giving it some power and also when singing softly, I thought a condenser would suit her style as they have a better proximity effect,” Gilligan continued. “We tried the Sennheisere 965 and she loved its bite and fullness.” The two 965s that Gilligan subsequently purchased have been a feature of the shows ever since. “We have used them everywhere, from tiny venues to arenas and they deliver every time,” Gilligan said. “You can get a very high level before feedback and they are very punchy. They are also built like a battleship, which is very important for touring.” Don’t expect a whole lot of touring this summer — May and guitarist husband Darrel Higham are expecting a child this August. But while it’s not certain when she will next hit the road, Gilligan is pretty sure about which microphone she’ll be using. “All in all, the 965 is the best choice for us and the support from Sennheiser is second to none. The only thing that would make it better for Imelda is if they could supply one in a tiger skin finish!” Krakow-Area Consortium Makes Big JBL Commitment LOMIANKI, Poland — Harman Professional’s Polish distributor, ESS Audio, has announced a major sale of a JBL VTX line array system including Crown Audio VRacks to a consortium of PA companies in Poland’s Krakow region. Between them, Audio-Tech and Music Cook Sound Design (MCSD) have purchased 64 of the VTX V25 line array elements and 44 G28/S28 arrayable subwoofers. To power its VTX system, the consortium has invested in 66 Crown I-Tech IT 12000HD amplifers, divided into 22 VRack systems. With an active roster of concerts, festivals and other events, the companies were preparing to put the large-format gear into service and take advantage of design features including the new D2 dual-diaphragm, dualvoice- coil compression drivers mounted on a newly designed waveguide. Working with ESS Audio, the two rental companies took the opportunity to introduce the system to fellow industry professionals at a live event. “The reaction couldn’t have been more positive,” noted ESS Audio director Witold Karalow. “All sound engineers and event company representatives were stunned by the SPL and overall sound quality of the system.” The event was supported by Gert Sanner, Harman Professional’s tour sound market manager (EMEA), who trained Audio-Tech and MCSD technicians before setting up the system for the show based around 15 of the V25’s on each main PA hang, with 10 of the G28 subs on each side. The consortium had been close to investing in an alternative system when they learned that the new JBL VTX system was being launched at January’s NAMM Show in California. On the strength of the spec, the recommendation from ESS Audio and the reputation of JBL, they changed tack and placed an order—then got to hear the system for the first time in March, at the Harman/AED Rent VTX Listening Experience in Belgium. “They were already confident the system would sound great because of the construction of the new driver and because of the many others innovations in VTX,” said Karalow, who and previously gotten acquainted with the VTX at the Harman Professional conference prior to NAMM. “I was very excited about the sound compared with the primary systems it was competing against — it was certainly a lot better in the high frequency,” he noted. “But when I heard the system complete with the G28’s in Poland, I was speechless. The subs sounded just amazing — fast and clear — while the power is huge.” Japanese Popstars from Ireland Tour with British Mixing Console DERRY/LONDONDERRY, Northern Ireland — The Japanese Popstars, an Irish electronic act based here, selected an Allen & Heath ZED-420 USB mixer as the permanent mixer in their tour setup. “Allen & Heath is a music industry stalwart and well trusted by many producers and performers,” said band member Gary Curran, crediting the mixer’s “rock solid” reliability for touring. “We have previously used the Mix- Wizard with great results, one of which was our first BBC Radio One live performance as part of In New DJs We Trust, so you could imagine our excitement when we got our hands on the ZED-420,” Curran added. The Japanese Popstars have toured with the ZED mixer for the past year, playing many gigs and festivals ranging from Glastonbury to the Secret Garden Party. More recently, the ZED joined them on tour with Orbital, which included a gig at London’s Royal Albert Hall. “The mixer has been fantastic for the way we set up our live performances. We make use of the mixer by sticking to its analog roots, with individual sounds traveling through individual channels, and we mix these down live before sending to the stereo master,” Curran noted. “The rich EQ allows even the smallest change to enhance the overall sound, making it clean, warm and full.” Sound.com Uses Digital Desk to Support AR Rahman Orchestral Tour DELHI, India — Within days of the launch of DiGiCo’s SD10 