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 March 2017

Vol. 15.06
FRONTOFHOUSE
w w w. fo h o n l i n e . c o m

In the News
3G Productions to
5 Acquire Beachsound

New Parnelli Awards

5 Board Members

Benny Collins Memorial

5 Service Announced

Buyers Guide
Tablet-Controlled
40 Rack-Mount Digital Mixers

46
30 PRODUCTION PROFILE

Road Tests
ts
THE Waves X
X-FDBK
FDBK Plug
Plug-In
In

44

45
DPA V04099-DKIT2
Drum Mic Kit

Ultimate Ears Pro UE

18+ Pro IEM
LUMINEERS
Keeping
K i That
Th Open
O Mi
Mic Night
N h Vib
Vibe in
COVER PHOTO BY ANDREW KELLY
i Arena
A Shows
Sh

inside this month

32 49 50
Installations Theory & Practice Sound Sanctuary
Inside Six New Theater Projects Five Essential Plug-ins Rent or Buy for Special Events?
 ULTRA-COMPACT MODULAR LINE SOURCE

Packing a 138 dB wallop, Kiva II breaks the SPL record for an ultra-compact 14 kg/31 lb line source. Kiva II features L-Acoustics
patented DOSC technology enhanced with an L-Fins waveguide for ultimate precise and smooth horizontal directivity. WST gives
Kiva II long throw and even SPL, from the front row to the back, making it the perfect choice for venues and special events that require
power and clarity with minimal visual obtrusion. Add to that a 16 ohm impedance for maximized amplifier density and a new sturdy
IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, efficiency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com
 Yamaha quality stands the test of time. Loyal PM1D owners understand this.
LOYALTY To thank you for your loyalty, were offering PM1D owners a $10,000 rebate
PROGRAM when a new Rivage PM10 digital mixer is purchased. Theres no need to return
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 MARCH
2017

CONTENTS Vol. 15.06

fohonline.com

Features Columns
24 New Gear Focus: USITT/PL+S 47 On The Digital Edge: FOH Positions
Heres a sneak preview of the new audio products David Morgan discusses positions for front of house
debuting at the USITT convention in St. Louis and setups and what he sometimes has to endure to provide
Prolight+Sound/Musikmesse in Frankfurt. a great mix.

30 Production Profile: The Lumineers 48 The Biz: Banning the Band?

We check in on the Cleopatra tour by these folk-rockers, Dan Daley looks at how government travel restrictions
who have been packing arenas from coast to coast, yet have affected the industry, both now and in the past.
still manage to keep an intimate feel.
49 Theory & Practice: Five Must-Have Plug-ins
32 Installations: New Theater Projects Steve La Cerra reveals his innermost secrets a list of
FRONT of HOUSE drops in on six recent theater and five DSP plug-ins he simply will not tour without
performing arts center upgrades that reflect the assuming he remembered to bring his iLok along.
state-of-the-art.
50 Sound Sanctuary: Buy or Rent?
38 Theater Sound: The Little Mermaid Vince Lepore ponders the issue of whether purchasing
It might be community theater, but Ohios Beck Center or renting new gear makes sense for special services. A
for the Arts puts on a thoroughly first-class production. must-read, especially as we enter the Lenten season.

40 Buyers Guide: Tablet Mixers Departments RENT: THE 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
36
Rack-mount, remotely controlled Wi-Fi units make a lot
of sense in applications ranging from portable P.A. to A landmark musical grows up with
churches, live theater, corporate/industrials and more. 4 Editors Note 28 Showtime some major sound tweaks.
Check these out!
5 Industry News 50 Ad Index
44 Road Test: DPA Drum Mics 18 Global News 51 Marketplace
DPA packages some of its most popular mics for high-
SPL capture into a convenient kit, and we put it through 22 On the Move
its paces. March 2017
Vol. 15.06

FRONTOFHOUSE
w w w. fo h o n l i n e . c o m

45 Road Test: Ultimate Ears Pro UE 18+ Pro IEMs 5

In the News
3G Productions to
Acquire Beachsound

After seven years, UE Pro has updated its flagship in-ear

5

5
New Parnelli Awards
Board Members

Benny Collins Memorial

Service Announced
ON THE COVER
30 Production Profile:
Buyers Guide

system and FRONT of HOUSE was there to give these a 40 Tablet-Controlled

Rack-Mount Digital Mixers

workout. The Lumineers

46
30 PRODUCTION PROFILE

Road Tests
ts
THE Waves X
X-FDBK
FDBK Plug
Plug-In
In

44

45
DPA V04099-DKIT2
Drum Mic Kit

Ultimate Ears Pro UE

18+ Pro IEM
LUMINEERS
Keeping
K i Th
That Open
O Mi
Mic Night
N h Vibe
Vib iin Arena
A Sh
Shows The audio crew, from left: Dave
46 Road Test: Waves X-FDBK Plug-in
COVER PHOTO BY ANDREW KELLY

inside this month

Shatto (system engineer), Cameron

32 49 50
Whaley (audio crew chief ), Matt
Waves unveils a simple, effective and affordable Installations
Inside Six New Theater Projects
Theory & Practice
Five Essential Plug-ins
Sound Sanctuary
Rent or Buy for Special Events?

Garrett (P.A. tech), Brad Galvin FOH AT LARGE: RULES &

solution to feedback control, and Vince Lepore puts it
to the test.
(monitor engineer), Marc Estrin (P.A.
tech) and FOH engineer/system 52 REGULATIONS
Baker Lee looks at why a little order on
designer Josh Osmond. the jobsite may be a good idea.
FRONT Of HOUSE (ISSN 1549-831X) Volume 15, Number 6, March 2017, is published monthly by Timeless Communications Corp., 6000 South Eastern Circulation Publishers of...
Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV, 89119. Periodicals Postage Paid at Las Vegas, NV and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS.
Business, Editorial & Advertising Office
NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to FRONT Of HOUSE, P.O. Box 16655, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6147. Front 6000 South Eastern Ave. Suite 14J Stark Services
Of House is distributed free to qualified individuals in the live sound industry in the United States and Canada. Mailed in Canada under Publications
Mail Agreement Number 40033037, 1415 Janette Ave., Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Overseas subscriptions are available and can be obtained by calling Las Vegas, NV 89119 P.O. Box 16147
702.932.5585. Editorial submissions are encouraged, but will not be returned. All Rights Reserved. Duplication, transmission by any method of this North Hollywood, CA 91615
publication is strictly prohibited without the permission of FRONT Of HOUSE.
Ph: 702.932.5585 Fax: 702.554.5340

2 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

THIS IS
NOT
STATE-OF-THE-ART
WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION
SEE RIEDELS NEXT STEP AT

www.riedel.net
 EDITORSNOTE

Happy Birthday Sorta

N
o, its not my
By birthday, but
GeorgePetersen
exactly five
years ago this month,
I got an unexpected phone call from FRONT of
HOUSE publisher Terry Lowe. It went something
like this. Hey George Terry Lowe here. Do
you want to run FRONT of HOUSE magazine?
My reply was Sure. That probably amounted
to one of the shortest job interviews of all time.
Not that it entirely came out of the blue.
I had come off a three-decade tenure doing
editorial at Mix magazine, and Terry and I had
previously worked together there, before he
set off on his own to found PLSN and FOH.
I wasnt exactly a newcomer to sound rein-
forcement. My dad worked for NATO and I grew
up in Italy as a kid, where I caught the rock n
roll bug (yeah, the Summer of Love), touring,
playing in bands and doing sound gigs, re-
member it wasnt exactly called FOH mixing
back then. I became well-acquainted with lead-
ing Italian brands, such as RCF and FBT (along
with Meazzi, Davoli and Eko) and experienced
the early pleasures of Shure Vocal Master and
Altec A7 Voice of the Theater speakers.
Coming to America for college, I wanted to
play in bands and do club sound, but at 18, I
couldnt work in a bar a shock to me com-
ing from a country that had no drinking age.
But as the typical broke college student, I took
every type of freelance job, at places like San
Franciscos Harry McCune sound (while John
Meyer was there) and ditto at Oaklands Swan-
son Sound, occasionally working with the great
Cal Perkins, but also doing sound (theres that
term again) for Black Panther rallies another
of my regular clients.
I also had an unglamorous, but steady gig
in the local college AV department, endless-
ly repairing gear that students or staff had
trashed. Once that disappeared (budget cuts),
I dropped by the IATSE local #169 office, talked
to a guy there who gave me test on electron-
ics, which I aced, and I started off as a projec-
tionist working nights showing films at local
bijous. My regular routine was three nights at
a Mexican cinema, a drive-in, a porno shift for
the Mitchell Brothers, and occasional one-offs
at the Oakland Coliseum, Paramount Theatre,
etc. No glamour there.
Known as the sound guy, Id get sent out on ing for various magazines and well the story
theater repair calls mostly on vintage RCA
and Altec systems, but when Star Wars hit in
1977, optical Dolby Stereo (actually LCRS) was
the rage and I suddenly had boatloads of install
work. I continued doing repair calls some of
which were very funny. I got a frantic call one
morning from a theater that had no sound at
all. I grabbed my toolbox, headed out, and on
arrival, walked towards the screen. I ignored the
manager, who called me an idiot and pointed
to the upstairs projection booth. Pulling back
the curtain, I could see a cut speaker wire dan-
gling from the attic above a spot where the Al-
tec A7 had been, before someone stole it after
the show the night before. I happened to have
a couple stage wedges in my car and hooked
them up as a temporary fix. Problem solved.
Another time it was a muffled sound com-
plaint. I grabbed an Altec 808 driver, a couple
spare diaphragms and headed out. I soon
confirmed it was an HF problem and asked
the manager if he had a wire coat hanger. He
thought I was crazy until I fashioned a hook,
and fished out a huge rat that somehow got
stuck and died in the horn throat. Moral: When
theres an audio problem, check the easy stuff
first.
I have million more of these stories, but
eventually I had enough college degrees
(working theaters at night let me become
a permanent student by day) and I wanted
something a little more regular. I started writ-
of us here at FRONT of HOUSE, were proud to
eventually leads up to here.
Lifes Good!
Sound reinforcement is an exciting and vi-
brant industry and this is a great time for the
business at large. Perhaps not so much if your
stock-in-trade is rack-mount graphic equaliz-
ers, but every sector of audio production con-
tinues to leap forward. Tablet mixing almost
an anomaly five years ago is now an almost
required part of any sound gig, whether on a
huge mega-console or on one of the mini pow-
erhouses profiled in the Buyers Guide on page
40. Plug-ins (such as those spotlighted by Steve
La Cerra on page 49) bring every possible tool
to the fingertips of the audio engineer, and the
I wish I had a couple more compressors com-
promises disappeared a long time ago. Want
that vintage gear sound? Adding a Fairchild
or some LA-2As is no further than your iLok or
console menu.
Today, from the viewpoint of venues, the
installation and upgrade market is booming,
with new house of worship, club, sports facili-
ty and theater/performing arts spaces projects
on the rise, with some recent examples of the
latter on page 32. The bottom line is that the in-
dustry is looking up on every front from new
product launches at NAMM to the upcoming
USITT, Prolight+Sound and InfoComm shows
to optimism indicated by a recent reader
survey. (More on that next month.) And for all
be part of your family and heres to many more
great years.
Got a comment? Send George an email to
george@fohonline.com.
Catch Georges editorial commentary at fohonline.com/
foh-tv or click on the picture from your digital edition.

MARCH 2017
Vol. 15 6

President Terry Lowe tlowe@timelesscom.com

Group Publisher Greg Gallardo gregg@timelesscom.com

Editor George Petersen george@timelesscom.com

Managing Editor Frank Hammel fh@timelesscom.com

Art Director Garret Petrov gpetrov@timelesscom.com

Production Manager Mike Street mstreet@timelesscom.com

Production Artist Angela Marlett amarlett@timelesscom.com

Photographer Steve Jennings sjennings@timelesscom.com

Senior Staff Writer Kevin M. Mitchell kmitchell@timelesscom.com

Technical Editor Phil Graham pgraham@timelesscom.com

Associate Editor Debi Moen dmoen@timelesscom.com

Contributing Writers Dan Daley, Steve La Cerra,

Baker Lee, Vincent Lepore,
David Morgan

Web Master Josh Harris jharris@timelesscom.com

Sales Manager Matt Huber mh@timelesscom.com

Sales Manager Mike Devine md@timelesscom.com

Greater China Judy Wang C: 0086-13810325171

Worldwide Focus Media judy@timelesscom.com

Office Administrator Naomi Crews ncrews@timelesscom.com

Vice President William Hamilton Vanyo wvanyo@timelesscom.com

4 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 MIXED VOICES OPERA IN NEPAL
Manhattan Transfer joins Miking a Unique Outdoor Gig
Take 6 on tour, Page 14 Page 18

INDUSTRY & GLOBALNEWS

TPs crew with the DiGiCo SD5 at FOH. Front: Shane 3G Productions to Acquire
BRAD HEATON

Bardiau (left), Kenny Sellars (right). Back: Lawrence

Filet Mignogna, Alex Martinez, Murphy Johnson
and Dustin Lewis.
Beachsound, Keep Staff
LAS VEGAS 3G Productions,
Inc., a Las Vegas-based event produc-
tion company with operations in the
Los Angeles area, announced on March
1 that they will expand to the East
Coast by buying the assets of Beach-
sound, the sound-and-lighting rental
company based in Miami Gardens, FL,
for an undisclosed sum.
Following the completion of the
transaction, 3G expects to integrate
all Beachsound employees into the
pro forma organization. Beachsound
founder and president Andre Serafini

Twenty One Pilots

will join 3G as vice president with re-
sponsibility for business development
in the eastern region.
The acquisition further expands the
operations of 3G, which was founded
in 2004 and recently opened Enclave,
Making the Jump to a 75,000-square-foot rental space for
events and rehearsals near Las Vegas
Arena Mixing McCarran Airport.
continued on page 6

COLUMBUS, OH For two guys from Co-
lumbus, OH, Twenty One Pilots (a.k.a. TP) have
made a lot of noise. After winning Artists of the
Year and Album of the Year at the Alternative
Press Music Awards, and Top Rock Artist and
Top Rock Album at the Billboard Music Awards,
the duo memorably accepted a 2017 Grammy
Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
in their underwear.
Two nights later, they resumed their Emo-
tional Roadshow world tour, which kicked off
last May and visits New Zealand and Australia
later this month.
Keeping TPs sound in top shape is a pair
of DiGiCo SD Series consoles. Theres an SD5
at the FOH fitted with a Waves SoundGrid
Extreme Server and a MacBook Pro for record-
ing with a DiGiGrid MGB MADI-to-SoundGrid
interface piloted by FOH engineer Shane
Bardiau. Monitors, handled by Lawrence
Filet Mignogna, benefit from an SD10 and
SD10RE Redundant Engine, along with a Mac-
Book Pro for recording with an MGB interface.
The tour, outfitted by SR provider VER Tour
Sound, also carries two SD-Racks (one of which
is redundant) and one SD Mini Rack with Benny Collins Memorial
a redundant rack.
Audio crew chief and systems engineer Service Announced
Kenny Sellars, monitor tech Dustin Lewis OAKLAND, CA
and audio techs Alex Martinez and Mur- Friends of Benny Collins, a
phy Johnson round out the crew. prominent production and
Prior to this tour, Twenty One Pilots The band is touring with DiGiCo consoles at FOH and monitors. tour manager who died in
had been using another manufacturers late January, have planned
digital consoles. Although I certainly had Waves plug-ins puts the icing on the cake. a memorial service in his
good shows on the other desks, I wanted to learn The bands sound can go from sparse to full in honor, A Celebration of a
Benny Collins
a whole new console for this tour, Bardiau said. the space of a song. Bardiau said the SD5 can Life Well Lived.
Ive always heard good things about DiGiCo, so easily handle that. This console gives me so The event is set for Saturday, April 1,
I decided to roll with one. The first thing I noticed much space to put everything in the mix, he 2017, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Oaklands
was the open architecture I can make any said. The width is unreal. TP has a few chan- Fox Theater, a historic 2,800-capacity
fader whatever I want. Another thing I love are nels of prerecorded playback, and the amount art deco venue at 1807 Telegraph Ave.,
the DigiTubes, because they enable me to color of depth I can get out of them is incredible. Im Oakland, CA 94612.
my inputs similarly to my previous consoles pre- hearing things in those tracks that Ive never Collins, a 2014 recipient of the
amps. Beyond that, the console gives me a crisp, heard before, even after 250-plus shows with Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award,
clean sound. them. died Jan. 27. He was 68. Among the
Bardiau also likes the SD5s ergonomic Bardiau found the leap to a new console was many artists he worked with during his
perks. In regards to my workflow, the macros anything but formidable. When I first walked distinguished career include Journey,
are amazing. I can make a button for anything. into rehearsals, I had no idea how to use the David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Michael
For example, I use one to swap back and forth SD5 and was a bit nervous. With the help of my Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna,
between virtual sound check and live inputs. systems engineer, I got the hang of it quickly. Its Lionel Richie and U2. The organizers
Finally, using the center screen to control my very intuitive and fast. of the memorial service would like to
thank Another Planet Entertainment
for their support.

New Parnelli Board Members Announced

For tickets and to RSVP, follow the link
from plsn.me/Benny-FOH.

LAS VEGAS Terry Lowe, Parnelli Awards producer and input and insights.
More details at parnelliawards.com.
Meyer Sound Shares Summer
publisher of FRONT of HOUSE and PLSN magazines, announced that
David Haskell, Chris Weathers and Mary Conde have joined the Par- of Love 50th Anniversary
nelli Board of Advisors. BERKELEY, CA At a press con-
Haskell is the president of Morris, the Nashville-based produc- ference streamed live from the historic
tion company that handles lighting, audio, and rigging for a wide John Lennon Suite at the Amsterdam
range of top artists. He has also served as a tour manager and FOH Hilton, Meyer Sound founders John
engineer. and Helen Meyer announced a series
Weathers, based in Chicago, is a regional director of productions of year-long activities and events com-
for Live Nation. Conde is director of productions for Another Planet memorating the 50 year anniversary of
Entertainment (APE) and she also serves as venue manager for the Chris Weathers 1967s Summer of Love. Besides serv-
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. ing as the epicenter of the counter-cul-
David is a respected live industry pro with over 30 years of ex- ture, beckoning thousands of young
perience, and both Chris and Mary have deep roots in the live event people to the San Francisco Bay Area,
community as well, said Lowe, who was clearly pleased with all of that season had a special significance
these new additions. to the two founders of Meyer Sound.
All are very much involved in our biggest tours and festivals, In 1967, Flower Power was up, war
Lowe added. Were thrilled and honored to have all of them added was down, the Monterey International
to the Parnelli Awards Board of Advisors and look forward to their Pop Festival served as a precursor to
David Haskell Mary Conde continued on page 10

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 5

INDUSTRYNEWS

NBA All-Star Weekend Gets Wireless Assist

NEW ORLEANS With two basketball
venues, a large outdoor fan festival, and three
days of live event broadcasts on TNT, ESPN,
and NBA TV, the NBA All-Star Game weekend
in New Orleans was a huge audio and RF chal-
lenge.
For the fourth consecutive year, the league
engaged Firehouse Productions to handle
the audio, wireless, and intercom needs for its
signature in-season celebration. Events were
held at the Smoothie King Center, the Mer-
cedes Superdome and outside at Champions
Square.
including P.A., wireless mics and monitors, wireless mics, with another 24 channels of
Firehouse Productions Mark Dittmar was
plus intercoms, he noted. With 603 active PSM 1000 in-ear systems for the competitions
audio coordinator for the event. He relied
frequencies at Smoothie King Arena alone, on All-Star Saturday Night, along with prime
upon Shure wireless mics and in-ear systems.
wireless was our biggest concern.
With live TV and press events almost contin-
uously for three days, our job was to provide
team deployed 32 channels of Shure UHF-R of SM58, KSM8 and KSM9 capsules, while
audio into and out of all the major venues,
Firehouse Productions handled the audio, wireless, and inter-
com needs for the event.
time coverage of the All-Star Game.
In Smoothie King Arena, the Firehouse
bodypack systems were used for a variety
of music applications, including wireless
guitars and sousaphone. Musical artists for
the All-Star Game included The Roots during
pregame festivities and John Legend as half-
time entertainment.
Firehouse also supplied and managed
Shure UHF-R and PSM 1000 systems in the
Mercedes Superdome and the Champions
Square amphitheater, which served as a fan
activity area. Between in-ears and mics, we
Mark Dittmar, audio coordinator, used Shure wireless mics
and in-ear systems. had between 150 and 160 channels of Shure
products on the air. They worked great all
week which is why we use and recom-
mend them, said Firehouses Vinny Siniscal.
To handle frequency coordination for the
multiple broadcasters and hundreds of visit-
The handheld systems included a mix
ing media, Firehouse brought in RF specialists
Frequency Coordination Group (FCG).
Dittmar did appreciate the new extender
kits Shure offers for its handheld transmit-
ters. When you put a mic flag on a wireless,
it pushes your hand lower, possibly covering
the transmit antenna at the bottom. If you
hold the base directly, you lose a lot of your
transmission power. Fortunately, these ex-
tender kits address the issue.
The WA653 mic flag extender kits are com-
patible with all interchangeable Shure wire-
less mic capsules and include 1- and 1.5-inch
spacer collars, extending handheld transmit-
ter length by up to 2.5 inches. Multiple kits
can be used to achieve even greater exten-
sion as needed.
The NBA All-Star Weekend was deemed
a big success. We have a great relationship
with the NBA and their broadcast partners
and had an A-list team from top to bottom.
We had a crew of 42 in New Orleans, and
most of us worked 18-hour days from Friday
to Sunday, said Dittmar. As for the wireless,
the Shure UHF-R and PSM 1000 systems are
proven performers that never let us down.

3G Productions to
Acquire Beachsound
continued from page 5
Along with sound and lighting
D
M ATCHE rentals, Beachsound provides truss,
UN ABILITY rigging, design, visual design suites,

RELI
product training, support, repair,
trucking and labor for a variety of cli-
ents staging entertainment and cor-
porate events.
NG
SETTIDARDS
The acquisition of Beachsound
establishes a physical presence for 3G
STAN outside the western region of the U.S.
for the first time, said 3G Co-Owner
Eli Stearns. It is very exciting for the
new opportunities we can provide
our existing as well as new clients in
that area.
RIOR After the transaction is complete,
SUPELITY 3G will operate full-service offices in
QUA Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami.
Our partnership with 3G is the

ATIVE
logical next step in the Beachsound

N O V S
story, noted Beachsound founder
IN TION and president Andre Serafini. We and
S O L U 3G share a similar culture as well as
a shared vision of event production,

XLR XX Series with an emphasis on going the extra

mile for the customer and striving to
exceed their needs with every inter-
More than just connectors. We put our long time know-how and our whole passion into our action.
innovative products and unique solutions. No matter whether a rock band or a lighting designer, an
industrial application or a broadcast studio Neutrik offers high quality and reliable solutions for every
application. For more information visit www.neutrik.com

6 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 PRO SOUND
PURE EMOTION

HDL 50-A THE SYSTEM

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splay configurable to 0.5 resolution while still on truck-pack transport cart. Purposed - 7200 Watt Peak power - 3600 Watt RMS
designed transducers and symmetrical design for constant directivity and consistent sound - 143 dB max SPL
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sound culture
www.rcf.it
INDUSTRYNEWS

Temple Israel
in Omaha, NE
Upgrades
Podium Mics
OMAHA, NE Temple Israel, a Re-
form Jewish congregation in Omaha, had
specific qualifications for upgrading its
sound system. They had a 30-voice choir to
accommodate and needed flexible podium
mics to work with younger, soft-spoken
members during bar mitzvahs.
Temple staff relied upon Electronic
During bar mitzvahs, when very soft-spoken children are reading Hebrew, the The new setup includes six FW730 FlexWands and two FlexMics from Earthworks. Contracting Company and Diversified De-
microphone needs to be fairly close. The temple now has a customized Earthworks solution. sign Group, both of Lincoln, NE, for their
Earthworks Audio solution, in the form of
six FW730 FlexWands and two customized
Earthworks podium mics.
ECCs Chris Chavanu noted that the
overall look of the FW730 mic was very
pro, very inconspicuous and very low pro-
file, and the male XLR is at the base of the
microphone, so there are no visible wires
above ground level. This is ultimately what
we want in a choir microphone to be as
sleek, portable and as clean as possible.
Beyond the mechanical design, Chava-
nu was upbeat about the FW730s audio.
I could tell immediately the FW730 had a
nice sensitivity and you dont have to be
on-axis for it to work well. You can be 60 de-
grees off-axis and still get a consistent fre-
quency response, whether you are far back
or up front, he said.
Ultimately the sound you get out of
this microphone sounds less amplified and
more natural. We miked a 30-voice choir
with four FW730s and it sounded natural
given that the choir on a carpeted floor
with less than ideal acoustics and no reflec-
tive surface above them.
The FW730 FlexWands have been used
with a variety of instruments at Temple Is-
rael, ranging from piano, woodwinds and
strings, which range from flute to oboe to
cello.
We amplify the cello very little because
we dont want it to sound amplified, Cha-
vanu noted. This is where the FlexWand is
super helpful, because I can easily bend the
FW730 mic head down to right where the
cello is. When I mike the piano, I have the lid
at quarter-stick and insert the mic head in-
side the piano above the upper-mid strings
close to the dampers.
Looking for a podium microphone, Cha-
vanu worked with Earthworks to custom-
ize two FlexMics with an extended 27-inch
rigid gooseneck and flex at both ends. In
Jewish synagogues, the Bimah is used as an
orators podium for Torah reading.
As the Torah has physically large scrolls
that are very fragile, the Bimah reading ta-
ble has alarge surface, said Chavanu. The
microphone has to go up and over the To-
rah, and needs to be long enough to reach
where the Rabbi or Cantor is standing to
maximize gain before feedback.
The extended length FlexMics are also
crucial for bar mitzvahs, when younger
children are speaking at the Bimah. During
bar mitzvahs, young children use this mic,
and they are soft-spoken when reading He-
brew, so the microphone needs to be fairly
close to where the person is standing. We
used two of these mics on the reading ta-
ble spaced about 30 inches apart from each
other. These mics worked great, they are re-
liable and sound natural.
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 INDUSTRYNEWS
Meyer Sound Shares Summer of Love 50th Anniversary
continued from page 5
Meyer Sound founders John and Helen Meyer announced a
series of year-long activities and events commemorating the
50 year anniversary of 1967s Summer of Love.
Woodstock, and two young sound enthusi-
asts named John and Helen, went on a date
at a Berkeley Hi-Fi shop to hear The Beatles
seminal, psychedelic Sgt. Peppers Lonely
Hearts Club Band.
That same year, John Meyer was tapped
by Steve Miller to develop a better sound
system for the blues rockers Monterey Pop
performance. While it would be another
decade before Meyer Sound was formally
founded, this formative period laid the cor-
nerstones for a company that would blaze
sonic trails, from the analog into the digital
ages.
1967 was a remarkable time in music
and live sound with the freedom to work
alongside a new generation of artists, said
company co-founder/CEO John Meyer. The
opportunity to innovate was everywhere.
The Bay Area was in the center of it all with
creative artists, a free spirit and high-level
universities providing R+D resources. This
was the inspiration for Meyer Sound, and
weve remained dedicated to this spirit of
handmade innovation ever since.
To celebrate, were creating an incred-
ible program for 2017, said Meyer Sound
co-founder and executive VP Helen Meyer.
Throughout the year John and Helen Meyer
will visit key Meyer Sound customers, host
exclusive curated events in Meyer Sound
environments at the companys Berkeley,
CA campus, in the San Francisco Bay Area,
around the U.S., and around the world. For
more information, visit meyersound.com.

Two Arizona Church Locations Put 3D

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GILBERT, AZ
Two of Sun Valley Com-
munity Churchs (SVCC)
six locations recently
became initial sites for
a novel experiment in
sound using the Venue
Flex surround sound
P.A. system design de-
veloped by its AV sys-
tems provider, Wave
(wave.us).
The mega churchs
Gilbert and Queen
Creek, AZ campus lo-
cations are the first to Sun Valley Community Church has deployed Klang:fabrics 3D IEM audio mixing systems
integrate Klang:tech- at two of their church locations.
nologies Klang:fabrik
3D IEM audio-mixing mixes each of them can personalize, using
system with an immersive sound design, their own smartphones or tablets. Im run-
bringing the churchs live band into a true ning the Klang:fabrik 3D app on a comput-
surround environment. er, so I can interact with any of them at any
Using custom DSP algorithms, Waves time if they need help with the system. Its
custom Venue Flex system is designed to been hugely effective for us.
let the FOH engineer create a livelier, more Ward added that Klang:fabrik integrates
authentic-sounding sonic environment by well with the DiGiCo SD8 console that was
directing delayed and processed signals to recently installed at the Gilbert campus,
surround speakers, simulating reflections and also with the DiGiCo S21 at the Queen
off the walls of the space. This promises Creek campus.
a more natural-sounding room for music Were planning on switching all our
while keeping that environment acousti- consoles to DiGiCo, because they sound
great and give us consistent platforms at
cally optimized for the spoken word.
The Klang:fabrik 3D in-ear mixing solu- every location, he said. The DiGiCo con-
tion is a good match for that application, soles are a good fit with the Klang:fabrik
said Armando Fullwood, executive direc- 3D systems, which well also eventually
tor at Waves main office in Harrisburg, have at all of the locations, thanks to the
NC. Our Venue Flex system fits extremely Dante compatibility they both have.
well with how Klang works, he said. Both Ward and Fullwood both credit Klang:-
systems are intended to make the envi- fabrik as a way to set their church and ser-
ronment in which music is performed and vices apart. Its technology allows features
heard as natural as possible, as through such as 3D placement of sound sources
there wasnt a sound system between the within a two-channel mix, including the
performers and the audience. option of facilitating head-tracking. Mu-
I saw that the Klang system would sicians can turn their head and the mix
give our musicians a greater level of con- dynamically changes as the placement of
trol over their own monitor mixes while sounds follow head positioning, as it does
eliminating the need for a monitor con- in real life. Its an amazing IEM system, and
sole and monitor engineer added SVCC it takes monitoring to the next level, said
audio director Mike Ward. It also lightens Ward.
my workload at FOH, because I dont have Fullwood also sees Klang:fabrik as fur-
to worry about mixing monitors from the ther propelling the implementation of im-
house. I send 24 channels of audio down a mersive audio. 3D sound is excellent for
single cable, over a Dante network, and the music anywhere especially in houses of
musicians on stage have up to eight stereo worship.

10 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

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INDUSTRYNEWS
The Luckman Club within Hollywoods Soho House
Installs New Audio System for Discerning Listeners
The new system includes VUE Audiotechniks h-Class speaker components.
LOS ANGELES The Luckman, a club
within the ultra-exclusive Soho House West Hol-
lywood, CA, was up and running in late January
2017 with an installation of VUE Audiotechnik
equipment.
The system needed to function in a range
of applications: as a P.A. system with monitors
for live performances; for dance music from
world-class DJs; and as a foreground system for
high-level distributed music.
When Bryan Bilgore, president of Sensorium
AVR, began system design for the Luckman, he
knew it would be played and heard by discern-
ing arts and entertainment talent.
We set out to deliver next-level sonic perfor-
mance that would be reflective of the no-com-
promises approach throughout the venue, he
said. Furthermore, we needed to achieve this
from a rather small footprint, and against an ag-
gressive remodeling schedule.
Beginning with the main PA, Bilgore spec-
ified a combination of VUE Audiotechniks
h-Class High-Definition powered systems,
including the beryllium-equipped h-12 loud-
speakers, and hs-28 dual 18-in subwoofers with
patented Active Compliance Management
(ACM) technology.
In addition to the h-12 and hs-28 subs, VUEs
h-8 compact speakers (also with beryllium tech-
nology on-board) serve multiple roles as DJ
monitors, side-fills and as a compact portable
solution for easy placement around the venue.
Rounding out the main stage are VUE a-12
two-way systems serving monitor duty. A dis-
tributed foreground solution using VUEs i-8a
2-way powered, surface-mount speakers and
is-26a subs was also installed.
Due to constant programming, installation
was planned only a few weeks prior to opening
night, which featured a surprise performance
by James Corden and Chris Martin. But when
the crew arrived for sound check, there was no
electricity to drive the audio, because the con-
tractor was still completing work.
An hour before the opening set, alternate
power was pulled from an independent trans-
former using a 60-amp extension cord. After
being powered up for the first time, the final
configuration of the VUE system was completed
with 30 minutes to spare.
It was certainly not how we planned it, Bil-
gore said. But thanks in large part to the VUE
team, led by Jeff Taylor, and the systems overall
ease of setup, we were able to pull of the impos-
sible. We couldnt be happier.

R&R Audio Services Expands

with New Line Array System
PITTSBURGH, PA R&R Audio Ser-
vices recently added an Eastern Acoustic
Works (EAW) Radius sound reinforcement
system to its inventory. The regional sound
company, which supports several outdoor
festivals and summer shows, added the Radi-
us system to increase options for its custom-
ers.
Radius is a true line array with features
not found on similar systems on the market,
said R&R owner Ron Perchinsky. Between the
EAWmosaic app and the easy-to-use DSP on
the back panel, it takes all of the guesswork
out of setups.
R&R added eight RSX208L line array mod-
ules with plans to add the RSX18 subwoofer
before the summer season begins.
EAWmosaic software, which provides
prediction, control and monitoring of the sys-
tem, is very user friendly, said Perchinsky. For
larger events, it can be used with Dante, or we
can use all of the controls available through
the back of the box for smaller setups. It se-
riously cuts down on setup time, letting us
know the heights and angles each venue re-
quires.
Additionally, the RSX208L includes Op-
tiLogic, which saves time when assembling
arrays through a combination of integrat-
ed infrared transceivers and tilt sensors in
the line array module. With OptiLogic, each
module knows its exact position and splay
angle within the array, allowing the system to
pre-optimize its acoustical output.
We have nothing but positive feedback
from our customers since we have started
using Radius, said Perchinsky. This will be
our go-to system for the upcoming summer
festival season.

12 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 INDUSTRYNEWS
Southern New Hampshire University
Gym Gets Major Audio Overhaul
With assistance from MFI Productions of Hooksett, NH, the Fieldhouse now boasts a line array system that will provide
even and amplified acoustics.
MANCHESTER, NH Southern New
Hampshire University (SNHU), an NCAA
Division II varsity institution, upgraded its
athletic field house sound system with a
Nexo GEO S12 line array, with assistance
from MFI Productions of Hooksett, NH.
The 2,000-plus seat facilitys new system
provides even coverage across the floor
seating and bleacher areas. The space is
used nearly equally for both sports and
other campus events.
The Fieldhouses 40-foot ceiling needed
a new approach, according to Rick Elliot,
production manager at MFI who designed
and completed the installation.
We worked with an acoustician to en-
sure that a GEO S12 loudspeaker system
would provide maximum coverage to the
floor area and work well with the multi-use
space, which we took into account when
examining the acoustical treatment plan,
he said.
The Nexo GEO S12 loudspeaker system
was designed as a main L/R system flown
at the highest achievable height and 10
feet in front of a garage door wall that will
allow for a stage location for various speak-
ing engagements and musical events.
Nexo M620 loudspeakers were added to
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Manhattan Transfer/Take 6 Co-Headlining
Tour Relies on Digital Mix for Sonic Quality
TACOMA, WA Manhattan Trans- everything I need is always at my finger-
fer is an a cappella, jazz fusion/pop music tips. On other consoles, Id be going back
group that was originally founded in 1969. and forth between layers to get at what I
Take 6 is an a cappella gospel music sex- needed. On the M-5000, I keep just about
tet formed in 1980. Teaming up for their the whole show on one layer.
first-ever co-headlining trek, The Summit Monitor engineer Bryan Farina is having a
Tour is fulfilling its promise as a unique se- similarly positive experience on his M-5000.
ries of musical events. The latency on the M-5000 is just right for
FOH mixer Matt Svobodny and monitor IEMs, he said, noting that The Manhattan
mixer Bryan Farina are relying on a pair of Transfer uses a combination of IEMs in one
Roland M-5000 OHRCA digital consoles to ear and wedges for monitors, often a tricky
manage the 10 voices plus a backup band. combination because of timing differentials.
During the set, Svobodny who also Also, the M-5000 sounds great, which lets
serves as production manager for the me to focus on fine tuning mixes as op-
tour not only mixes the show but also posed to constantly making EQ changes.
handles Take 6s monitors from the same The Summit Tours audio setup also
Roland M-5000 desk. He also has one oth- includes a pair of Roland S-2416 digi-
er critical task: giving the vocalists their tal snake stage units in the system. The
pitch cues using a piano app on an iPad S-2416 provides a 24 input x 16 output
that sends the key note to their in-ear analog and 8 input x 8 output digital, for a
monitors. total of 32 input and 24 output channels,
It puts extra pressure on me, Svo- all via a pair of Cat-5 cables.
bodny said. The M-5000 really helps me Were just a small crew, but because
in that regard. The scenes help limit the of systems like the M-5000, were able to
the area directly at the front edge of the
travel separately in a cargo van and arrive
number of button pushes I have to do.
stage for better gain before feedback.
Also, we have a 40-input show, with 10 ahead of the artists, letting them get more
A BSS BLU signal processor was in-
of those as vocals, so I need to keep all rest while we set up a sound system thats
stalled, mainly as a simple program system
of those and other key things available very manageable, Svobodny said. Thats
controller, with the addition of dedicated
on the faders. I configure the layers, so a great thing.
utility mic inputs and wireless mics so that
the system can be adjusted via an iPad
using HiQnet Motion Control. Two Nexo
NX4x4 amplifiers power the system, and
because the 4x4s can be reconfigured, the
system is also easily upgradable.
Improving the audio quality was a high
priority for Thomas Helm, manager media
services at SNHU. The distributive system
that was installed for basketball games
was unusable for public address in formal
events like convocation, Helm said. When
MFI set up a test system using Nexo line ar-
rays, the SNHU president heard the trans-
formational audio quality and approved
the budget on the spot.
Since the Nexo installation, the field
house has not experienced any audio con-
cerns due to the systems excellent gain,
flexibility of microphone placement and
elimination of feedback, he continued. The
installation provided by MFI was first rate;
friendly and professional all the way.
The Roland M-5000 digital console deployed at FOH for the Take 6/Manhattan Transfer tour.
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Greg Nelson
Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog
Aaron Glas
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Fern Alvarez, Jr. & Steve McCale
Elvis Costello
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INDUSTRYNEWS
In Memoriam
Joe Stogner, Jr., 61
FORT PAYNE, AL
Joe Stogner, Jr., 61, a
longtime crew mem-
ber supporting tours
for bands including
Alabama and country
singer/songwriter Alan
Jackson, died Feb. 10 at Joe Stogner
his home in Fort Payne,
AL.
After getting his start hanging P.A. systems
for the old Alabama-based Electro Tech Audio
Company, Stogner hit the road with the band
Alabama in their heyday, starting in 1983. He
also served as a longtime stage manager for
Alan Jackson, from the mid-1990s until 2015.
He was beloved in our industry, said Mark
Haney, VP of concert touring and events for
Upstage Video, who recalled Joe as a pow-
erhouse he could out-work guys 25 years
younger than himself. But more than some-
one who was great at what he did, he was an
even better person a gentle 65 calming
presence in the eye of a rock n roll storm.
Stogner is survived by his wife of 28 years,
Denise Dingler Stogner; two sons, a daugh-
ter, two grandchildren, a brother and sister
and nieces and nephews. His brother David
had also worked for a time in the live sound
industry. Services were held in Fort Payne on
Feb. 12.
Audio at First Baptist Church Services Steps Up
SPRINGFIELD, MO Located in
downtown Springfield, First Baptist Church
offers a range of ministries for its varied con-
gregation. Church management recently
elected to upgrade their sound system. The
solution came from integrator Paragon 360
of Springfield, MO, who installed a Worx-
Audio TrueLine XL1i-P line array system.
First Baptist Church is a very traditional space
with lots of architectural features and a balcony,
said Paragon 360s Mark Coble. The stage faces
into the length of the sanctuary, and the area
itself is quite reverberant. For the most part,
services are traditional. During the holidays, the
church also hosts large-scale musical produc-
tions. It was crucial that the new loudspeaker
16 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
Vinicio Tanoni, 92
RECANATI, Italy
Vinicio Tanoni, the
co-founder of Italian
pro audio manufacturer
FBT, died Feb. 20 at his
home in this northern
Italian town, surround-
ed by his family. He was Vinicio Tanoni
92. Tanoni founded the
company in 1963 with Bruno Baldoni; FBT is an
acronym for Factory Baldoni Tanoni.
Now an international brand distributed in
100 countries worldwide, FBT began as a sim-
ple artisans workshop by Tanoni and Baldoni in
1963. Their timing couldnt have been better, as
The Beatles released their first album that year
and an impending revolution in rock and pop
music was in blossom.
FBTs first product was the model 500R gui-
tar amplifier and, from there, the company line
continued to expand, with amplifiers for elec-
tronic organs and accordions, mixers for studios
and live sound and audio systems for discos and
amusement parks. FBT now offers a full catalog
of P.A. speakers and amplifiers for professional
portable sound reinforcement and installation
applications and a line of audio contractor-spe-
cific products.
Today, FBT remains in Recanati, although
now operating from a modern 540,000-square-
foot production facility.
system be capable of handling music reproduc-
tion while also delivering a high level of speech
intelligibility. Equally important, the loudspeak-
ers had to blend aesthetically into the space so
as not to be distracting.
The system includes a center flown loud-
speaker cluster consisting of nine WorxAudio
XL1i-P powered line array elements with an
additional XL1i-P enclosure as a flown monitor
system for the choir. Two WorxAudio TL215S
double-15 subwoofers are hidden inside the
cover behind the loudspeaker array. The entire
loudspeaker system is painted white for a dis-
creet appearance.
Weve received a lot of positive feedback,
Coble said of the system, including from one
FBT has a strong foundation and will contin-
ue to pursue the dreams and aspirations of Vi-
nicio Tanoni and Bruno Baldoni. From the early
days, they went through decades of hard work
and dedicated attention to every single person
inside our company, said FBTs export manager
Roberto Mataloni. Vinicio has been an inspira-
tion and a light for all of us. He will be deeply
missed.
Funeral services for Vinicio Tanoni were held
February 22, 2017 in Recanati.
John Petrucelli, 64
HAWTHORNE, NJ
Audio veteran and
master console de-
signer John Petrucelli
died Jan. 21 after a
lengthy illness. His 35-
year career in pro au-
dio included working John Petrucelli
with companies such
as Allen & Heath, Crest Audio and APB-Dyna-
Sonics. He was 64.
After getting a B.S. degree in electrical
engineering from the University of Con-
necticut in 1977, Petrucelli began his pro
audio career in the New Haven, CT area,
first working with local bands and sound
companies before starting his own com-
pany, PET Projects. There, he modified
existing equipment for recording studios
gentleman who, for quite
some time, depended on a
hearing assistance device.
With the new system, he no
longer finds it necessary in
order to understand what is
being presented. The systems
clarity and coverage are excel-
lent. As system designers, we
were also pleased that Worx-
Audio offers a unique grid that
allows a rear facing line array
element to be used as a choir
monitor. It works perfectly to
fill the choir loft while keeping
sound off of the walls. First Baptist Church of Springfield, MO installed a WorxAudio system.
B6 LAVALIER
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support
throughout New England and began de-
signing and building his own creations.
In the early 80s, he joined Allen & Heath
Brenell USA, where he designed a number of
live sound mixers that were manufactured and
sold internationally by the U.K.-based parent
company.In 1991, he became a founding mem-
ber and chief engineer of Crest Consoles, where
a number of his product design innovations re-
sulted in the company becoming a top supplier
of audio mixing products to the professional
touring and audio install markets. In 2004, he
was a founding member and part owner of the
audio mixer company APB-DynaSonics, where
he took the helm as president and chief design
engineer. He continued his journey by going
back to his roots and becoming a contract de-
sign engineer, working with various compa-
nies including PMI Audio, where his expertise
helped in revitalizing many renowned products
including Trident Audio.
Petrucellis designs generated tens of thou-
sands of console sales throughout the world
that have benefited and affected the lives of
many people. A thoughtful and caring person,
he was always thinking of others before himself,
always taking the time to mentor other engi-
neers and customers.
Petrucelli is survived by his four sisters, an
aunt, six nieces and nephews, two great niec-
es and a great-nephew. He also leaves his dear
friend and partner, Olga Gomelskaya.
www.countryman.com
 Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet Chapel, US