console in 2010, Indian rental company Sound.com had invested in one, its first DiGiCo console. Two years on, the desk is a regular fixture on events serviced by the company — primarily sporting events and broadcasts, but also on complex orchestral performances. Recently, the console’s versatility was put to the test on the Classical Incantations tour, which featured Germany’s Babelsburg Film Orchestra performing scores and film music composed by A.R. Rahman. Matt Dunkley conducted the orchestra, which was accompanied by the choir and soloists from the Rahman foundation’s KM Music Conservatory in Chennai. The tour played in venues across India. Sound.com’s Sunil Karanjikar and Joel Dcruz worked alongside front of house engineer Holger Schwark. Sound.com founder and managing director Warren D’Souza served as a stand-in systems engineer for the Delhi and Kolkata shows. “The SD10 desk was the key to defining the symphonic sound of the orchestra. The warmth and tone that it is capable of achieving can only be understood when you work in the field and experience the aura of it,” D’Souza said. “Holger, the systems engineers and we as a company totally endorse it.” “We knew the SD10 would be perfect for Sound.com, so we’re very pleased that they came on board with DiGiCo and have had such a positive experience,” said Rajesh Sadarangani of Rivera International, which sold D’Souza the console. National Theatre of Latvia Gets its Sound Optimized RIGA, Latvia — A team of audio professionals recently went to National Theatre of Latvia to optimize the sound system. The setup there includes three main JBL speakers augmented by two pairs of Meyer Sound and four pairs of JBL surround speakers. The team, from Real Sound Lab, measured the speakers and used five APEQ-2pro 2 channel units to equalize them. At a request by Latvian composer Zigmars Liepinš, the team also applied CONEQ, a new loudspeaker measurement and equalization diagnostic and adjustment technology. “This is the third time I used CONEQ for my shows in the National Theatre of Latvia and again I am very satisfied with the results,” said Liepinš, who was eager to fine-tune the system for his opera, Notre Dame de Paris. “With CONEQ the loudspeaker system has a perfectly balanced frequency response that helps to create a very enjoyable soundscape.” Established in 2004, Real Sound Lab is an independent, R&D-focused company active in development of technology solutions for sound engineering in professional and consumer markets. Czech Rental Company T Servis Adds Cabinets to Inventory PRAGUE — Czech rental company T Servis has purchased additional L-Acoustics K1 WST line source enclosures from local distributor Pro Music, bringing the tally of K1 enclosures in its rental inventory to 64 and its total count of L-Acoustics boxes past the 350 mark. The company has also relocated recently to a new 33,000-square-foot facility that includes a warehouse, a private rehearsal studio, four production offices, two dressing rooms with showers and its own cafeteria. “T Servis required more K1 inventory to supply its growing international clientele throughout Central and Eastern Europe,” noted the company’s managing director, Radim Janousek. T Servis is looking forward to a busy summer season with tours including Sting and Metallica, as well as open-air festivals such as Frequency and Nova Rock. Life Ball Performers and Speakers Help Raise AIDS Awareness, Funds with Wireless Gear, IEMs VIENNA, Austria — More than 4,000 attendees from around the globe gathered to help raise awareness and charitable donations to fight AIDS at the 20th annual Life Ball. Themed “Fight the Flames of Ignorance,” performers and speakers at the event relied upon AKG’s wireless microphones and in-ear monitoring systems. For seven consecutive years, AKG has provided the PA equipment to the Life Ball, which hosts thousands of participants and a large number of international celebrities each year, who all pitch in to help rid the world of AIDS and HIV. In 2012, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and actress Milla Jovovich were among the guests, in addition to the large congregation of fashion icons. The event hosted one main stage and six side stages, all backed by AKG microphones and headphones. AKG provided more than 80 channels of wireless and in ear systems, WMS 4500 and IVM 4500, plus a selection of vocal and instrument microphones such as D7, D5, C 214, C 480 ULS, C 414, AKG’s miniature mic series “MicroMic” and K 171 and K 181 DJ headphones. “While AKG has been utilized for decades on the largest stages across the globe, the Life Ball continues to be a very special event for our company every year,” said Walter Rührig, head of artist and key customer relations, AKG. “HIV/ AIDS is an issue concerning the entire population of the world, and the Life Ball has been a model for many activities and events working to fght