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Welcome to System reality.

 GLOBALNEWS

Italys Audioextreme Steps Up

Adlibs Sam Proctor and Mike Flaherty have been working with the
bands system tech Justin Lenards to fine tune the L-Acoustics tour rig.

ADAM ELMAKIAS
with New Gear Purchase
Audioextremes Alessandro Rosati, Audiosales Stefano Rocchi and Audioextremes
Giovanni Rosati. The Italian soundco recently added an Adamson S-Series rig.

A Day to Remembers Bad Vibrations

SORBOLO, Italy Adamson Sys-
tems Engineering added another high pro-
file partner to its global network as Italian
production technologies provider Audio-
extreme kicked off 2017 with the purchase
of an Adamson S-Series rig.
We were searching for a high-quality
system that would offer us and our cus-
tomers an exclusive and competitive ad-
vantage in the market, said Audioextreme
owner Giovanni Rosati. After auditioning
several high-end systems, we unanimously
decided that the Adamson S-Series was the
clear choice and it has already proven to be
exactly what we needed.
The system, sourced through Audio-
sales, Adamsons exclusive Italian distrib-
utor, is comprised of 16 S10 two-way, full-
range line source cabinets and eight S119
subwoofers.
Were delighted to announce this new
and important addition to the Adamson
network, said Stefano Rocchi of Audio-
sales. Weve had a great response to the
brand and the S-Series in particular. Thanks
to Audioextremes purchase, Adamson
will have a presence at more and more
high-profile events.
Founded in 2010 and based in Sorbolo,
Italy, Audioextreme is a family-owned and
operated business that provides production
solutions for a myriad of events and applica-
tions. Were looking forward to supporting
them as they continue their already-impres-
sive growth, said Jasper Ravesteijn, Adam-
sons European sales manager.
Tour Gets Good Vibes with Adlib Assist
LIVERPOOL, U.K. Adlib recently
supplied a full arena system for the Europe-
an leg of A Day to Remembers Bad Vibrations
tour, which also included console/control
packages for the other sections of the tour.
In contradiction to the tours name, FOH en-
gineer Nate Northway and Adam Schuler on
monitors report nothing but good vibra-
tions with their gear and support.
Weve enjoyed being on the tour and
supplying a suitably punchy system to match
the energy of the [punk metalcore] music,
said Adlibs Sam Proctor. Adlib previously
worked on U.K. arena tours with ADTR and
was glad have the opportunity to once again
support the bands audio needs, providing an
L-Acoustics P.A. for the outing.
In its largest format, the main hangs
included 14 K1 per side with three KARA
downs, a proven arena configuration that is
great for loud, even room coverage. The main
hangs were complemented by side arrays of
12 KARA stage left and right. For the all-im-
portant bottom-end, the setup included 24 of
L-Acoustics new KS28 subs across the front of
stage, which offer extra 3 dB more SPL over
the standard SB28 subs. They are also a lot
tighter, which has an audible effect, added
Proctor.
The speaker-count included KARA lip fills
and ARCS 2 infills, and the system was driv-
en by 16 L-Acoustics LA8 amps per side with
three LA12 a side powering the subs. A Pro
Tools HD rig recorded shows and offered vir-
tual sound checks.
Singer Jeremy McKinnon relied on a wire-
less Shure UR4D mic fitted with a Heil RC35
capsule. All band members used Shure PSM
1000 IEMs. Adding additional atmosphere,
were two d&b M2 wedges at the front, plus
side fills of two L-Acoustics ARCS with an
SB28 sub under each. To doubly reinforce the
low-end, drummer Bobby Scruggs had a cou-
ple of d&b QSUBS.
Production manager Jake Raggio added,
Its all about the people. Phil and Dave at Ad-
lib sent the best people for the job. Sam Proc-
tor, Mike Flaherty and Justin Lenards made
sure we were cared for at the highest level in
every single gig. Each show went as well as it
could have, in any scenario. They make it easy
to come back time and again!

Outdoor Opera in Nepal Gets High-Tech Audio Boost

KATHMANDU, Nepal When Lucy
Peckham, co-partner of Anchorage-based
Both Ears Live Sound, was contacted by UC
Santa Barbara design professor Greg Mitchell,
she knew she would be a part of something
special. Mitchell was looking for a sound en-
gineer to go to Nepal to work on the first op-
era ever performed in that country.
Peckham recognized early that she would
also need equipment capable of performing
under Kathmandus less than forgiving envi-
ronment.
The opera Arjunas Dilemma, by American
18 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
composer Douglas J. Cuomo, is based on a
story from the Hindu holy text, the Bhaga-
vad Gita. It was to be staged outdoors in the
world heritage site, Patan Durbar Square,
near the end of the rainy season.
After attending a DPA presentation at last
years USITT conference, Peckham was con-
vinced DPA was the microphone she needed
for the opera project.
I wanted to use three d:screet 4061 Neck-
lace mics for the singers and a d:screet IMK-
SC4061 Instrument Microphone Kit with a
d:screet 4061 Omnidirectional Microphone
ERIC GARRISON
for the saxophone, said Peckham.
Though the whole opera was amplified
and mixed, it had to sound as if it wasnt, she
said. It had to sound naturally acoustic, as
opera should, and thanks to DPA, it did. The
accuracy and transparency of sound repro-
duction without distortion and the feedback
rejection, are absolutely amazing.
One particular night, Peckham was thrown
a curve ball when a large street festival was
set up on the other side of the wall of the out-
door venue.
As part of the festival, there were multiple
drummers, instruments and several amplified
vocalists, noted Peckham. With the conduc-
tors and directors permission, that night I
raised the overall volume of the show sig-
nificantly to drown out the distraction of the
street festival. Arjunas Dilemma became a rock
opera that night! There was no feedback at all
and though the opera singers were amused,
no ones performance suffered, either.
In addition to the d:screet 4061s sound
quality, Peckham also likes the mics rugged
build and compact form factor. The comfort
of the d:screet 4061s necklace-style is excel-
lent for performers who arent used to being
miked, said Peckham. In no time, they forget
they are wearing them. In addition, they were
also perfect for the hot, humid environment.
The opera sounded amazing and it was won- Arjunas Dilemma was staged outdoors in the world
derful to be part of such a groundbreaking heritage site Patan Durbar Square.
production.
Big thinking
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 GLOBALNEWS

SSE Provides Digital Mix for Bears Dens European Tour

BRUSSELS British folk rock band
Bears Den has been touring Europe with
DiGiCo SD9 consoles, supplied by SSE Audio
for FOH engineer/production manager Scott
Humphries and monitor engineer Rory Mulli-
gan.
Despite its compact size and light weight,
the SD9 offers 96 channels and a full range
of features. From an engineers perspective,
Im happier than Ive ever been with a touring
console,Mulligan said. I knew they sounded
great, which would be a big plus for our IEMs,
and I love a good tactile surface, having started
my career on analog consoles.
I wanted to put together a package that
was small and trailer-worthy, but could also
manage a large amount of I/O, added Hum- FOH engineer Scott Humphries with one of the two DiGiCo SD9s supplied by SSE Audio. Rory Mulligan has been using the SD9 at monitors for the bands European tour.
phries. Having SD9s with Stealth Core 2 was a
perfect choice for this, and the sheer amount IEM mixes six for the band, plus the backline for my spare main vocal, in case the first goes ber into a song with synths, three guitars, horns
of I/O you can now get into the SD consoles is mix and his cue pack whileHumphries also down. The dynamic EQ is a great tool; its fan- and drums. Having the scenes to help facilitate
incredible. split a few guitar channels to cater to different tastic to designate each band as dynamic or that is a massive help. Using the scenes on a
Being able to scale down to the SD11 has styles of playing, using 70 channels on the SD9 static. It allows me to control vocals in a way DiGiCo console is extremely intuitive.
been especially useful for me, as were currently with FX returns, six groups for drums, guitars, that means I dont have to use a compressor SSE has done a great job with Bears Den,
out in the States where Im running monitors keyboards, etc., and enough auxes to use eight so heavily. Its just enough to give a singer con- added Mulligan. The gear is prepped beauti-
from FOH and have a 50-input show all on an FX and five matrices for his system outputs. fidence in their performance, while keeping a fully, labeled clearly, and all of it in good nick.
SD11. I was able to covert my SD9 FOH file to Mulligan credited the console for its many natural feel to what theyre hearing. Humphries concurs: Ive been working with
the SD11 and then build the monitor mixes useful functions. On the input channels, hav- Two major functionsHumphries relies on are SSE for the past three years. Dan Bennett and
around this. ing the ability to quickly switch between a Waves integration and Snapshot system. The the rest of the team are great, and so accom-
The channel count for the European leg ran primary and alternative input source in two instrumentation in a Bears Den show is vast, he modating. Both the gear and their support is
at around 52 inputs.Mulligan had eight stereo touches of the screen is great, he said. I use it noted. Well go from a delicate acoustic num- outstanding.

NOT JUST FOR BIG SHOWS... VELA ADAPTS

E xperience superior audio performance with

VELA, a vertically designed line array element
that quickly adapts to your needs. From private
events to regional performance systems,
VELA goes from a single cabinet to extending
over ten feet with just four cabinets. VELAs
unique design produces fuller audio spectrum
array projection with fewer cabinets than a
standard line array. The internal 2500W
amplifier, preset digital processing and
SlideLock flyware ensure a quick setup and
easy deployment.

2500W Internal Bi-Amp power

Preset 24-bit digital processing
Versatile Systems: fly up to four or pole mount
Slidelock Flyware for quick deployment
Dual 10-Inch neodymium LF drivers
Eight 3.5-Inch HF drivers

The new Vela speaker system was

probably the easiest and fastest
system to fly out of the box that
we have ever seen. The SPL levels
were very impressive. We are looking
forward to the new season with the
Vela system in our inventory
Duane Hansen - Audio Wave Productions

I love using the Carvin TRx 3810

Vela for theatre applications. They
have a focused sound and excellent
dispersion.
Karl Langley - ESRT Engineer

VELA TRx3810A

CARVINAUDIO.COM/VELA 800-854-2235

20 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 GLOBALNEWS
Sonomatrix Supports Supporting the Legacy of David Bowie, from Synth to Symphony
International Music STOCKHOLM, Sweden MADI-enabled S5000 Surfaces
Festival in Ecuador An orchestral arrangement of Da-
vid Bowies Berlin Trilogy recently
and DM64 MixRacks connected by
GigaAce, with an additional DX32
QUITO, Ecuador The Novasonic Mu- wrapped up a series of sold-out Expander for monitors, an IP8 Con-
sic Festival, held at Parque Bicentenario in Qui- concerts in Gothenburg Concert troller for FOH remote control and
to, Ecuador featured a high-profile lineup of Hall and Stockholms Berwald Hall, ME-1 personal monitoring mixers
international acts such as, Magic!, Hoobastank, with Allen & Heaths dLive S Class for the orchestra. A Waves V3 net-
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Carla Morrison. and ME mixing systems managing work card was also fitted at FOH
The all-day event was performed on two FOH and monitors. for recording/virtual sound check,
separate outdoor stages and attended by The production is set to embark and a broadcast feed was sent to
some 10,000 people the first event of its on an extensive European tour Swedish Radio via MADI.
kind for Ecuador. with the same setup. This is a big production, with
Originally, the technical rider specifically The technical production was over 100 people in the orchestra,
requested another audio brand, but event managed by FOH engineer Hans band and choir to manage, said
organizer CKC Concerts requested K-array. Surte Norin from Musikalisk Ljud- Norin. With superior processing
Marcelo Arrobo of CKC asked for a cluster teknink with PF Ljuddesigns Peter power and ample channel capac-
of K-array KH2 line array elements from the Fredriksson on monitors. ity, dLive easily handled the pro-
Mugello line and a KR802 system from the Mixing a total of 126 channels, duction and the results sound-
Pinnacle portable lines. Although reluctant at the dLive system comprised two ed wonderfully rich and natural.
The dLive at FOH.
first, given their loyalty to another audio sys-
tem, the bands eventually agreed based on
the systems technical specifications.

Main PA: 8 Aero-20A

ACME SALES 4 LX-118A
CONFERENCE Front Fill: 4 Artec-508A
Empire Ballroom Monitors: 2 Road-12A
www.dasaudio.com

Main PA:12 Aero-40A

For the Novasonic Music Festival, held at Parque Bicentenario 8 UX-218A
in Quito, Sonomatrix provided a K-array KH2 system.
Front Fill: 4 Aero-20A
The KH2 cluster was elevated 2.5 meters
DJ SCRATCH Side Fill: 4 Convert-15A
off the stage floor and digital beam steer- N FRIENDS 4 LX-218CA.net
ing was applied to maximize the potential. Club V Monitors: 4 Road-15A.net
Simulation software EaseFocus was used to Dj Monitors: 4 SF-20A
produce an acoustic prediction on stage and 2 SF-1521A
the FIR filters were calculated based on this
information. The KR802 portable was stacked
on the KS5 subs and only one KY102 was used
on either side. Main PA: 24 Aero40A
4 UX-218A
16 UX-221A
EXODUS
Muztorg.Pro Brings MUSIC FESTIVAL
Down Fill: 4 Aero-20A
Front Fill: 4 Aero-20A

Audio to a New Level Bayfront Park Side Fill: 6 Covert-15A

4 LX-218CA.net
for the Loft Nightclub Monitors: 6 Road-12A.net
6 Road-15A.net
in Tajikistans Capital Drum Fill: 2 Aero-20A
2 LX-218A
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan Located
in the capital (and largest city) in Tajikistan,
BUSY EVENT CALENDAR?
ONE CHOICE,
the new Loft nightclub combines modern
technology and a friendly vibe to create an
attractive space for local and international
artists, musicians and DJs. The owners desire

D.A.S. AUDIO
to create the best nightclub in the city led to
Moscow-based AV integrators Muztorg.Pro.
The success of the nearby Versal Club
which is equipped with Martin Audio sys-
tems made a positive impression on the
future Loft owners, leading to the choice of
Martin Audio loudspeakers for the new venue. From the ground up, D.A.S. Audio systems are
The Lofts main system includes five Mar- designed to be as exible as your gig schedule.
tin Audio W8LM Mini Line Array elements, Multiple rigging options ensure ease of use.
plus a W8LMD downfill on each side of the D.A.S. amplication mean reliability and efciency. TM
stage. Several Blackline Plus F12+ speak- DASnet TM technology allows you to monitor and
ers are used as infills and for karaoke zones.
control every amp channel. Weatherized treatments
Punchy, deep low-end is provided by WLXGS
and features means that your show doesnt stop, even
hybrid subwoofers, while stage monitoring
and dance podiums are covered by Martin in light inclement weather. Most importantly, our
LE1200S monitors. A hybrid Dante and MADI products are backed by
signal infrastructure used throughout the D.A.S. Audios World Class Support and Warranty !
venue is controlled via BSS Soundweb BLU
processing.
The installation, cabling and tuning of D.A.S Audio of America, Inc. D.A.S Audio S.A.
sound and lighting was handled by the Muz- 6900 NW 52nd Street C/ Islas Baleares, 24
torg.Pro team in just 15 days. At the opening Miami, FL 33166 - U.S.A 46988 Fuente del Jarro
party, club owners and guests alike rated the Toll Free: 1 888 D.A.S 4 USA Valencia - Spain
Tel.+1(305)436-0521 Tel. +34 961 340 860
quality of the systems with overwhelming
approval.

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 21

ONTHEMOVE GLOBALNEWS
Alcons Audio named Poland-based audio
supplier Aplauz Sp. Ltd. as its new distributor
d&b audiotechnik
named Stephan Greiner
theatre and install mar-
kets. Shelton has been U.K. Nightclub
Gets Upgraded
for that country. chief sales officer. Grein- named Group Ones na-
er takes responsibility tional sales manager for

Allen & Heath USA and its distributor,
American Music & Sound welcomed HWPco
as their Southeast U.S. representative covering
the states of North and South Carolina, Geor-
gia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. HWP-
co serves integrators, rental and staging com-
panies, tour sound specialists and consultants.
Avermetrics named Jonathan Novick
VP of sales & marketing.
He will be responsible
for worldwide sales and
distribution of the com-
panys products. Novick,
based in Los Angeles,
is a former VP and gov- JONATHAN NOVICK
ernor of the Audio Engineering Society. He
has worked with Audio Precision and Hewl-
ett-Packard/Agilent Technologies.
Community Professional named New
Delhi-based Acoustic Arts Pvt. Ltd as its
distributor for India. Siddharth Chhibber,
Acoustic Arts managing director, noted that
Acoustic Arts has been using Communitys
large-scale all-weather loudspeakers and also
its architectural loudspeakers.
for global sales and sales
operations, as well as ed-
ucation, application sup-
port and product services.
Eminence has named
industry veteran Damon
Waller as its European
sales manager. Waller
previously served as in-
ternational sales man-
ager at Trace Elliot, and
before that, as managing director of Orange
Amplification.
Group One Limited
announced key person-
nel changes with ex-
panding roles for Matt
Larson, Ryan Shelton,
Taidus Vallandi and Chris
Fichera. DiGiCo national
sales manager Larson is
now VP of profession-
al audio, overseeing all
of Group Ones audio
brands for the touring,
Sound System
the KLANG:technologies
brand. DiGiCo pioneer
STEPHAN GREINER Vallandi will now serve as TAIDUS VALLANDI
Group Ones chief tech- SOUTHAMPTON, U.K. The brain-
nology officer. Mean- child of Gary Bennetton, Richard Gilbert,
while Fichera, Group Ryan Keary and Peter Toland, Switch is a
One VP/broadcast and 1,200-capacity nightclub that has grown
production (and Blue from a musical nucleus into a state-of-
Sky monitors manager) CHRIS FICHERA
the-art, after dark venue. It is now home
is one of the U.S. distrib- to a Funktion-One loudspeaker system
utors founders and will work with the Calrec from Audio Feed. Said Gilbert, the Funk-
DAMON WALLER US team to expand the reach of its console tion-One sound system not only sounds
products in those markets. incredible but adds the subtle visual im-
pact through its great design.
K-array named DDH Audio as its Cana- Getting the right sound system was
dian distributor. DDH Audio, established for a key requisite from the very beginning.
more than 25 years, has supported the needs The duo didnt have to labor on the point.
of clients including Cirque du Soleil and We wanted the best, nothing less, said
Cline Dion along with a variety of AV and Bennetton. So they contacted Oz Jef-
broadcast-related companies. feries at Audio Feed about designing a
MATT LARSON Funktion-One sound system.
Martin Audio ap-
pointed Martha Cal-
laghan as its Northeast
regional sales manager.
She was previously in
sales and management
RYAN SHELTON at Maryland Sound MARTHA CALLAGHAN
and served in both capacities at Morphius
Records, RCI Sound Systems and Cakewalk
Music Software. She has a Bachelor of Mu-
sic from Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Sennheiser and Atlona have formed a

technology alliance. Part of the Sennheiser
Global Alliances program, the partnership
provides an interoperable solution across
Atlonas soft codec conferencing system and
Sennheisers wireless conference system. The
announcement was made at ISE 2017.
Shure has promot-
ed Bruce Skof to VP
and chief financial of-
ficer. Skof joined Shure
in 2000. In his new role,
he will be responsible
for all key financial and BRUCE SKOF
investment matters for Shure Inc. and its
subsidiaries.
Stage Tec, the Berlin, Germany-based
manufacturer of professional audio mix-
ing consoles and routers, named Dirigent
Acoustics head of its sales efforts in Serbia.
Synthax named
Derek Badala director
of sales for the Ameri-
cas. Badala will develop
Synthaxs market pres-
ence and independent
rep network. He will DEREK BADALA
also assist in the marketing strategy for both
the North American and South American
markets. Badala is based at his home office
in Tampa, FL.
Switch now features a Funktion-One loudspeaker system.
Jefferies and his team installed flown
arrangements of two Funktion-One Evo
6EH speakers together with two F215
Mk2 bass speakers on both sides of the
stage area. The Evo 6EH is the mid-high
section of an Evo 6 enclosed in a neat
birch ply cabinet, offering high out-
put and controlled directivity. Eight
Funktion-One F121 bass enclosures are
ground-stacked on one side and eight
F101 compact loudspeakers have been
deployed for infill reinforcement in the
peripheral areas.
Something else that has helped the
sound system reach new levels is the im-
plementation of XTA APA amps. This Sat-
urday saw the installation of the new XTA
APA amplifiers in the club, Gilbert added.
It was amazing. When customers with
no experience in the industry notice the
difference without being prompted, you
know that the impact has been serious.
The new amps offer improvements to the
volume, clarity and definition were
over the moon with the results. You can
really feel the music on thedance floor.
Since opening, Switch has welcomed
a lineup of guests including Fat Boy
Slim, Jamie Jones, Snoop Dogg and Eats
Everything. Switchs owners arent just
interested in running a nightclub, noted
Jeffries, they care passionately about
the elements that make a night out at
Switch an unforgettable experience. Im

On the move? proud of the work weve done with them

and of how well the sound system is
Share your news! Drop us a line at performing.
pr@fohonline.com

22 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

NEWGEAR
Axiom AX12C Column
Line Array
New in Proels Axiom pro speaker range
is a high-power (720 W program), modular
column line array designed for portable and
install applications. AX12C has 12 3.5-inch
neodymium waterproof cone transducers in
an extruded aluminum frame, for low weight,
high strength and an unobtrusive profile.
AX12C is designed to combine with the
Astro Spatial SARA II Object Rendering Engine SW2100A, a compact and lightweight 21-inch
Designed for venues as varied as houses of worship, planetariums, theme parks, museums, subwoofer equipped with a 4000W Class D
nightclubs, cruise ships and more, SARA II brings the creative possibilities of object-based im- amplifier with proprietary 96k Hz/40-bit float-
mersive 3D to the live entertainment and installation industries (along with room acoustics and ing point CORE DSP. Up to four AX12C mod-
stage tracking features), all in an easy to use package. The new version offers a touch screen ules can be driven by one of the SW2100A
display, redundant onboard SSD drives and up to 64 MADI or 128 Dante configurable network subwoofer amplifier channels.
pathways, all of which are assignable to at least 32 audio objects.

astroaudio.eu PL+S Hall 3.1 #H14 axiomproaudio.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #G90

d&b audiotechnik dB Technologies

24S, 24S-D and Opera Series
21S-SUB dB Technologies revives its Opera series
with three completely redesigned 10/12/15-
Designed for permanent installation, the
inch two-way speakers with 600 watts (RMS)
point-source 24S and 24S-D (wider disper-
of onboard Class-D powering. All feature an
sion) house two 12 drivers in a dipolar ar-
asymmetrical horn, redesigned to offer asym-
rangement, paired with a 1.4 exit HF driver
metrical vertical dispersion and an optimized
on a rotatable horn. With a 55 Hz to 18 kHz
throw, double-horizontal dispersion pattern,
response, both can be used as full range
along with advanced DSP FIR filters, dual in-
systems. For more demanding applications
put channels with mic/line and mic/instru-
bass-heavy nightclubs and live perfor-
ment inputs and eight EQ presets.
mances these can be supplemented with
d&b subwoofers, such as the new single-21
21S-SUB, down to 33 Hz. A weather-resistant
option enables the operation of loudspeakers
in changing ambient conditions.

dbaudio.com USITT Booth 723; PL+S Hall 3.1 #C15 dbtechnologies.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #C91

Eminence N151M-8
Ring Radiator
Despite its minute size, the 1 exit N151M-8
ring radiator compression driver delivers big
performance. The lightweight 1.7-pound unit
utilizes an improved phase plug for lower dis-
tortion, smoother frequency response and
increased sensitivity over conventional ring
radiator designs. The N151M-8 ring radiator
features a 4.5-ounce neodymium magnet, a
DirectOut Expands M.1K2 MADI Router 1.5 voice coil and is rated at 45 watts (AES).
DirectOut expends the capabilities of the M.1K2 scalable 16-port MADI routing system with Overall diameter is just 3.6 inches; two stan-
the addition of two new functions an LUA Scripting Engine and SFP.IO SMART I/O board. dard 1/4-inch by 20-thread mounting holes
The LUA Scripting Engine allows live and predefined function calls to be configured using are spaced three inches apart. MAP is $74.99.
scripts triggered via definable hot buttons. SFP.IO SMART employs the technology found in
DirectOuts ANNA-LISA hand-held MADI analyzer, and may be fitted with optical transceivers
both single and multi-mode individually.

directout.eu eminence.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #F70

Focusrite RedNet K-array Domino

Control 2 K-array introduces Domino, a new full-
range speaker line, consisting of three two-
Focusrite has released RedNet Control
way speakers: the KF26 (the smallest of the
2 remote software. Based around a simple,
trio), the KF210 and the KF212 (the largest).
browser-style GUI, RedNet Control 2 is de-
These compact, stainless steel speakers offer
signed to handle any RedNet system, from a
plug and play capabilities and can be driven
few units up to 600 devices. It allows for im-
by any amplifier, offering an audio solution
proved device monitoring, metering and con-
for intimate restaurants to live concert set-
trol of the vast majority of device parameters.
tings. Domino is available in a 24K gold-plat-
Available system components are displayed
ed finish as well as brushed or polished stain-
graphically, and can be dragged and dropped
less steel finishes, along with the standard
from a sidebar list into a grid on a tab. Each of
black and white, allowing them to blend into
up to 50 tabs can display up to 12 devices. De-
most environments.
vices can be grouped logically and intuitively
on each page. Its a free update for all RedNet
users.

focusrite.com USITT Booth 1702; PL+S Hall 3.1 #F05 k-array.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #A37

24 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 Kaltman Creations L-Acoustics Syva
RF-Compass L-Acoustics Syva is a new format,
RF-Compass is an automated antenna high-power speaker system featuring six MF
tracker system for wireless systems. The sys- and three HF drivers in a J-shaped progres-
tem gives your directional UHF antennas the sive curvature format. The advanced segment
ability to pan and rotate to track performers source transducer arrangement produces
movements, to increase signal gain, and re- a 140 x 26 (+5/-21) directivity pattern op-
duce dropouts. The system consists of the timized for wide coverage and 115 feet of
RF-Compass servo-controlled automatic throw. Syva can be paired with the Syva Low
panning device and the RF-Beacon, a 5.8 GHz high-powered sub or Syva Sub infra exten-
miniature tracking transmitter, which is small sion to achieve 142 dB max SPLs. Syva can
enough to be carried in a pocket, clipped on a be wall- or pole-mounted, as well as flown,
belt or sewn into a costume. Compatible with or used alone with its baseplate. Shipping is
any paddle or flat-panel directional anten- slated for June 2017.
na, the servo rotates up to 360 degrees and
mounts on any standard mic stand.

kaltmancreationsllc.com l-acoustics.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #C11

NEXO GEO M10

Developed for long-throw theater/live mu-
sic users, the GEO M10 line array is twice as
powerful as the compact GEO M6. The M10s
larger cabinet draws on acoustic innovations
from NEXOs flagship STM Series. Two M10
versions offer 12.5 and 25 of vertical disper-
sion; both have 80/120 horizontal dispersion
thats configurable manually by removing the
magnetic grill and adjusting the innovative
Meyer Galaxy Gets AVnu Certification flange. The M10 has a 10 neodymium driv-
Meyer Sounds Galileo Galaxy network platform has been certified as fully compliant with er, paired with a 1.4 HF driver; weight is 46
the AVnu Alliances open AVB/TSN networking protocols for integrating into larger networked pounds and a companion sub is optional.
audio and video systems involving input, playback and processing components from multi-
ple manufacturers. Galaxy incorporates FPGA-based processing with up to 64-bit resolution
for increased dynamic range, lower noise and analog-in to analog-out latency of only 0.6 ms.
Available tools include five-band U-Shaping and 10-band parametric EQ, a delay matrix and
improved delay integration.

meyersound.com USITT Booth 1922 yamahaca.com USITT Booth 1215; PL+S Hall 3.1 #A21

Pliant Technologies
SmartBoom Lite
SmartBoom Lite headsets feature Smart-
Boom technology, which allows the adjust-
able mic boom to act as an on/off switch for
quick muting and a noise-cancelling cardioid
microphone optimized for voice communica-
tions. It features a non-reflective rubberized
matte black finish, with a comfort-fit adjust-
able headband, replaceable ear pad and a
5-foot fixed cable. The Lite headset will be
Powersoft Quattrocanali
available in 4-pin XLR female, 5-pin XLR male The 4-channel, single-rackspace Quattrocanali amplifiers are offered in DSP and non-DSP
and unterminated versions, making the line versions. All are fully remote controllable via rear-panel GPI/O connections, Powersofts propri-
adaptable to most intercom systems. etary Armona software, dedicated web app or third party applications, with access via Cat-5e
or Wi-Fi. All versions offer control over: channel/master volume, mute, fixed 35/70 Hz HP filters
and remote on/off. DSP+D models add Armonia control, four Dante input channels, crossovers,
limiters, EQs, delays, active damping and signal routing.

plianttechnologies.com powersoft-audio.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #C41

PreSonus StudioLive
16
The third-generation of its StudioLive Se-
ries III Consoles, the 24-input PreSonus Studi-
oLive 16 features 17 motorized faders and 17
recallable XMAX preamps. It improves on the
StudioLive platform ease of use while letting
users customize workflow and operations.
Integrated PreSonus Capture multi-track soft-
ware can record to the StudioLives onboard
SD recorder or to a Mac/PC DAW via AVB Eth-
QSC Q-SYS Platform
ernet. Other updates include expanded Fat QSC technology now allows existing 4th generation Q-SYS software to run on a standard
Channel DSP and user-configurable FlexMix Dell EMC PowerEdge R730 server, promoting a shift from stand-alone, single-purpose propri-
buses. MAP is slated at $1,999. etary DSP hardware to a highly scalable, standards-based IT platform and architecture. The
Q-SYS Platform uses standard Intel processing, Linux operating system services and IEEE net-
working protocols. Processing-intensive features such as AEC and feedback suppression can
become a shared resource for any space within large installations, allowing the reliable distri-
bution of content and control via an existing IT network infrastructure.

presonus.com USITT Booth 2001; PL+S Hall 9.0 #E54 qsc.com

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 25

NEWGEAR
Radial Passive Line RCF Media Series
Splitters Now offered in black or white, the Media
Series is a complete range of passive speakers
Radial Engineerings LX-2 (two destination)
(from the smallest 5 to the largest 12) and
and LX-3 (three destination) passive line split-
is the ideal for small-to-medium P.A., for dis-
ters let users easily send a single source to
tributed systems or as a complement to RCFs
several different destinations, with the ability
Compact or H Series models. Like the other
to attenuate the input signal and tame hot
Media offerings, the new M1001 and M1201
outputs from a mixing console or mic pre-
models are multipurpose two-way full-range
amp. Both feature an XLR/TRS combo jack
speaker systems, suitable for a wide range of
input (for balanced or unbalanced connec-
installations, and they include standard VESA
tions), Jensen transformer isolated balanced
mountings. All share controlled dispersion
XLR outputs, ground lift switches, and a trim
characteristics and deliver undistorted SPLs
control for attenuating overly hot signals. The
for such compact speaker systems.
chassis has heavy-duty 14-gauge steel con-
struction. MAP pricing is $219 (LX-2) and $259
for the LX-3.

radialeng.com PL+S Hall 4.1 #C21 rcf.it USITT Booth 227; PL+S Hall 3.1 #C91

ShurePlus Channels Staging Concepts

iOS App Update Aria Acoustical Shell
Now at version 1.3, the ShurePlus Channels The Aria acoustical shell system offers
App offers new features to increase the ability modular towers and ceiling panels that
to monitor, organize and access key channel reflect sound to create a resounding per-
parameters with greater convenience. The formance space. Ideal for auditoriums and
app provides real-time, precision monitoring community theaters, the Aria towers span
of select Shure wireless systems from an iOS approximately eight feet wide. These incor-
device. ShurePlus Channels 1.3 is compatible porate honeycomb core panels for easy trans-
with the Axient Wireless Management Net- port/assembly and can be reconfigured in a
work, UHF-R Wireless System, ULX-D Digital matter of minutes. Aria can be finished with
Wireless System, QLX-D Digital Wireless Sys- endless styles of paint or laminate to match
tem and PSM1000 Personal Monitor System. the aesthetics of any space, and ceiling panels
can incorporate virtually any light fixture.

shure.com USITT Booth 1728 stagingconcepts.com USITT Booth 609

VUE Audiotechnik
SystemVUE Update
Addressing the most requested features
from its growing user base, SystemVUE 3.8.20
delivers full Dante networking support, sig-
nificantly expanded parametric EQ function-
ality and a larger library of pre-loaded config-
urations addressing point source, line array
systems, and subwoofer arrays. The software
supports Dante networking capabilities for all
Verity IWAC208 Line Array h-Class high definition powered systems, as
The IWAC208 from Verity Audio is a medium-sized, 2-way line array based around dual well as VUEDrive systems engines. The Mac/
8-inch neodymium woofers and a 1-inch exit HF driver on a 90- by 6-degree (HxV) waveguide Win-compatible SystemVUE 3.8.20 is a free
in a 27 x 10.7 x 14.4-inch, 53-pound birch ply enclosure. External biamplification is required and download from the VUE website; the iPad ver-
response is stated as 95 to 19.5k Hz (-6dB). A matching flyable, single-18 SUB118T subwoof- sion is free from Apples iOS app store.
er is also available and features 2,000W RMS handling. Recommended amplification includes
Veritys V4.25 for the IWAC208 and the V2.20 amp for the SUB118T or SUB218 subwoofers; all
feature integrated rigging.

verityaudio.fr vueaudio.com USITT Booth 2002; PL+S Hall 3.1 #C90

Whirlwind Cyclone Yamaha Version 3.1

Cases for TF Consoles
Whirlwind Audios Cyclone Cases are New version 3.1 firmware allows Yama-
offered in full versions, including 12- and ha TF consoles (including the new TF-Rack)
14-space pocket cases (shown), three sizes of equipped with an NY64-D Dante interface
truck pack-friendly utility cases (22 by 30 by card to connect to audio networks, such as
45 inches, 22 by 30 by 45 inches, and 30 by Ravenna, that support the AES67 audio-over-
30 by 45 inches) as well as custom designs. All IP interoperability standard. AES67 compati-
are full ATA-spec and constructed with UL94, ble audio networks include the Ravenna net-
marine-grade UHMW polyethylene panels, work by ALC NetworX, QSCs Q-LAN network
with Colson casters and flush-mounted MOL and the Livewire+ network from Axia Audio.
latches designed for a lifetime of use. The The new firmware also supports Dante Device
tough UHMW case walls result in a sturdy, Lock, allowing PIN-based locking and unlock-
roadworthy, road case that wont soak up wa- ing of devices on a Dante network. Firmware
ter or rot like plywood cases. update v3.1 is a free update available now for
all TF series digital mixing console users.

whirlwindusa.com PL+S Hall 3.1 #J21 yamahaca.com USITT Booth 1215; PL+S Hall PH.V #A01

26 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 V UESI B LE L INE
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box splay array element

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period
al-12
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CONTINUOUS SOURCE
TOPO
TO OLLOG Y 2 3.5
al-12

[tuh-pol-uh-jee]
Noun: The study of al-12
geometric properties and 3 6.5

spatial relations unaffected

by the continuous change
al-12
of shape or size of figures. 4 10.5

5 15.5 al-12

wavelength

6 21.5 al-12
distance (m)

0 21.5 al-8

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2017 VUE Audiotechnik. All Rights Reserved.
 SHOWTIME
Next Level Church The Pirates
Delta Josh Turner 2017
Leadership
Christmas Production of Penzance

Sound Co Next Page Event Services Sound Co Harmons Audio Visual Sound Co Campus in-house;
Entertainment Services of NY

Venue Venue Venue

Georgia International Convention Center,
Atlanta, GA
Crew
FOH Engineer: Jayson Ferguson
Systems Engineer: Nunzio Cheverez
Production Manager: Scott Whitfield
FOH System Techs: Cody Mclaughlin, Jono Cheverez
Gear
FOH System
Console: Yamaha CL5
Main Speakers: db Technologies DVA T12, T8, T4,
M2M line arrays, S30 subs; QSC KW112, K8
Snake Assemblies: Rapco Horizon
Power Distro: Motion Labs
MON System
Console: Midas M32
Speakers: db Technologies DVX DM15 TH; QSC K8
Mics: Shure UR Wireless, Earthworks
Event Details
The GICC (Georgia International Convention Cen-
ter), which opened in April 2009, is the second
largest convention center in the state of Georgia:
second only to the Georgia World Congress Center.
Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers, FL Wellin Hall, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
Crew
Crew
FOH Engineer: Doug Meyer
Monitor Engineer: Kevin Jackson
FOH Engineer: Bill Di Paolo
Monitor Engineer: David Kolb
Systems Engineer: Nick Salley
Production Manager: Bryan Lansberry Production Manager: Bill Di Paolo
FOH System Tech: Richard Chin Quee
Gear
Gear
Console: Yamaha LS9
FOH System Main Speakers: db Technologies T4 line array
Console: (2) Yamaha QL5
Mics: (16) Shure ULXD wireless lavs, (6) Shure hang-
Main Speakers: (26) Meyer M2D
ing mics, (3) Shure MX floor mics
Subs: (8) RCF 8006-AS Subs
Amps: Crest
Power Distro: Whirlwind PLD Distro Show Notes
This comic opera in two acts, The Pirates of Penzance
MON System is perhaps the most popular work by composer Ar-
IEMs: (8) Shure PSM 900 in-ear system
thur Sullivan and writer W.S.Gilbert, better known
Mics: (4) Shure QLX-D with Beta 87C Heads, (2)
ULX2D with DPA headsets; Sennheiser e600 Drum as Gilbert & Sullivan. It opened on New Year Eve in
Pack; (3) Shure SM57 1879 to rave reviews and has been delighting audi-
ences ever since.
Event Details
Known for its successful Broadway Series of musicals,
the 1,800+ seat Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall,
at the Florida Southwestern State College campus in
Fort Myers, FL, also hosts a variety of other programs,
ranging from rock shows to comedy events and local
theatricals and concerts.