the disease. AKG is honored to provide the Life Ball with our reliable and world-leading equipment.” Elite Sound and Lighting Expands Console Inventory CANBERRA, Australia — Sound quality, reliability and versatility led Darren Russell, managing director Elite Sound and Lighting, to purchase a Soundcraft Si Compact 16 console, a Soundcraft Si Compact 32 console and two Soundcraft Compact Stagebox digital multicore systems. “We always spend a lot of time researching products, which is exactly what we did when we recently decided to invest in some compact digital audio consoles,” said Russell. “We looked at what all the manufacturers in the market had to offer but in terms of versatility and features, we felt that Soundcraft consoles had the edge over the competition.” For Russell, one of the main selling points with the Soundcraft consoles, along with a competitive price, is their ability to either take analog inputs and outputs on the back of the console or use Cat-5 digital multicore system or a combination of the two. “That was a large part of the equation for us,” Russell said, who also noted the reliability and sound quality of the older Soundcraft consoles in the company’s inventory. “The fact that the digital consoles have that Harman pedigree in them is assuring. “I guess versatility and features for their price were the main reason for their purchase,” Russell added, also commending the desks for intuitive features and ease of use. “Soundcraft added a heap of new functionality in their most recent software upgrade which was great. We had ordered them based on a demo of the previous version so we were delighted to have all these new features.” Renovated Buesa Arena in Spain Gets New Sound System VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain — Grupo Ingevision (Ekintza) worked with D.A.S. Audio’s Sound Projects department, led by Eva Argandoña to upgrade the sound system used at the remodeled Buesa Arena here. The multi-use venue currently seats over 15,000 spectators and is home to the city’s basketball team, Baskonia. Víctor Catalá from the D.A.S. Audio Engineering Department was on hand for system adjustments and set up, and Juan José Soto, the northern zone manager, coordinated the project. The main sound reinforcement system for the stands includes 40 D.A.S. Aero 12A self-powered line array systems distributed in four 10-unit linear formations, each facing one of the four main stands. D.A.S DSP-2060 digital signal processors take care of the monitoring and management of the system. With their broad horizontal and vertical coverage, the Aero 12A line array systems helped overcome the venue’s challenges, which include steeply inclined stands and the echoes produced by overhangs. Buesa Arena Four D.A.S. BiDriver systems were installed directly underneath the centrallypositioned octagonal scoreboard to provide optimum sound coverage for the court. The passive systems, chosen in part for spoken-word intelligibility, are supported by D.A.S. SLA-2600, a switchmode power supply amplifer, and a digital signal processor, the D.A.S. DSP-26. Vincent Voyron Mixes Natasha St Pier Concert with Nouvelle Console ARQUES, France — Vincent Voyron, longtime sound engineer for Canadian singer Natasha St Pier, found something nouvelle in the mix for her performance at an intimately-sized concert hall here — the opportunity to try out an Innovason Eclipse for the first time. “I wasn’t disappointed — I’d be happy to mix on an Eclipse any time,” he said. In France to support her latest album, La Bonne Nouvelle, St Pier is considered a standout in the “Chanson Francaise” genre; she has sold more than 2 million albums in France alone. Although St Pier has performed duets with Johnny Hallyday and Florent Pagny and launched her international singing career as Fleur de Lys in London’s Notre Dame de Paris, she opted to keep the scale of her current tour small. The concerts feature just her and pianist Michel Amsellem in venues of 800 seats or less. “Given the intimate nature of this tour, we decided not to bring all of our PA equipment with us, but to use either whatever the venue had to offer or to work with local rental companies,” Voyron said. “On my rider, I simply specified a good-quality digital console with high quality preamps. “I know Natasha’s voice extremely well, and I always use the same microphone for her (a Neumann KMS 105),” continued Voyron. “That way, I know as soon as we put the signal through the console whether the preamps are any good or not. In the case of the Eclipse, they were excellent. “I was able to get my bearings straight away and I appreciated their transparency,” Voyron continued. “So, with a good source, a good mic and good preamps, I hardly had to use the EQs at all, although they appeared to be extremely accurate and efficient. Running monitors from FOH, I also used the graphic EQs for the aux sends, and, once