28 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 Amps: L-Acoustics LA8

MON System

Amps: L-Acoustics LA8

Main Speakers: L-Acoustics K1 (36), K2

Helt
Monitor Engineers: Eric Rogers, Jeremy

Venue/Location
estival held on December 31, with and
he Dallas Market Hall is the ultimate

8), 115XT HiQ (12)

52),

24), ARC (6), KUDO (6)

EMs: Shure PSM-1000
________________

______________________
eneral event info)
ntil 2:00 am each night on three stages.

peakers: L-Acoustics KARA (12), SB18

nake Assemblies: Entertainment Metals

ubwoofers: L-Acoustics K1-SB (24), SB28

ound Co

how/Artist: Lights All Night

ights festivities began at 6:00 pm and ran
ew years experience for EDM fans. Each

his year-end electronic dance music

onsoles: Avid Profile, Midas M32

rew

nstage Systems
ower Distro: Motion Labs

roduction Manager: Hyacinth Belcher

OH Rigging: CM Hoists

OH System

ear

OH Engineers: Jimmy Butera, Tommy

owdy

allas Market Hall, Dallas, TX

vent Details: (about a paragraph of

reakout Assemblies: Ramlatch

rive Processing: Dolby Lake
second day of fun on January 1, 2016 at
Andy Grammer/
NXT Breakaway 2017 Oregon State Fair
Gavin DeGraw

g
Zan
n
eve
f St
yo
tes
our
to c
Pho

Sound Co Spellcaster Productions Sound Co Cascade Sound &

Sound Co V2 Productions Stage Lighting Inc.

Venue Venue Venue

Yogi Berra Stadium, Montclair University, Lake Geneva Youth Camp, Lake Geneva, WI L.B. Day Amphitheatre, Salem, OR
Little Falls, NJ
Crew Crew
Crew FOH Engineer: Danny Valez
Monitor Engineer: Danny Valez FOH Engineer: Jeff Cox
FOH Engineer: Mike Shafer Monitor Engineer: Louis Donlon
Systems Engineer: Garrett Vander Veen
Monitor Engineer: James R. Carter Production Manager: Danny Valez Production Manager: Brady Carroll
Systems Engineer: Kevin Rodio FOH System Techs: Bailey Byers, Riley Byers, Wes
FOH System Techs: Derek ONeill, Trevor Moser
Production Manager: Bradan Liberty Wolfe, Curtis Williams

Gear Gear
Gear

FOH System FOH System FOH System

Console: DiGiCo SD7 Console: Allen & Heath dLive S5000/DM48 Console: Avid VENUE D-Show
Main Speakers: (16) RCF TTL33-A-II, (8) RCF Main Speakers: (24) E-V XLC, (16) XDS Subs, (8) XB
Main Speakers: (16) d&b audiotechnik J12
TTS36-A
Subs: (12) J-Sub Amps: QSC
Drive Processing: RCF RDNet
Amps: (24) d&b audiotechnik D12 Snake Assemblies: Link USA
Power Distro: Motion Labs Power Distro: Motion Laboratories MON System
FOH Rigging: CM Lodestar FOH Rigging: Genie ST-25 Console: Yamaha PM-5D

MON System Speakers: (16) E-V XW-15

MON System Amps: QSC
Speakers: (8) RCF TT25-CXA
Speakers: Tour supplied IEMs: (8) Sennheiser EW300G3 IEM
Mics: Shure UR Wireless Mics: Shure ULX-D, Beta 58A, KSM8, Beta 52A,
Beta 57A, Beta 91A, Beta 98AMP, Beta 181, KSM32;
Event Details
An outdoor concert venue in Salem, OR, the L. B. Day
Event Details Earthworks SR30
Direct Boxes: Radial JDI, J48, JPC Amphitheatre is on the Oregon State Fairgrounds
The home of the Montclair State University baseball
team and the minor league New Jersey Jackals, the site. Built in 1987, it was expanded to 14,000 seats
Yogi Berra Stadium is in Little Falls, NJ. It was built in Event Details in 1991 and hosts outside concerts by national art-
Breakaway is the annual winter retreat of the NXT ists during months when the fair is not operating.
1998 and has a combined capacity (permanent and
high school youth group from Calvary Church in
lawn seating) of approximately 5,000. Naperville, IL.

Heres to trusting us for over 40 years.

For over 40 years Whirlwind has been the driving force in solving audio
challenges from routing, to splitting, to combining, to safely distributing
three phase power. We get our inspiration from working in the field, and taking
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fohonline.com MARCH 2017 29

PRODUCTIONPROFILE
Keeping That Open Mic Night Vibe
in Arena Shows By Kevin M.Mitchell
D
uring the course of The Lumineers
Cleopatra Tour, the box count has
tripled. This tour started on a small-
er scale on purpose, because they werent
sure how people would respond to the new
album, says FOH engineer and system de-
signer Josh Osmond. So in the early Spring
of 2016, they went off to play the club circuit
and a few 3,000-plus venues before heading
to Europe, just as the album exploded world-
wide. Signs of what was to come could not be
ignored as that month-long European tour
sold out in a single day. Fortunately, Osmond
was prepared, having already worked out
on a spreadsheet exactly which system hed
need from supplier Sound Image at each step
on the tour.
As for Osmond, he grew up in the San
Francisco Bay Area, a region thats tradi-
tionally been a fertile ground for music of
different genres. I would go to concerts
and found myself fascinated with what was
happening behind the scenes. He gravitated
toward the mixing board, studied audio at a
local trade school, and at 21 went out with
Hot Buttered Rum, a progressive bluegrass
act. The band was mostly playing bars in the
beginning, working a Mackie 24 console with
some JBL Eons, and he grew with the band
over the next seven years.
Work with Ultra Sound led to touring with
Tracy Chapman, first as monitor engineer
and then at FOH, which he says was a great
experience, and really my first taste of being
on a real tour bus and getting paid real mon-
ey! After that, interestingly, he worked as a
system tech/crew chief on tours and shows
with Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead-related
projects. He hooked up with The Lumineers
in 2013, and its been a ride for him as the
band went from clubs to arenas pretty
much overnight as the clich goes.
Osmond credits his working as a systems
tech as a way of boosting his engineering
skills. Its really an advantage to have a sys-
tem tech background, as it helps get you
consistency from a large system on a tour like
this, he says. Im still very involved in tuning
the system in every room, and I did all the sys-
tem design working leading up to this tour,
down to the exact box count to be deployed.
30 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
The Cleopatra Tour
As this tour grew, there was one constant:
Meyer Sounds LEO family. Osmond start-
ed with Meyers older Milo system back on
his first tour in 2013, and then went to LEO
components on the second leg of the U.S.,
continuing to grow from the Lyon system
and its 12-inch drivers to the LEOs 15-inch
drivers. Its by far my favorite system, he says.
At this point, there are manufacturers mak-
ing good systems, but the Meyer is the most
transparent. In others, I can still hear the box
that its coming out of, but with Meyer there
isnt a system in the way of the band getting
the music to their audience. Especially with a
band like The Lumineers, whose music is so
organic, you want a natural sound and not
something that is overproduced.
Also employed is the LEOPARD line ar-
ray system, the smallest member of the LEO
Family. Sound Image audio crew chief Cam-
eron Whaley says the LEOPARD has been
helpful as the tour scaled to differently sized
venues, being powerful enough to use as
a main system when theyve had extreme
Especially with a band like The Lumineers,
whose music is so organic, you want a
natural sound and not something that is
overproduced.
Josh Osmond
weight restrictions. Otherwise its used as a
side or rear hang complement to LYON. The
complete system includes 10 LEO over eight
LYON per side for main hangs, 14 LYON per
side for downstage side hangs, 14 LEOPARD
per side for upstage side hangs, 32 1100-LFC
low-frequency control elements (16 flown, 12
ground-stacked on the sides plus four cen-
ter), six LEOPARD for front fills and a Galileo
loudspeaker management system.
Ive been very impressed overall, both
with the Meyer system that we have out, and
with our audio teams ability to deal with fun
wrinkles like the B-Stage, the bands exten-
sive use of wireless, and other bits and pieces
of the band setup, adds production manager
Sara Full. As we all know, arenas are hardly
the optimal audio experience, but the com-
bination of the system we have out and Joshs
skill as a mixer has produced consistent and
excellent results. The Meyer boxes definitely
have a clean, pure sound that works well for
this band.
Moving Targets
Osmond has moved from mixing on the
Avid Profile to the Avid S6L. Its been fantas-
tic, and they made big leaps forward with it,
he says. And every two months they offer a
new update, and the new features included
are always amazing. Mixing this folk rock/
Americana mostly acoustic trio (a little elec-
tric guitar and a little Fender Rhodes ensues)
for arenas is risky work. Osmond says he starts
with focusing on the principles, with the un-
derstanding that their background is based
on open mic nights in small clubs.
While for this tour, the band has three
additional musicians filling out the arrange-
ments, The Lumineers arent afraid to strip
down their sound back to those open mic
days. And they do it really well, Osmond says.
The driving force is the drum sound. Hes got
a Shure Beta 91A inside the kick and an Audix one going through the first DCL compressor
D6 on the outside. Both are mounted inter-
nally with Kelly Shu shock mounts suspended
with rubber bands, which eliminates rumble
and helps clean up mechanical noise. The
snare top has a Neumann KMS 100 and the
bottom has a Telefunken M80. Shure KSM 141
and Sennheiser 904 are the primaries that
cover the rest of it. Overheads are Neumann
KM184s. Definitely quite a mix of mics, he
admits.
Instruments are all wireless systems us-
ing the Shure ULDX, and the majority of the
mainstage vocal mics are wired KSM8s with
the main vocal being an SM58. At the B
Stage, they have all wireless handheld mics to
make that stage look cleaner, and were using
the KSM8 on that. The D.I. is Radial.
One thing that keeps it all interesting is,
the band plays different instruments in differ-
ent configurations and different places on the
stage. When I first got the job, I wasnt sure of
the best way to handle their stage presence,
he admits. But I learned that its all calculat-
ed, and they arent just randomly moving
around. Its manageable, and in the show file,
I have certain mics they arent using going
off as needed, as there can be a lot of extra
mics and you dont want to have that extra
ambient noise if you can help it. (He uses 64
to 72 inputs.)
Osmond carries an outboard rack of toys.
I have a TC Electronic M5000 Reverb unit,
which I use on the snare and toms. And then
I have two Bricasti Design M7s, which are
one of my favorite reverb units, for vocals
and special effects, he says. Also employed
is an Alan Smart Research C-2 compressor
for Left/Right bus compression, plus three
Empirical Lab Distressors used on main vocal,
bass, and then a spare. For that all-important
drum sound, he is using Summit DCL-200 two
channel tube compressors for parallel com-
pression across the drum groups. I assign all
of the drums to two different subgroups, with
with a little gain, slow attack/release and al-
most no compression, and the second com-
pressing it really hard, getting up to 10 to 12
 The audio crew, from left: Dave Shatto (system engineer), Cameron Whaley (audio crew chief), Matt Garrett (P.A. tech), Brad
Galvin (monitor engineer), Marc Estrin (P.A. tech) and FOH engineer/system designer Josh Osmond.

The Lumineers Cleopatra Tour

Monitor engineer Brad Galvin

decibels of gain reduction with a fast attack/ Hard Work, Great Show Sound Company: Sound Image FOH Gear
release. I then blend the two subgroups to- Galvin says his biggest challenge is the FOH Console: Avid S6L
gether for a really nice, punchy drum sound. obvious one: Making the artists happy. Each Audio Crew Outboard: TC Electronic M5000, (2)
This allows the drums to be in-your-face with- band member has a specific sound they are Front of House Engineer/System Bricasti Design M7s, Alan Smart Research
out overpowering the mix. going for and, truthfully, it requires a lot of
moves outside the snapshots for me, but it Designer: Josh Osmond C-2 compressor, (3) Empirical Lab
Monitor World keeps them happy and thats why I am there. Monitor Engineer: Brad Galvin Distressors compressors, (2) Summit DCL-
Monitor engineer Brad Galvin began as Beyond that, the B stage segment is tricky. Audio Crew Chief: Cameron Whaley 200 tube compressors
a humble punk rocker playing at the clubs Wes moves around to a couple of different
System Engineer: Dave Shatto
around Connecticut and upstate New York. mics but also then moves his main mic to dif-
He graduated from Millikin University, then ferent spots on the B stage. Production Manager: Sara Full MON Gear
went to work for CV Lloyde Music Center, a Sometimes he faces the P.A. and other P.A. Techs: Matt Garrett, Marc Estrin Monitor Console: DiGiCo SD5
small sound company in the Champaign/ times he faces the opposite way. When he is Outboard: Rupert Neve Designs 5045
Urbana area in Illinois, where he started facing the opposite way, the P.A. fires directly
mixing. This led to a job at TC Furlong in into his mic, and they are roughly 80 feet in
P.A. System Primary Source Enhancer
Chicago where he learned about system de- front of the P.A. I have taken to muting his mic Mains: (10) Meyer Sound LEO with (8) Recording Software: Waves Tracks
sign, large-scale consoles, and RF. Eventual- between every line just to keep the delayed LYON per side IEM Hardware: Shure PSM1000s
ly he was asked to fill in mixing monitors for arrival out of the mixes. Luckily, I know almost
Side Hang: (14) LYON IEMs: Jerry Harvey Audio JH16s
Weird Al Yankovic. Next, he jumped in as a every word to the songs, so I can competently
P.A. tech on the Dave Matthews Band sum- hit the mute switch in time to open it up right Second Side Hang: (14) Leopard Instrument Wireless: Shure ULDX
mer tour, where I would fly the SR system, before he sings. It keeps me on my toes at all Flown Subs: (8) 1100LFC/side Wireless Mics: Shure ULDX with KSM8
run the mic around during tuning and mix times, though! I kind of have to change my Ground Subs: (6) 1100LFC/side in end-fire capsules
monitors for any opening acts. In Decem- mindset a little each time.
configuration Mics: Shure Beta 91A, KSM 141s, SM58s,
ber of 2012, The Lumineers opened for DMB The band is one of the most enjoyable Ive
for nine shows, and he officially joined that ever worked with, Osmond adds. They are Front Fill: (6) Leopard KSM8s; Audix D6; Neumann KMS100,
camp in April 2013. really great people who like to hang out with Drive Processing: Meyer Sound Galileo KM184s; Sennheiser 904s; Telefunken M80.
Galvin is mixing for the band on a DiGiCo the crew well go bowling together and 616, (2) Calisto 616 AES, (6) Calisto 616 Direct Box: Radial Engineering
SD5. I loved the scalability of the system and things like that, which really creates a great
how, if I ran out of inputs or outputs, I could environment to work in.
just add another mix bus or input, he says.
Using the SD Convert software allows me
to move between consoles for smaller shows
where our control package isnt with us. He
notes that its his first time using a DiGiCo. I
love it. The macros allow me to do so much
and make my job relatively easy with regards
to workflow. The only piece of outboard gear
I use is a Rupert Neve Portico 5045 [Primary
Source Enhancer} on my main vocal group,
which has cleaned up my mix incredibly. In
these arenas, it has proven to be a lifesav-
er. Galvin also records live to Waves Tracks
directly off his stage racks nightly. Often
times, Ill go back and check mixes and tweak
things a bit before the band comes out for the
shows, since we dont really do many sound
checks.
Its a wedge-free stage, with Shure
PSM1000s and Jerry Harvey Audio JH16s
used by the six musicians. And while the
tour has grown in terms of where they play,
it hasnt affected Galvins work. At this point,
everything is dialed in, and the changes are
mostly slight EQ changes per night, or min-
imal level adjustments. We dont do a lot of
sound checks anymore, so Josh and I work
really hard to make sure the levels are right
during changeover so when the band walks
on stage, they are confident that everything
will be like the night before. Once we get
those set, most things fall into place with the
snapshots. FOH engineer Josh Osmond at the Avid S6L
Meyer Sound P.A. hang for the show at the 17,500-capacity U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 31

INSTALLATIONSHOWCASE
A
longstanding tradition in show business at least harkening back to circus per-
formers in the 1800s is that the show must go on. Today, despite competition
from multiplex cinema complexes, home theaters and every conceivable form of

Inside Six Recent sporting events, there is still considerable interest in watching humans in live onstage per-
formance, whether in drama, musicals, concerts, dance, opera the list is nearly endless.
At the same time, while stadium shows are less common these days, venues in the 1,000

Theater/Performing to 4,000 capacity range seem to be doing well, especially as music artists once strictly rele-
gated to arenas are now turning to these smaller, more intimate venues.
While audience preferences for these smaller spaces is on the upswing, these same
Arts Center Projects
By Thomas S.Friedman
patrons expect and demanda first-class audio experience, where intelligibility and
musicality are just as important as rock n roll SPLs. With that in mind, we present a look at
some recent installation projects both new construction and upgrades that reflect
the current state-of-the-art in theater and performing arts venues.

The main house system has a central L-Acoustics

Kara array flanked by left-right K2/ SB28 hangs.

Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land, TX

The Stone Mountain Arts Center

T
he new Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land is big, bright and bold everything
youd expect of a performing arts center in Texas. The $84 million venue in the Hous- Stone Mountain Arts Center,
ton metro area officially opened in mid-January with a strong lineup of events in-
cluding performances by Jerry Seinfeld, Don Henley, Dave Matthews, Sting, Reba McEn-
Brownfield, ME
tire and the touring production of Dirty Dancing. The 200,000 square foot facility can serve

A
200-seat, timber frame music hall, the
as a concert hall, civic center and theatrical center in a single shape-adjusting venue.
Stone Mountain Arts Center is nestled in
The in-house sound system is no less grand, with an L-Acoustics K2 line array system
the scenic foothills of the White Moun-
installed by LD Systems and designed by consultant Scott Bray of Wrightson, Johnson,
Haddon & Williams (WJHW). This is a premier performance venue for the entire region. tains. A labor of love and dream fulfilled for
They wanted the absolute best sound possible, and they got it, says LD Systems Kevin owner/musician Carol Noonan, the Center pro-
Broussard. vides a unique venue for national artists who
The new venues sound system uses a theatrical LCR design. Thirteen K2 enclosures love the idea of connecting with small audienc-
make up the left and right array hangs, with eight double-18 SB28 subs flown behind es again. A diverse array of artists ranging
each of those arrays, while the center cluster is made up of 12 Kara enclosures. from Lyle Lovett, Robert Cray and Marty Stuart
In addition, there are five delay arrays of six Kara enclosures each suspended over the to Ani DeFranco, Taj Mahal and Mary Chapin
balcony. A flexible Kara front fill system uses up to eight Kara enclosures along the stage Carpenter have graced its stage to provide
lip for near-field coverage. All of these are powered by 22 L-Acoustics LA8 and four LA4X unforgettable performances that have helped
amplified controllers housed in LA-RAK racks.
make it a popular destination for musicians and
Flanking masonry walls cradle a glazed facade designed to reveal the iconic bowl-
audiences alike.
shaped arena within, but it can adapt to performance and audience requirements. The
largest 6,400-seat configuration can be adjusted, using deployable walls alongside balco- The Center selected Jason Raboin of Klon-
nies, which extend down to the orchestra floor, to 4,600 seats for smaller shows and civic dike Sound (Greenfield, MA) to design a new
events. At 2,900 seats, the hall presents an elegant theatrical experience for the patrons sound system to support the eclectic roster of Coaxial Fulcrum Acoustic DX1277 speakers pro-
vide the main P.A.
of Broadway shows and holiday spectacles. artists they showcase. The project presented a
The K2/Kara system was a good match for the facilitys variable seating design, notes number of interesting acoustical and aesthetic challenges, including managing the
WJHW design consultant Scott Bray. Using L-Acoustics Soundvision predictive 3D system Centers highly reflective wooden surfaces and designing a visually unobtrusive sound
design software and LA Network Manager, the WJHW team calibrated the system based system to blend with its rustic timber frame architecture.
on the position of the movable walls and curtains. Along with three primary room con- Raboin selected Fulcrum Acoustic speakers for their clarity, precise directional con-
figurations in all, venue staff can automatically move delay speakers in and out of the trol and minimal visual impact. The simple, yet powerful system consists of two
system on chain hoists, all at the push of a button.
Fulcrum DX1277 dual 12-inch coaxial loudspeakers whose tailored 75-by-75-degree
Soundvision also provided a highly accurate model of what each configuration would
dispersion keeps sound off the physical structure. Two Sub118 18-inch direct-radiating
need in terms of EQ and delays before the first speaker was put in place; the system was
then fine-tuned on site. We felt confident that what we saw in Soundvision is what wed subwoofers extend LF support, and eight compact FX1295 12-inch coaxial vocal moni-
hear in the venue, and thats exactly what happened, says Bray. We needed highly accu- tors are used on the Centers stage.
rate pattern control, to keep the sound on the seating no matter what the configuration With their tailored coverage pattern and musical quality, Fulcrums speakers pro-
was. vide the fidelity and punch we need, said Patrick ODonnell, the Centers production
Bray adds that the K2s rider-friendliness had a huge impact on the decision. Artists manager. Whether its a loud rock show or a nuanced acoustic performance, the sys-
know the L-Acoustics K2, he says. Youd have a hard time finding an engineer who wasnt tem is really transparent. Carol Noonan adds, As our arts center is all about people and
familiar with the system. connections, we needed a sound system that wouldnt detract from its warm, welcom-
LD Systems Broussard points out that while the K2 is designed as a touring rig, it works ing and intimate feel. Fulcrum speakers were a perfect fit.
exceptionally well as an installed sound system, one with the advantage of being able We recently had Robert Cray, who has played here many times, Noonan continues.
to be hoisted by a dedicated winch for maintenance. The arrays can be flown and then
His band brought a lot of their own gear
lowered or raised as necessary, he says.
but, as usual, used our house speakers Stone Mountain Arts Center
Thats another level of flexibility for this
system. Smart Financial Centre and subwoofers. It was definitely the best Capacity: 200
But sound quality was the top prior- Capacity: 6,400 (max) sounding show weve ever had with him. Key Components: Fulcrum Acoustic
ity. It just sounds incredible, Broussard Key Components: L-Acoustics K2, Kara Nothing was different than before the DX1277s, Sub118s, FX1295s
says. Very punchy but never losing artic- System Designer: WJHW same crew and players as always so its System Designer: Jason Raboin
ulation. Bray agrees. Its fantastic like Integrator: LD Systems gotta be the speakers. Integrator: Klondike Sound
listening to a really good stereo system.

32 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

The Great Hall, Toronto, Canada

T
he Great Hall is one of the most eye-catching and iconic fix-
tures of Torontos vibrant Queen West area. Built in 1889, it
stands as a longtime beacon for the citys artistic and cul-
tural communities. With its age becoming increasingly apparent,
this historic Victorian venue recently benefited from an interior
and exterior revitalization. Now, with the addition of Adamson
P.A.s in both the 10,000 square foot Main Hall and 5,000 square
foot Longboat Hall, The Great Hall is in prime position to host
cultural, corporate and private events for the diverse and dynamic
community it serves.
The goal was to provide something powerful enough to
handle any and all potential applications, but also work with the
space on a functional and aesthetic level, shares Lina Beaudin,
The Great Halls director of business development. The venues
production team worked in concert with Adamson Systems En-
gineering and Toronto AV integrators Westbury National to put
together a package perfectly suited to the unique and adaptable
needs of the two rooms.
Westburys commitment to offering Adamson solutions for
prestigious and high-profile installation projects gives us an in-
credible competitive advantage, comments Westbury National
The Main Hall within Torontos Great Hall.
VP Rob Sandolowich.
The Main Hall has a left/right array configuration with six Adamson S10i line array ele- tributed point system primarily comprised of six Adamson Point 12As one on each iron
ments per side and a pair of E219 subs under the stage handling the low-end. To properly column supporting the balcony with eight smaller 8Pi boxes covering the mezzanine
cover the rooms main floor and balcony, much consideration was given to the fill layout. and a pair of A218 subs under the stage.
The idea was to offer plenty of control and flexibility for the upper and lower levels with- Having the opportunity to put a showcase
out ruining the tonal balance. A complement of six Adamson PC5i boxes hung under the system in a venue as renowned and versatile as The Great Hall
balcony cover the front of the stage with one pair of Point 8Pis for front fills and another The Great Hall was one we were happy to take Capacity: 480 (Main Hall)
pair for balcony fills, providing a simple solution for corporate events, weddings or other advantage of, adds Adamsons Jeremiah Karni. Key Components: Adamson S10i
applications where the stage isnt the focal point. This is a really special venue thats close to home line arrays and E219 subs
In the lower-level Longboat Hall, a multipurpose space with a modular stage, the config- for us, and its a privilege to have played a part in Integrator: Westbury National
uration challenges were compounded. That informed the decision to employ a more dis- its revitalization.

BYU DeJong Concert Hall, Provo, UT

B
righam Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah owned
and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Excluding
online students, BYU is the largest of any religious university and the third
largest private university in the U.S., with close to 30,000 on-campus students.
Salt Lake City integrator Poll Sound supplied a new Yamaha Rivage PM10 digital
console in the 1,268-seat DeJong Concert Hall at the schools Harris Fine Arts Center.
The new console is an upgrade from the halls previous Yamaha PM5D console.
The space is a multi-use hall, says Poll Sounds Brad Wadsworth. Every other
year, the university has a large theater production requiring more inputs, including
full-pit orchestra and 30 to 40 microphones. The DeJong Concert Hall is used for re- BYU AV production staff, (L-R): Taylor Glad, Aaron Kopp, Randy Corbett and Eric Kopp.
cording as well, and hosts all of BYUs elite music performance groups. And church
sermons are held in the concert hall as well as educational lectures.
Poll played an integral part in arranging PM10 demos, notes Aaron Kopp, BYUs
audio production manager. The decision to upgrade to a new PM10 was made
based on the sonic quality, expandability and Yamahas commitment to reliability.
We are constantly looking at all brands of consoles in order to provide our students
with a diversity of equipment. This is the console that made the most sense for the
concert hall because of its quality and expanded features.
Flexibility was another key factor, says Kopp. We use Dante to get our Qlab com-
puter into thesystem, which makes it easy and provides many options on what we
can do for effects in our theater productions. Wealso use Dante to get signal to our
Dante-enabled monitor consoles and for using the Virtual Sound check feature.
Another plus was the PM10s SILK feature, which really enhances the beauty of
the musical performances withminimal EQ
work, Kopp says, referring to the consoles DeJong Concert Hall
VCM (Virtual Circuitry Modeling) SILK pro- Capacity: 1,268
cessing by Rupert Neve Designs. But, he Key Components: Yamaha PM10
adds, the bottom line was that the console Digital Console
Integrator: Poll Sound
sounds amazing. DeJong Concert Hall at BYU.

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 33

INSTALLATIONSHOWCASE

JULIE HILLEBRANT
The Jensen Grand Concert Hall

Jensen Grand Concert Hall,

Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID

T
he main performance space within Idaho State Universitys Stephens Per-
forming Arts Center is the 1,200-seat Jensen Grand Concert Hall. Highlights
of the venues design include two computer-controlled ceiling canopies, each
weighing close to 20,000 pounds, that can be moved to adjust the halls acoustics,
paired with six 17,000-pound, one-story-high acoustical side panels that can also be
The DiGiCo S21, in use for a recent production.
adjusted with computerized controls.
Palace Theater, Tamarac, FL To optimize the acoustics further, the Jensen Grand Concert Hall worked with
Jake Peery of Salt Lake City-based installers/integrators Performance Audio on the

T
he Palace Theater is the live-production installation of a Martin Audio MLA Compact system. The new system was part of an
venue at Kings Point in Tamarac, a luxury overall $400,000 sound and lighting system upgrade. The previous sound system
lifestyle community for the 55-plus set, was 11 years old and no longer technically viable or able to meet contract re-
located just west of Fort Lauderdale. quirements for visiting artists. The production team tested the system for a Don Wil-
The 1,000-seat performing arts space hosts liams concert prior to purchase, and positive feedback on the sound sealed the deal.
concerts by a wide range of touring artists, Stephens Center production manager Bill Stanton described the new MLA P.A. as
including veterans of the South Florida circuit the most cutting edge, new technology out there, doing things that really suit the
like Melissa Manchester and Tony Orlando. But concert hall that other systems couldnt.
lately its also getting regular visits from tribute The hall is a very live acoustic space, and with the previous audio rig a point
bands venerating Bruce Springsteen, Chicago source system, the audio went everywhere, bounced around and ultimately pro-
and the Rolling Stones. In addition, there are duced a muddy sound, Stanton explains. The venue is a true symphonic concert
comedy shows, first-run film screenings and hall, which made it a challenge to find the right P.A. system that would work seam-
dramatic productions written, directed and act- lessly with existing acoustics.
ed by some of the communitys 9,000 residents. After researching various brands and hearing glowing reports about MLA from
It all makes the Palace Theater one very busy associates whod heard it at an InfoComm trade show, Stanton and his staff arranged
entertainment hub. To meet the mixing needs for a demo of the system in the hall and as he puts it, that was that.
for that range of shows, the venue installed a Palace Theater production manager Anthony Ezzo. Ron Hart, house engineer, adds, We were actually able to test the system out for
DiGiCo S21 digital audio console. the Don Williams concert before we purchased it. There were a lot of positive com-
Were doing a lot of rock tribute bands today, but we might be doing Britney ments from the audience with everyone saying how great it sounded.
Spears in a few years, laughs production manager Anthony Ezzo, himself a veteran The Martin Audio system in Jensen Hall is designed to achieve maximum clarity
of the road running FOH on past tours for Michelle Branch, Mark Chesnutt, Stryper in this space thats characterized by a high ceiling, long rectangular shape and stage
and D.R.I. We needed an audio console that could take us into the future as artists space measuring 60 feet in height.
that residents grew up with come here to perform. I looked around and knew what I It starts with main hangs of eight MLA Compact per side with one DSX sub a side
didnt want a cheap, $3,000 mixer with plastic knobs but we didnt want to spend ground-stacked in special notches where the stage curves. For front fills, there are
$50,000 on a touring-type console. The S21 was the perfect solution. It sounds great, is five DD6 speakers on the lip of the stage and four DD6 mounted on the walls to cov-
easy to run and it fit our budget. er the loges at the extreme edges of the stage. Also included in the audio system is
Ezzo says one of the S21s advantages is the fact that it offers individual inputs. This an Avid VENUE Profile console at FOH.
theater was built in the mid-1990s, so we have a lot of copper wiring in here, and we In terms of how the room is used, Stanton points out, As the performing arts
werent in a position to run Cat-5 for microphones from the stage, he explains. Its center for the university, we do symphonic ensembles and choirs that rely on the
old-fashioned, but it works, and the S21 lets us put microphones directly into chan- halls acoustics and the P.A. system is only used for announcements. Then there are
nels. At the same time, its very intuitive to operate. Its laid out in an analog sort of amplified shows featuring jazz bands and touring acts that use MLA, including con-
way, but the layers let me access every aspect of each channel in a compact footprint. temporary and old-time rock and country music artists such as Three Dog Night,
For example, Ezzo notes that the theater has a dozen wireless lavaliers they use Foghat, Wynonna Judd, Tracy Lawrence and Pam Tillis, to name a few.
for theatrical productions, some of which may have 60 actors in the cast. The S21 lets Asked about mixing on MLA, Hart explains, I dont have to ride the volume to get
him assign them to one set of actors as a macro, then instantly switch to a completely the clarity I need. With MLA, you can get very even coverage that gives every seat in
different input configuration when the mics are donned by the next set of actors in a the house an optimum experience. During sound checks, I can walk back and forth
show. through the entire hall and not hear any difference.
The theaters diverse range of music artists and shows also means that Ezzo has to According to Stanton, The overall reaction from everyone at the university has
deal with prerecorded material from an array of sources. I can set up all of my inputs been very positive about the MLA system.
any way that makes the most sense, he says. I Weve had people walking out of the ven-
Jensen Grand Concert Hall
also use the Virtual Soundcheck capability of Palace Theater ue saying it was the best sounding concert
Capacity: 1,200
the console, so the P.A. is ready when the band Capacity: 1,000 theyve ever heard in here. Bottom line, the
Key Components: Martin Audio
shows up. The S21 is a real workhorse. As soon Key Components: DiGiCo S21 audio quality is so much better than our MLA Compact
as you touch it, you know its not a toy. Its the Integrator: DiGiCo previous system; every show is really enjoy- Integrator: Performance Audio
future. able.

34 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

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THEATERSOUND
I
n 1996, an original
rock musical by a lit-
tle-known composer
opened on Broadway, where it ran for 5,123 performances
and forever changed the landscape of American theater.
A re-imagining of Puccinis La Bohme, Rent follows an un-
forgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to
follow their dreams without selling out.
Twenty years later, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony
Award-winning masterpiece is still selling out theaters
around the country and around the world. The 20th anni-
versary edition of the show began its run last September
and continues thrilling theatergoers in cities throughout
the U.S. Acclaimed sound designer Keith Caggiano
whose recent projects also include 2016 productions of
Cabaret, Irving Berlins White Christmas and Holiday Inn,
as well as Motown the Musical, Elf the Musical, Bare, Rock
of Ages, Glory Days and many others turned to Masque
Sound to supply the audio.
The System
According to associate sound designer Mike Tracey, the
touring sound system for Rent comprises two main left/
right towers of 11 L-Acoustics Kara enclosures per side, as
well as two SB18 subwoofers per side, arrayed in a cardioid
configuration. Discreet coaxial 5XT speakers provide front
fill, while two X12 coaxials provide down fill. Everything is
powered by six L-Acoustics LA8 amplified controllers in an
LA-RAK and controlled via an LA Network Manager.
36 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
RENT PHOTOS BY CAROL ROSEGG
The cast of Rents 20th Anniversary Tour in action.
Rocks the Country for its 20th
Anniversary Tour By Thomas S.Friedman
Rent is a rock musical, and it really needs a rock tour-
ing sound system, and thats what Kara gives us, says Trac-
ey, who has also worked on other successful touring and
Broadway productions, including Book of Mormon, Cabaret
and War Paint The Musical. The Kara is a compact, light-
weight box, but it can really pump out the sound. And the
5XT boxes are amazing I dont know why anyone would
use anything else for front fills.
Tracey drew up the system design in L-Acoustics
Soundvision 3D modeling software program using his
teams knowledge of the theaters that are on the tour itin-
erary. We have a good understanding of the baseline of
the venues were going to, and Soundvision let us design
a system that would work for all of them and was also as
lightweight to carry as possible, which makes a big differ-
ence in costs, he explains. The Kara boxes are about 50
pounds each and put out a huge amount of power for their
size and weight. And theyre very easy to fly.
Mike Rukstad, the shows FOH engineer and head of au-
dio, says the Kara system puts Rent into the category of
a rock concert as well as a theatrical show. Were playing
some pretty big houses three and four thousand seats
and no matter how big the theater or how its config-
ured, Kara can fill it, he says, speaking from the 2,700-seat
Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, one of Rents
tour stops. I can always get the vocals above the band,
and we have a pretty loud drummer!
Rukstad, who has also mixed Buddy: The Buddy Holly Sto-
ry and Bullets Over Broadway on tour, says the L-Acoustics
system is a high-fidelity experience for theatergoers. Its
really all about the power and the clarity, he says. Theres
no distortion, nothing that distracts from the music.
 20th Anniversary Tour
Crew
Sound Company: Masque Sound
Sound Designer: Keith Caggiano
Associate Sound Designer: Michael
Tracey
FOH Engineer/Head of Audio:
Mike Rukstad

Gear
P. A. System: (11) L-Acoustics Kara in
L/R hangs
Subwoofers: (4) L-Acoustics SB18
two per side
Fills: L-Acoustics 5XT (front fills); (2) X12
downfills
Amplification: (6) L-Acoustics LA8
controllers in LA-RAK
Drive Control: LA Network Manager
FOH Console: Yamaha CL5
Wireless: Sennheiser 3732
Headset Mics: DPA d:fine 4066s

FOH engineer Mike Rukstad mixes on a Yamaha CL5. L-Acoustics Kara arrays and SB18 subs serve as the main P.A.

DPA d:fine 4066 omnidirectional headset mics offer a natural sound.

Faithful to the Original
For the actors microphones, Masque
Sound provided DPA d:fine 4066 omnidi-
rectional headset microphones. Rent was
one of the first shows to use headset mics
on the cast, as opposed to lavaliers, so
thats a heritage thing with the show that
we wanted to make sure we honored, ex-
plains Caggiano. Its about getting the mi-
crophone as close to the mouth as possible
to get as much gain out of the actors as
we can, and the d:fine 4066s that Masque
Sound supplied did an excellent job.
In addition to providing the custom au-
dio package for the show, Masque Sound
also supplied frequency coordination for
the shows 30 channels of wireless. Masque
Sounds expert team provided the touring
crew with the information and equipment
they needed to ensure that all of the wire-
less signals would remain clear and inter-
ference-free.
A Team Effort
Ive had a wonderful relationship with
Masque Sound over the years, and working
with them is always a great experience,
adds Caggiano. We always get the equip-
ment we want, and its always prepped well
and in great working condition. In addi-
tion to Masque Sound, Michael Tracey did
a wonderful job on the production. I was
pretty tied up during a lot of the prep, and
Michael was very hands-on with Masque
Sound and helped me put it all together. As
a result, the show looks and sounds great.
The Rent 20th Anniversary Tour runs
through July, 2017 and hits all of the major
U.S. markets.

Keeping it Digital
Another interesting component to the
sound design was the use of digital au-
dio. Ive been trying more and more to
use digital audio directly from the actors
microphones straight through the con-
sole and back out through the speakers,
says Caggiano. Typically, thats difficult
to achieve, as most people are still using
analog out of their receivers. But my goal
was to avoid that and stay digital through
the entire path. One unique thing we used
were Focusrite AES Dante devices that al-
lowed us to come directly out of the Senn-
heiser 3732 receivers and directly into the
consoles digital signal path.
Masque Sound also provided a Yama-
ha CL5 digital mixing console, which was
selected for its ease of use, abundance of
features, small footprint and ability to tour
very easily.

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 37

THEATERSOUND
Twenty-six of The Little Mermaids 30 cast members
were on Lectrosonics wireless mics.
Audio Production at The Beck Center
in Lakewood, Ohio By GeorgePetersen
I
n this biz, the mere mention of the phrase community
theater more often than not brings up mental images of
bedsheet curtains, cardboard sets, box batten lighting (oc-
casionally upgraded with a few PAR cans) and sound? Well,
if youre lucky, you might find a couple of musty Shure Vocal-
Master columns nailed on either side of the proscenium.
Thankfully, you wont find any of the latter at The Beck Cen-
ter for the Arts in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, OH. This
non-profit performing arts and arts education organization
presents first-class theater productions designed to inspire
and enrich the quality of life for Northeastern Ohioans. The
organization also offers curriculum-based arts education in
creative arts therapies, dance, music, theater and visual arts.
The Beck Centers roots spring from humble beginnings. In
1938, the Lakewood Little Theatre troupe rented the former
Lucier movie theater and purchased the property a decade
later. In 1974, noted commercial illustrator Kenneth Beck do-
nated money (with community matching funds) for a new arts
complex, which now incorporates the Mackey Theater live
performance space, an art museum, teaching spaces, a galle-
ria and indoor gardens.
For some insights, we recently caught up with staff sound
designer Carlton Guc after a production of Disneys The Little
Mermaid, which had just completed a one-month run in the
Mackey Theater. Guc, who has worked on countless produc-
tions at the complex over the years, emphasized that the Beck
Center is dedicated to the highest levels of professionalism.
We are a community theater, but not in the typical sense,
he explains. We employ a lot of Equity actors, and everyone is
paid cast, crew and so on. Its more of a high-end commu-
nity theater venue, with 450 seats in the house.
The Audio Side
Despite The Little Mermaid being a retelling of Danish au-
thor Hans Christian Andersens classic 1837 Den lille havfrue
fairy tale about a young mermaid who ventures into the world
above the sea, the production is thoroughly modern.
Guc, who handled the sound design as well as front of
house mixing for all the performances, worked on a Behringer
X-32 console with a Core X-32 acting as an expander. We also
used the P-16 personal monitors. This way, we could set up
15 unique channels to the band, so they can clearly hear the
show. The Beck Center does not have a pit, so the orchestra is
tucked into the right wing of the theater. They cant see ev-
erything on stage, so we provide them with video monitoring
along with the audio mixes.
The center is fortunate to have Guc on the team, as beyond
his work at the Mackey Theater, he is also one of the founders
of Stage Research Inc., (stageresearch.com). SFX, the compa-
nys flagship software product, was developed in the early
38 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
KATHY SANDHAM
Breaking Out of the
Community Theater
Model
1990s to handle audio playback and show control for theater. has thankfully never had to call upon technical support. The
Among SFX early adopters were users such as the Blue challenge with a show like this is anticipating and overcoming
Man Group and David Copperfield. The Windows-based appli- the frequency problems I might encounter in the area where
cation has continued to develop over the years (currently at the theater is located such as from the police station down
version 6.x) and besides live theater, the user list has evolved the street. Ive been through this many times before at The
to also include theme parks and other related venues requir- Beck Center, and with Lectrosonics, we had everything set in
ing the playback of music and sound effects. Among Stage a day or so. We were able to do all the work beforehand, and
Researchs other offerings include: RF Guru and RF Scanner we had no sound problems at all with the show,he explains.
(wireless frequency search optimization); ShowBuilder (sound When putting on a theatrical production, I dont need to
design organization); and SoftPlot 3D, a graphical drag-and- stress about technology,
drop for creating stage lighting plots. Guc continues. Lectro-
We are a community theater, but not in the typical
sense. We employ a lot of Equity actors and everyone
is paid cast, crew and so on. Its more of a high-
end community theater venue, with 450 seats in the
house. Carlton Guc, sound designer
With that kind of provenance, its no surprise that, for The sonics are the most reli-
Little Mermaid, everything is digital, says Guc. Using SFX soft- able products Ive ever
ware for sound effects, the sound board operator simply hits worked with, and I can focus on dealing with what the show
the go button to easily trigger an effect, such as when the two sounds like, rather than equipment failures or technical prob-
eels touch their tails and there is a electrical shock effect. In lems. They help me concentrate on being creative.
addition, the musical director can trigger effects from the SFX
system via MIDI note commands. Sound triggering can also On Deck
be synchronized with lighting such as thunder and light- In addition to his sound design work for theatrical projects,
ning on stage. In our case, we had an ETC Ion lighting board Guc has done sound design for the Sea World theme park and
triggering effects as well. the Titanic exhibit in Las Vegas. Next up, Guc will be doing
Effects are routed from the audio console auxes into left- sound design for the upcoming productions of Bring it On and
right house zones. In the case of this show, Guc recalls, we City of Angels (both at The Beck Center) as well as Rock of Ages
also had special effects LF speakers left and right on stage. For at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights.
some shows, we can add surround speakers in the house, but
we didnt need them for this production.
The speakers are a combination of QSC K-Series mains, EV
200 Series used as monitors pointed down onto the stage, JBL
EONs (also used as onstage monitors and effects playback)
and custom-designed, self-powered subs.
The Wireless Experience
Guc selected Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless tech-
nology for the show, including LM, SMV and SMQV belt pack
transmitters.Of the 30 cast members in The Little Mermaid, 26
of them were equipped with body pack transmitters. With any
complex production, theres always a risk of technical issues
with so many actors perspiring onstage, soaking the equip-
ment, and running on and off stage with costume changes.
Stage Research SFX effects playback software simplified the cueing of sound playbacks.
Yet in all his years working shows at The Beck Center, Guc
RF ANALYSIS
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
with RF-Vue
Tablet Technology
FEATURING:

INVISIBLE WAVES
by Kaltman Creations LLC | The RF Experts
864-885-0500 | sales@kaltmancreationsllc.com
www.kaltmancreationsllc.com
BUYERSGUIDE
Allen & Heath Qu Pac

Tablet-Controlled
Rack-Mount
Digital Mixers
By GeorgePetersen

A
couple years ago, this category didnt exist at all. However, the notion
of a rack-mount unit thats remotely controlled via Wi-Fi (iOS and/or
Android) makes a lot of sense in many applications, ranging from porta-
Input Channels: 38 (32 mono, 3 stereo) Onboard Effects: Effects from iLive FX
ble P.A. to church installations, live theater, corporate/industrial presentations Library
anywhere where a low-profile invisible console is just the ticket. Other ad- Local Preamps: 16
Network Interfacing: dSNAKE
vantages include eliminating the need for a house snake, with the mixer located Remote I/O: Any dSNAKE stagebox
near the stage and the FOH position being anywhere within Wi-Fi range. I spoke Notes: Local touch screen control;
Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
18-channel recording to USB; monitor
to one church sound tech who said the freedom of wireless mixing allowed him Main Outs: 12 XLR outs mixing via iPhone or ME hardware mixers
to sit with his family in the church for the first time in years. We checked out
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No Price: $1,499/street
a number of current models and found a variety of products to meet anyones
needs and budget. EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs

allen-heath.com

Behringer X32 Rack Crest Audio Tactus FOH

Input Channels: 40 EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on
outs
Local Preamps: 16
Onboard Effects: Virtual FX rack
Remote I/O: S16 option
Network Interfacing: Ethernet
Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
Notes: Connectivity to P16 Personal
Main Outs: 8 XLR
Monitoring
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No
Price: $999/street
Input Channels: 64 Onboard Effects: Wave SoundGrid
Local Preamps: 8 Network Interfacing: Gigabit Ethernet to
Waves SoundGrid/LV1 protocol
Remote I/O: Tactus Stage 32x16
Notes: Optional Tactus Control hardware
Max Sampling Rate: 96 kHz
controller
Main Outs: 4 XLR
Price: TBA
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: Yes
EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs

behringer.com peaveycommercialaudio.com

Mackie DL32R Midas M32C

Input Channels: 36
Local Preamps: 32
Remote I/O: None offered
Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
Main Outs: 14 XLR plus AES
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No
EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs
Onboard Effects: 3 stereo effects engines
Network Interfacing: Ethernet port;
Dante optional
Notes: Direct recording to USB hard drive
or Mac/PC
Price: $1,799/street
EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs
Input Channels: 40 Onboard Effects: 8 effects engines
Local Preamps: None Network Interfacing: Midas Supermac;
MADI/Dante options
Remote I/O: DL16 or DL32
Notes: 32-channel record/play to Mac/PC
Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
Price: $999/street
Main Outs: AES50
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No

mackie.com midasconsoles.com

40 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 Sweetwater is where the pros shop for gear.

Greg Price on tour using the Avid VENUE | S6L

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BUYERSGUIDE
Peavey Unity DR16 PreSonus StudioLive RM32AI

Input Channels: 16
Local Pres: 8
Remote I/O: Two can combine for 28
total inputs.
Max Sampling Rate: 48k Hz
Main Outs: 4 aux plus stereo XLR pair
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: Yes
EQ, Type: Sweepable inputs; parametrics
and graphics on outputs
Local Preamps: 32
Network Interfacing: S/PDIF or Dante
Notes: Priority ducking and assignable
Feedback Eliminators
Price: TBA
Input Channels: 32 EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs
Onboard Effects: Reverb, delay plus Fat
Channel on all inputs
Remote I/O: Yes, via optional Dante or
AVB Network Interfacing: Ethernet; Dante
and AVB optional
Max Sampling Rate: 96 kHz
Notes: FireWire 800 interface for record-
Main Outs: 3, plus 16 assignable outs
ing.
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No
Price: $1,799/street

peavey.com presonus.com

RCF M18 Soundcraft Ui24R

Input Channels: 18 PEQs on outs Input Channels: 24 Onboard Effects: Lexicon, dbx and Digi-
Tech effects
Local Pres: 8 Onboard Effects: Studio effects plus Local Preamps: 20
guitar amp modeling Network Interfacing: Ethernet for exter-
Remote I/O: None Remote I/O: None
nal Wi-Fi
Network Interfacing: LAN port for exter-
Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz Max Sampling Rate: 48 kHz
nal Wi-Fi Notes: Studer-designed preamps;
Main Outs: 6 aux out; stereo XLR mains Main Outs: 8 aux; two mains 24-channel USB recording
Notes: 2-track USB record/play; optional
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: Yes rack mount kit Onboard Wi-Fi Router: Yes Price: $995/street
EQ, Type: PEQs and shelving on inputs; Price: $699/street EQ, Type: PEQs on channels; GEQs on outs

rcf.it soundcraft.com

Waves eMotion LV-1 Yamaha TF-Rack

Input Channels: 16/32/64
Local Pres: Any SoundGrid-compatible
I/O
Remote I/O: Waves DigiGrid
Max Sampling Rate: 96 kHz
Main Outs: Variable
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No
EQ, Type: Waves eMo dynamics/EQ/filter Input Channels: 16 EQ, Type: 4-band PEQ; 31-band craphic
on all inputs.
Local Preamps: 16 Onboard Effects: Eight effects engines
Onboard Effects: Up to eight Waves or
Remote I/O: Connect multiple 16-in/8- Network Interfacing: Ethernet plus
3rd-party plug-ins
out Tio1608-Ds via optional Dante card optional Dante
Network Interfacing: SoundGrid
Max Sampling Rate: 48kHz Notes: Touch screen for local control
Notes: Requires Mac or Windows PC
Main Outs: 16 assignable Omni outs Price: $ 1,799/street
Price: $1,299-$1,699/street (software
Onboard Wi-Fi Router: No
only)

waves.com yamahaproaudio.com

42 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

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 ROADTEST

At a
Glance DPA VO4099-DKIT2 Drum Mic Kit
By VinceLepore

Drum Mics and More
The VO4099-DKIT2 not only offers a
convenient, great sounding solution to
drum miking, but also provides versatil-
ity on other instruments when not used
in percussion applications.
R
ecently, DPA Microphones has intro-
duced several new lines, some of which
are re-engineered updates to classic,
timeless mics such as the 4011, and others
that are entirely new product categories,
such as the d:vote series of affordable instru-
ment mics. I checked out its newest offering,
the VO4099-DKIT2 collection of seven mod-
els for drum miking applications.

The Basics
The VO4099-DKIT2 comes in a rugged,
DPA Microphones DPA-branded Pelican case. Inside, each mic
VO4099-DKIT2 is stored in its own soft-sided pouch. Hav-
ing them all contained within a Pelican was
PROS
a nice touch when carrying around such a
Stellar performance
Versatile 4099s can be used on
large assortment of mics. Also included is an
many sources assortment of accessories such as clips for the
2011Cs are a great affordable 2011s, retention clips for the 4099s to hold
entry in the d:dicate modular them in their various mounting hardware,
system and windscreens. Aside from these amazing
Various mounting accessories are microphones, the accessories are also some-
included; more can be added later
thing to behold. In total, the kit contains the
CONS following:
Not enough mics to cover an (5) VO4099-lo mics with DC4099 drum
entire drum kit clips
High quality comes with a high (1) SM4099 mic stand mount
price (5) Microdot extension cables and XLR
Additional accessories (cables, adapters
Microdot connectors, etc.) are
(2) 2011C compact condensers with
pricey
stand mounts and windscreens.
STATS As with all DPA mics and accessories, the
construction quality of the 4099s and 2011s
Mic Principle Condenser
is superb. There were also some nice features
MMC2011, that I hadnt seen on other DPA mics in the
Polar
cardioid; VO4099- past. The company has made improvements
Response
lo, supercardioid
over the past few years, which have paid
Frequency off for both microphones. For example, the
Response
20 Hz to 20k Hz
4099s cable is detachable from the goose-
Street Price $4,899 neck, and I noted that the Microdot extension
Manufacturer DPA Microphones cable itself was a bit more rugged than some
older DPA mics I own. In fact, I had to go back
dpamicrophones.
More Info
com
and look at my own, somewhat older 4099s,
which do not have a detachable cable. Con-
sidering the type of use and abuse my mics
get in a live setting, these heavier cables are a
welcome addition, and I like the fact that the
cables are easily replaceable if they do get
damaged. However, 4099s are not as robust
as a Shure Beta98 or an Earthworks DP30C, so
I always feel as though I need to handle these
more gently than other comparable drum
mics.
Tech Specs
Both the 4099 and 2011 exhibit excellent
specifications for mics in their respective
price ranges. The 4099 is an electret condens-
er with a supercardioid polar pattern and an
exceptionally flat frequency response aside
from a slight 2db to 3 dB boost centered
around 10k Hz. Even at 90 degrees off-axis,
the 4099s frequency response remains re-
The compact 2011Cs short body simplifies tight placements. markably flat through 10k.
DPA offers low-sensitivity and high-sen-
sitivity models of the 4099. The mics in this
drum package are the lower sensitivity mod-
el, with a sensitivity of 2 mV/Pa, handle a max
SPL of 152 dB and have a dynamic range of
95 dB. The higher sensitivity model is intend-
ed for strings, acoustic guitar and other low-
er-SPL sources.
Part of the d:dictate modular series, the
2011C consists of the MMP-C compact mic
preamp and the MMC2011 twin-diaphragm
cardioid capsule. The d:dictate modular series
is a re-engineered version of the famed 4011
series, with various capsules and preamps
at different price/performance points. The
MMC2011 in the kit is the more affordable
Each VO4099D has a rubber isolation mount with easy
cardioid capsule, while the MMC4011 is the
gooseneck positioning. high-end reference standard. Typical of all
DPA mics, the 2011C has a flat response with
a modest HF boost centered around 12k Hz.
The sensitivity is 10 mV/Pa with 146 dB max
SPL handling. The 2011C is very compact for
a modular mic, making it easy to position in
close-miking situations.
An interesting aspect of the 2011Cs dual
diaphragm design is that the mics acoustic
center is not at the tip of the capsule. DPA
uses an interference tube to give the mic its
directional characteristics, which pushes the
acoustic center 36mm back from the cap-
sules tip. This is critical when used in a ste-
reo configuration, as I came to find out. The
2011C can also easily be combined with dif-
ferent modular elements of the d:dictate se-
ries. This mix/match approach provides much
additional flexibility. Adding an upgraded
body or a few additional capsules, provides a
seamless upgrade path for each component.
In Practice
I put the drum mic package into use during
a couple of sound checks and services at my
church with a DiGiCo SD10 console. Listening
to each mic during line check, I immediate-
ly noticed differences from the mics we use
every week. I started by turning off my gates
and flattening channel EQs. Due to the 4099s
low sensitivity, I added some additional gain,
especially on toms, and I noticed that the
frequency response seemed more subdued
in the low-mid and low-end. If I wanted the
toms to have the thick low-end Im used to, Id
have to add it at the channel EQ. Im fine with
a flatter, more neutral response, and I liked
the sound of the 4099s on toms right away.
Compared to a cardioid mic, the added
side isolation of the supercardioid polar pat-
tern was noticeable, and it fooled me into
thinking I had left the gates on. I had simi-
lar thoughts about the 4099s on the snare
drum. Having moved from a pair of SM57s,
the snare sounded a bit brighter and snappi-
er, although again, I felt like I lost a little bit of
body in the low mid-range, which was easily
recovered by a small boost on the channel
EQ. I definitely appreciated the space I saved
around the snare by moving from a pair of
57s to a pair of 4099s.
The 2011Cs were fantastic as an X-Y pair
on overheads, reproducing the kits subtle
detail and nuances with ease. It did take me
a while to figure out how to set up the X-Y
pattern because of the odd acoustic center
of the mics. During my first attempt, I wasnt
exactly happy with the pairs stereo imaging.
After more research on DPAs website, I found
their technical note about the capsules inter-
The entire kit comes in a tough Pelican case.
ference tube and acoustic center. Once I had
this figured out, I adjusted my X-Y pair to have
the microphones cross at the right spot, and
the imaging improved significantly.
One of my favorite things about this pack-
age of mics is its versatility. Other drum mic
packages are one-trick ponies, only suitable
for one thing; miking drum kits. What DPA has
here is something different altogether. Due
to the 4099s flat frequency response, flexible
gooseneck, diverse mounting hardware and
versatile Microdot adapter system, these mics
can be used for a wide variety of different ap-
plications. As for the 2011Cs, I also tried them
on violin and cello during a rehearsal and
performance, and they performed beautifully
on both instruments. In the case of the vio-
lin, the 2011C was used on a tall boom above
the violin; for the cello, a short boom with
the mic pointed just above the bridge about
18 inches from the instrument. Ive used the
high sensitivity model of the 4099 on vari-
ous acoustic instruments over the years, but
I wanted to experiment with the 2011Cs for
this review.
My only real complaint about this drum
microphone kit is the lack of dedicated kick
and hi-hat mics. The kit came with seven mics
total, so my immediate inclination was to use
two of the 4099s on snare top and bottom,
the other three 4099s on toms, and then the
2011Cs as an X-Y overhead pair. So where
were the kick drum and hi-hat mics? I guess
I could have taken a mic off the bottom head
of the snare and used it for either kick or hi-
hat, but it felt like the kit was missing some-
thing, and it wasnt another 4099 that I was
longing for. Id like to see a dedicated kick mic
from DPA something purpose-built that
wasnt just another 4099 mounting mech-
anism. That would have taken this kit to an-
other level, and it wouldnt necessarily have
to break the bank either. Im certain that ei-
ther a 4099 or a 2011C would be great on kick
drum, but as I was demoing these mics in a
live show environment, I wasnt able to do
that experiment.
The Verdict
Overall, I found that the DPA drum micro-
phone package was everything I expected
from this world-class manufacturer. The mics
construction quality and sonic characteristics
are outstanding, and the flexibility of both
the 4099s and the 2011Cs make the pack-
age much more than a drum mic kit. These
mics are useful in many diverse applications,
making this package a very appealing invest-
ment.