again, I appreciated the quality of the graphic EQs. For me, the Eclipse is a really good console — the internal multitrack recorder is a real plus.” Nigel Paul Supports Input-Intensive Dream Theater Tour with New Digital Desk BANGKOK — FOH engineer Nigel Paul is using the Midas PRO9 digital live audio system for Dream Theater’s world tour in support of the band’s 11th studio album, A Dramatic Turn of Events. Clair Global is the audio provider for the tour. For Paul, moving up to a Midas PRO Series console was a natural progression. He had been a fan of the Midas XL4 back in the analog era, and an early adopter of the PRO6 upon its introduction in 2008. “After just 10 minutes of feeling out the software and listening to the preamps and EQ, I knew this was the digital console I’d been waiting for,” he recalled. “There was a learning curve, of course, but for me, it was smooth, straightforward and enjoyable.” For the input-intensive Dream Theater tour, Paul moved up to the PRO9, which expands the I/O capabilities while maintaining the same mix engine. “I’m so glad the PRO9 came out in time for this tour,” he noted. “I need every one of the 80 inputs and eight aux returns it offers. We use 40 channels for drummer Mike Mangini alone!” Dream Theater presents a very dynamic show, and Paul takes an active approach to the mix. “This is a very busy show, mix-wise, and I like to be actively hands-on, so I prefer not to avail myself of the excellent ‘scenes’ features that the console offers,” he says. “I do, however, take the fullest advantage of the POP [POPulation] Groups and VCAs to ensure I can have any inputs immediately to hand, in the correct groupings, whenever I need access to them,” he added, crediting Midas for 10 VCAs instead of eight and POP Groups instead of the “layer approach.” Paul has the console’s 10 VCAs set up as follows: lead vocal, background vocal, guitars, keys, Pro Tools playback, bass, drum kit main, toms/octobans, vocal reverb and vocal delay. This gives him grouped access to each element of the mix with a single button push. He deploys the six POP Groups with a different mindset, geared more towards the show’s functional progression. His current six-pack of POP Groups comprises: all vocals; principal inputs for the acoustic songs; utilities (talkback, pink noise, etc.); all Aux returns; all cymbals and electronic percussion; and show start (CD, iPod, and video playback). “I use the on-board DSP for most of my effects and dynamics processing, supplemented by just a couple of preferred outboard pieces,” he continued. “My analog FOH set-up for Dream Theater used to consist of an XL4 loaded with 12 stereo modules, a 24-channel XL3 sidecar, three racks of dynamics processing and effects, plus a PSU rack. With the PRO9, all I have at FOH is the control surface, one small effects/playback/ recording rack, and a work box.” The system’s DL351 and DL451 modular I/O boxes and the DL371 DSP engine are kept on stage, with connection to the PRO9 control surface accomplished via Cat-5e cables. As in the analog days, Paul remains a fan of Midas’ sound quality. “Everything is in perfect audio focus, with no time smear whatsoever, which makes a real difference to the discerning ear. The members of Dream Theater are very technically savvy and all about sound quality. Any time one of them has come out to join me for a listen during sound check, they have never failed to comment on how warm and punchy everything sounds.” Having started their 2012 schedule with tours of Europe and the Far East, Dream Theater will be returning to the road with U.S. dates for their Dramatic Turn of Events tour beginning June 15. Total Events Serves Up Sound Reinforcement for Australia’s Davis Cup GEELONG, Australia — Total Events supplied a Harman audio system for background music, MC and umpires at the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club stands for the recent Davis Cup tennis tournament in Australia. The main challenge was keeping a minimal layout without obscuring sightlines. The company’s JBL VRX Constant Curvature loudspeakers proved well-suited to the task. Six JBL VRX918S powered subwoofers and 12 JBL VRX932LA loudspeakers were used, powered by six Crown IT8000 amplifers all networked along with a Soundcraft Si Compact 32 digital console. “The VRX cabinets are discreet, so you can point and shoot without obscuring the view of the tennis action,” said Bill Busbridge, managing director of Total Events. “They have a nice high power output, and it’s good to be able to network the amplifers so I can control remotely and time align.” Busbridge also lauded the Soundcraft Si Compact console. “I really like that you can move channels to any layer. The small footprint is a bonus, and it’s just so easy to grab it and use. We find a lot of walk-in engineers who are familiar with the console.” The gear was sourced through Harman distributor Jands.