44 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

ROADTEST
Ultimate Ears Pro UE 18+ Pro IEM
The company flagship gets an upgrade
U
ltimate Ears has long been a major
player in the in-ear market, having
produced more than 100,000 high-
end earpieces in the past 22 years. The com-
pany was founded by Jerry Harvey in 1995.
Harvey left to go off on his own in 2007, and
a year later, Ultimate Ears was acquired by
Logitech, where UE remains an indepen-
dent subsidiary to this day, creating hand-
crafted earpieces in its USA facilities.
Over the years, Ultimate Ears continues
to push the envelope in terms of hearing
technologies and fidelity in ultra-miniature
designs in a wide range of models. Earpieces
intended for the studio, stage and audiophile
market are priced from $399 to $1,500, with
additional customizable options offered on
certain models to suit individual tastes.
The Flagship
I was interested in checking out Ultimate
Ears second-generation flagship custom
UE 18+ Pro in-ear monitor, which builds
and improves on its predecessor, the UE 18,
which has been on the market for some sev-
en years. A lot of advancements have been
made in the in-ear realm since that that
time, and the new UE 18+ Pro takes advan-
tage of that.
Among these are Ultimate Ears True Tone
drivers, which use six proprietary balanced
armatures divided into four frequency
bands, with two True Tone drivers dedicat-
ed to the high frequency band. Other fea-
tures include a midrange band pass filter,
staggered high-pass filters and a four-way
mixed crossover designed to separate the
electrical load on each individual balanced
armature.
One interesting aspect of the UE 18+ Pro
earpieces is the use of patented triple-bore
sound channels (see Fig. 1) that are intend-
ed to physically keep the lows, mids and
highs separate until they interact with your
eardrum. The net effect of the triple-bore
sound channels is to provide additional
detail, separation and coherence, while the
drivers extend the upper response by 3 kHz,
with an adjusted midrange gain that im-
proves presence, for a clear, warm sound.
Details, Details
The UE 18+ Pro earpieces are available
through Ultimate Ears Pro and authorized
dealers, for a retail price of $1,500 and up.
Numerous faceplate color options (black,
clear and 20 colors) and custom faceplate
designs are offered. The stock cable is black,
48 inches long and terminates in a standard
right-angle, 1/8-inch TRS connector.
The wires attached to the earpiece are
extremely thin and feel somewhat fragile.
Again, this is probably not an issue for the
casual home user, but items on tour can be
subjected to some pretty rough treatment,
and a spare cable would be a wise invest-
ment to anyone taking these on the road.
As the cables are interchangeable and
replaceable, optional silver colored cables
and 64-inch lengths are available via the
Ultimate Ears Pro website. The 48-inch ca-
ble is fine for IEM use from a beltpack or
general listening; however, anyone using
a hardwired connection say to a mixing
console, where the user may be moving
At a
By GeorgePetersen Glance
In-Ear, There and
Everywhere
Ultimate Ears new flagship UE 18+ Pro
custom IEM builds on its predecessor
with improved performance and a wide
variety of options.
Ultimate Ears Pro UE 18+ Pro
PROS
Wide, flat response
Ultimate Ears Pro UE 18+ Pro (shown with silver cable) Convenient digital ear scans
Many user options to select from
around would be a preferred choice. No frequency response. Stated as 5 Hz to 22
1/4-inch adapter is included. You probably kHz, its very linear and quite flat, which is CONS
could score one of these fairly easily, yet in exactly what I need, in terms of my ability to Case not ideal for road work
Cable seems delicate
a $1,500 package, I would expect one to be make audio decisions based on the actual Somewhat pricey
included, perhaps along with a spare cable. program material, rather than something
However, what is included with the pack- engineered into the response to provide a STATS
age is the UE 18+ Pro IEMs with a 48-inch more flattering sound. That said, the upper 4-way with
(black) cable, a cleaning tool to handle the frequencies are smooth without harshness, Configuration six balanced
unglamorous task of keeping dirt and ear- yet plenty of detail, the mids are realistical- armatures
wax out of the earpieces and a lovely pre- ly represented and the bottom end is un- Input 100 dB @ 1 kHz,
sentation box containing a 3.25-inch diame- hyped. Sensitivity 100 mV
ter anodized, personalized, CNC-machined, The UE 18+ Pros were comfortable with Frequency
5 Hz to 22 kHz
aluminum round case. The case is rugged an accurate fit and the claimed -26 dB of Response
enough to protect the UE 18+ Pros for the noise isolation seemed right on the money. Noise
-26 dB
harshest environment, yet its a smooth, Transient response through the spec- Isolation
round unit with a two-piece (body and lid) trum was excellent. And despite the 37.5 Ohms @ 1
Impedance
kHz
design, which is not ideal when using the UE 18+ Pro being a four-way system, I was
IEMs on the road, where round and two- unable to hear any of the crossover points $1,500 and up,
Price depending on
piece could equate to rolling off the stage possibly a nod to the triple-bore sound
options
or under a row of chairs. Again, Ultimate channels but in any event, it works and
Manufacturer Ultimate Ears Pro
Ears Pro offers two optional, alternative cas- works well. I like that.
es that are more suited for the road. pro.ultimateears.
More Info
com
The Ultimate, Ultimate Ears Pro Test
The UE 18+ Pros are
packed with functions,
features and available
accessories/options but
ultimately, it all comes
down to the listening test.
Unlike many of the musi-
cian style in-ears, which
may be intended with a
bass bump that appeals
to drummers and bassists
or a huge mid boost that
vocalists and guitarists
would like, the UE 18+
Fig. 1: The manifold within the earpiece combines the sound from the individual
Pros have a wide, overall drivers into a coherent waveform.
Enter the Digital EarScan In this laser scanning process, the scanner output is transferred to
Several years ago, Ultimate Ears unveiled an all-digital produc- a computer where the collected data is optimized and then sent
tion system for the measurement and creation of custom IEM ear- to a 3-D printer that sculpts in liquid acrylic rather than being
pieces. Essentially, the non-invasive procedure uses a (thankfully, poured into a reverse physical mold and is built up by a laser that
low-power) laser to scan, measure, and accurately map a persons cures the shell a few microns at a time. That manufacturing step
ear canals in a matter of minutes. No silicon goop or trip to the takes about 90 minutes, resulting in a precision shell based on the
audiologist required, although Ultimate Ears can make custom customers ear, with added tweaks for comfort added by the techs.
earmolds from a 3D digital ear impression you may have on file The resulting earpieces precisely match your own ears for fit, com-
with UE, or from traditional (goop-in-ear) impressions mailed to fort and an effective seal.
the company or from a digitized version created of your existing As the scans indicate the exact depth of the tympanic mem-
physical impressions that can be emailed or uploaded from a deal- brane, UE then uses that measurement to tune to balanced arma-
er or audiologist. tures to the exact distance to the wearers eardrum. This is individu-
The digital measurement starts with the Digital Earscanner, ally adjusted for each clients IEMs.
which uses three ultra-miniature cameras and a laser beam all If needed, additional customized earpieces can easily be cloned
built into a 3.2mm probe thats about the size of a ballpoint pen. from the files, either at the time of the initial order or later.
fohonline.com MARCH 2017 45
 ROADTEST

At a
Glance Waves X-FDBK Plug-In
Plug-In Promises to Control and Eliminate Feedback
By VinceLepore
Feedback Freedom
A complete automatic feedback sup-

pression solution, the X-FDBK plug-in
identifies the precise frequencies that
cause feedback and surgically cuts them,
dramatically shortening the setup time
of monitors and P.A. systems.
A
s part of its expansion into the live
sound market, Waves has released
a variety of plug-ins catering to the
professional sound reinforcement user. One
recent entry in this category is X-FDBK, a
feedback detection and elimination tool
used to assist the process of ringing out
house P.A. or monitors.

Waves X-FDBK Before the Gig: X-FDBK

Let me start off by saying I readily admit
PROS to being skeptical of feedback eliminators,
Fast, effective feedback
and Ive rarely used them in the past. Ive
suppression
Simple operation always done just fine ringing out wedges,
Affordable and I never really felt I needed help from
Operates in mono or stereo a plug-in. However, I went into this review
modes with an open mind. If a tool works and helps
me achieve better results in less time, Ill be
CONS the first to admit it. I do like the fact that
No Avid support
Waves says upfront that the plug-in is to be
STATS used before the show and not during the
Screen shot shows Waves X-FDBK plug-in interface.
show, because what live engineer would
MultiRack Native,
want a feedback eliminator running in the
Supported MultiRack
Live SoundGrid, background during a gig?
Fig. 1: X-FDBKs main controls are designed for easy, fast operation.
Platforms DiGiCo, eMotion
LV1 mixer The Basics
Sampling
The X-FDBKs relatively simple user inter-
44.1/48/96 kHz face that hides some very powerful fea-
Rate
tures endeared me to this plug-in, even
Street Price $149
before putting it into practice. The upper
Manufacturer Waves two-thirds of the interface are occupied
More Info waves.com by the frequency response graph, which Fig. 2: The X-FDBKs filter control section allows individual tweaking of suppression filters.
displays meters for input and output gain,
This activates the X-FDBK detection engine put X-FDBK through its paces on a com-
as well as an input analyzer (RTA) and of
and tells the plug-in to start applying filters. bination of a DiGiCo SD10 with a Waves
course, the filters that are being applied by
When the detection engine is turned on, SoundGrid Server. When I first engaged the
the feedback elimination process.
the setup button is red. plug-in on an aux bus, I heard a slight but
Below the frequency response graph
One nifty little feature is that the plug-in noticeable phasi-ness before any filters
are the plug-ins main controls, shown in
The X-FDBKs relatively Fig. 1. Starting from the left, there are set-
automatically kicks out of setup mode after were even applied. [Note: this sound only
one minute of use, preventing it from acci- occurs on instantiation, while the plug-in is
tings for low and high sensitivity. This has
simple user interface an impact on the level at which the plug-in
dentally being left on during a sound check loading, and not during regular operations.
or show. During the detection process, Ed.] That said, as a skeptic going into this
detects and reduces feedback frequencies.
that hides some multiple filters will be applied in rapid suc- review, I really enjoyed using X-FDBK, and I
Although the plug-in can sometimes seem
cession if necessary to eliminate feedback. can see myself continuing to use it.
a bit sluggish to grab onto feedback, I pre-
Sometimes it might be preferable to add If you are worried that robot plug-in over-
very powerful features ferred the low sensitivity setting, as high
one filter at a time, which is what the add lords are going to steal your monitor mixing
sensitivity took cuts that were too deep,
function is used for. Add is a momentary gig, Im also happy to report that X-FDBK
endeared me to this applied too many filters, and erroneously
button that engages the detection engine still requires a skilled audio engineer to op-
triggered filtering off my voice. The low set-
only while being held. During this momen- erate. There are many prerequisites to using
plug-in, even before ting was a good balance between detecting
tary detection process, a single filter will X-FDBK effectively. For example, the wedg-
valid feedback frequencies and not cutting
be added if feedback is detected, and, of es I rung out were already pre-tuned to
too much too quickly.
putting it into practice. To the right of the sensitivity controls are
course, add can be used multiple times if have relatively flat frequency response. This
necessary. Finally, next to the add button contributes to the wedges feedback stabili-
the setup, add, and reset buttons. Setup is
is the reset button, which resets all filters ty before the plug-in was even applied.
the most important button in the plug-in.
back to their default state. Successful X-FDBK usage also assumes
X-FDBK has 20 available filters, each in- proper microphone gain structure and
dividually selectable, and all are user-ad- proper aux send levels prior to beginning
justable see Fig. 2. Filters that are auto- the ringout process, so there are a lot of
matically applied by the X-FDBK detection things that must be right to get great re-
engine can be adjusted, manipulated and sults. Bringing microphones right to the
tweaked independent of the process, and verge of feedback before engaging the
filters can be added manually by the user plug-in seemed to produce the ideal result.
as well, allowing for a fine degree of user
control. The Bottom Line
What turned out to be my favorite part of The best part of X-FDBK is that it nails
the plug-in are the Global Q and Amplitude frequencies more quickly and accurately
controls. As you might guess, these allow than a human engineer ever could. When
the user to adjust the Q or Amplitude of all used properly, it can produce equal or bet-
filters simultaneously. If you feel that the ter sounding results while saving valuable
plug-in took cuts that were just too deep in time in stereo or mono. On each pass
amplitude, you can adjust the cut of each using X-FDBK, I found myself adjusting
filter individually, or you can adjust them individual filters after the ring out process
globally using Global Amplitude, and, of was complete, but overall, I was happy
course, the same is true for Global Q. with the results that I achieved in less time
than I would have required doing it by ear.
X-FDBK in Practice At $149, the Waves X-FDBK plug-in is an
That brings us to the million-dollar ques- excellent ringout tool for the live engineer.
tion of how X-FDBK performs in the wild. I

46 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com


Dealing with the FOH Mix Position
A
ll FOH mixers have their own prefer-
ences for the location and layout of the
mix position. In the years since I moved
onto digital mixing platforms, my layout pref-
erences have become decidedly minimalist. I
am down to a total of five cases for my setup.
The DiGiCo SD5 console sits on a two-by-10-
space rack that houses the system control
hardware. To my right is an empty case that
becomes a table for the two tablet computers
running the Lake software. To my left is a sec-
ond 12-space rack containing a 64-input Pro
Tools HD recording system.
The FOH workbox sits just behind me, right
next to the Morgan caddy that holds my
personal stuff (chair, rug, sun shields, music
stand, mixing mascots, etc.). I ask for a space
that is 12 feet wide by 10 feet deep located
on center, 100 to 120 feet from the stage. If
I can lose the emptied Cadillac to nearby
storage, my setup can be compressed into a
space eight feet wide by eight feet deep. My
pre-2006 analog setup with racks of outboard
gear required more than twice that floor area.
Our production as a whole benefits, because
a smaller, lower FOH footprint providing opti-
mum sight lines allows more floor and center
lower grandstand seats to be sold.
Nix the Risers
My audio preference is to stay off risers.
Even low-rise staging structures can produce
strong low frequencies resonances that may
give one a false bass reference for the overall
mix. It is always difficult to convince yourself
that what you are hearing is still okay even if
it sounds wrong while seated at the console.
So, I always set up on the floor when working
in arenas or auditoriums. I stand just a shade
less than six feet, four-inches tall. Therefore,
I am still able to see over the heads of most
audience members if the crowd suddenly
rises from their chairs. When I was young-
er, I used to stand through the entire show.
And I may actually have done more than just
stand, because I somehow earned the nick-
name Dancin Dave Morgan many years ago! The Jones Beach Music Theater (Wantagh, NY) is among many venues around the world with a quirky sounding FOH position.
However, 2017 David Morgan now sits com-
fortably in his Stealth Chair behind his DiGiCo
SD5 console.
Dealing with Reality
An ideal situation would be to only work
in arenas or venues where an unobstruct-
ed 12-foot wide by 10-feet deep temporary
home on the floor is always assured. But real-
ity doesnt work out that way. A huge variety
of physical conditions and restrictions will
demand creativity in adapting to a non-stan-
dard workspace. More than once, I have en-
countered situations that only had room for
the console set up on top of a pre-existing
table area. At that point, one starts search-
ing for all the extensions for the cabling and
makes it work.
At a theater in Dallas during the 1995/96
Kitaro tour, the designated FOH position was
behind the last row of orchestra seating area
and separated by a low wall. Due to a very
low balcony overhang, I could only see the
first few feet of the stage. During the show,
Kitaro would roam all over the stage to play
a multiplicity of instruments. The only way to
both adequately hear the P.A. and have the
necessary sight lines to the stage was to put
the PM4000 console on the carpeted floor
and mix lying down. One must do what one
must do. The theater employees definitely
laughed at my quirky inventiveness, but all
agreed that the show sounded very good.
Last summer, I mixed a hospital bene-
fit show in Texas while set up in a vomitory
located just downstage left and offstage of
the monitor mix position. This area was both
upstage and offstage from the flown P.A. sys-
tem and it was necessary to mix on a pair of
Tannoy 12 reference nearfields we carry for
these circumstances. There is a dedicated
Lake LM44 in the FOH electronics rack from
which we send Left, Right, Sub and Frontfill
to the house or installed system. I am able to
carry the wireless tablet with me throughout
the seating area and tune the system output
to satisfy our needs. The show was executed
with faith that the Tannoy output very closely
matched the P.A. output. During the perfor-
mance, Clair system engineer, Andy Sottile,
roamed the seats with the remote tablet to
perform any necessary touchups.
DAVID MORGAN
There are also many mix positions around
the world that are located in areas that sound
radically different from the main seating.
One well-known example is at the Jones
Beach Music Theater in Wantagh, NY. The
mix position is on level ground and is locat-
ed in a rectangular cutout that extends back
into the first few rows of the gently rising
seats. The reflections off the plastic walls/
ceiling of the permanently erected mixing
tent, plus walls of the concrete box canyon
surrounding the mix position, and then the
even further out-of-time reflections com-
ing off the grandstand wall all combine to
massively skew the frequency balance that
the engineer eventually hears. The sound
inside the tent is very phase-y and heavily
weighted in the lower midrange frequen-
cies. I always hope for clear weather so I can
move my console toward the stage and get
away from that concrete enclosed tent. If
its raining, as it often is, then I am stuck in
the tent and basically mixing by memory.
Fixing a Hole
On the tour of New Zealand, Australia,
Singapore and Hong Kong that I recently
completed, I was required to mix in what was
basically a hole in the ground. We were do-
ing a show at Leeuwin Vineyards in Margaret
River, West Australia on a beautiful outdoor
stage that was set up on an expansive, lush
lawn surrounded by towering Karri forest of
ON THE DIGITALEDGE
Eucalyptus giants. When I first encountered
the venue, I immediately wondered why the
tent covering the FOH area was so low. It
wasnt long before I discovered that a small-
ish square bunker (2.5 meters by 2.5 meters at
most) had been dug about 1 meter deep into
the flat ground. The lining walls were made of
concrete blocks and the floor was carpeted so
this was definitely not a new feature.
It was obvious that I would be required to
stand in the hole while mixing. The console
would be resting on the grass just in front
of me on the stage side of the bunker. In the
hole behind me, there was an elevated table
on which the lighting board would sit. Our LD,
Tom Wagstaff, would then sit on the back rim
of the square bunker and look over my head.
This arrangement proved workable for most
of the show. However, when the audience
audience was treated to a great show, but my
rose to their feet, the stage disappeared from
sight and the direct line to the audio system
was blocked. In this show, the audience usu-
ally remains standing for the last five songs.
So I put on my headphones and soldiered on.
Both Tom and I were running on memory un-
til the last note was played. Now I know how
a garden gnome feels staring through a field
of legs.
Rentals sales seRvice
Wireless Audio and Communication Systems for:
Theatre Houses of Worship
AV/Corporate Broadcast
Concerts & Special Events
Office: 281.218.8330
www.audiovendwireless.com
fohonline.com MARCH 2017
By David Morgan
One Hot Mix
I had one other unique FOH riser area ex-
perience in Australia. On our show day in Ad-
elaide, the temperature was 111 F in the Bo-
tanical Gardens where the concert was to be
held. It was a beautiful setting for the concert,
but insanely hot for working outdoors. When
we arrived at midday from Melbourne, the
FOH position was still completely enclosed
by the plastic tenting structure that covered
the risers. The front, rear and side panels were
all tightly lashed in place. It seemed prudent
to open it up as soon as possible.
Whether motivated by bravery or stupidi-
ty, I charged inside the tent and began unzip-
ping, clipping cable ties, untying the lashing
ropes, and pulling back the wall panels in or-
der to get some air flowing inside the struc-
ture. It must have been crazy hot in there, and
after a few minutes of wrestling with the side
panels, I started to get dizzy. In a semi-con-
scious state, I began to stumble and found
myself stepping awkwardly from the lighting
deck down the one-foot height difference to
the audio level. Somehow I managed not to
fall on my face or tear open my body on the
scaffolding, but I did hyper-extend my right
knee. The resulting damage caused me to
limp my way through the rest of the Pacific
Rim tour, but I considered myself lucky that
the injury was not more gory or severe.
In resignation, I went and sat in the shade
until help arrived in the form of a large fan
that mercifully got the air moving under the
tent roof while the stagehands and I set up
the gear. I was very grateful throughout the
day that I dont carry racks of tube compres-
sors or other heat-producing outboard that
would blow additional heat over me while I
sat behind the desk. The DiGiCo SD5 console
runs very cool and the heat sinks located on
the rear panel keep any warmed air away
from the operator. Sadly, there was very lit-
tle change in the temperature when the sun
went down. The heat was rough on every per-
former and member of the crew. The resilient
day at the mix position was brutal. The next
day at the airport, I looked as though I was
still in shock from the intense heat exposure.
Who says mixing sound isnt a physically de-
manding occupation?
Safe Travels!
Catch David at dmorgan@fohonline.com.
Wireless Microphones
Personal Monitor Systems
Wireless Com Systems
Wired Com Systems
Fax: 281.218.0312
47
 THEBIZ
Banning the Band
or Banning the Ban? By Dan Daley

Looking at the Big Picture

C
hances are, the 90-day travel ban so
suddenly imposed by the Trump ad-
ministration in late January on travel-
ers that strictly limited arrivals from Iran and
six Arab countries in the Middle East and Af-
rica wont affect the music touring business.
At least not right away, especially with last
months decision by the United States Court
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which re-
jected the administrations bid to reinstate
the travel ban. In either case, expect an on-
again/off-again legal melee on the subject
in the months to come and the uncertainty
will continue. However, its always the unin-
tended consequences that get you.
The music that comes out of that region
is a footnote in the grand scheme of things,
and Iraqi or Sudanese musicians arent mak-
ing much of a mark over here at the moment
(although that kind of thing is always just
one Paul-Simon Graceland away from hap-
pening). But thats not the point. The point
is that restricting the ability of musicians to
The travel ban, which is ostensibly lim-
ited and intended to allow more intense
vetting of those wishing to come here from
certain countries, is reminiscent of other
bans aimed at certain groups of people, to
inoculate us from their harmful influences.
Not surprisingly, these have included plenty
of musicians. Amy Winehouse was banned
twice from the U.S. due to minor drug-pos-
session and assault-related offenses, though
she still managed to win five Grammy
Awards during the first absence (performing
Theres a long history of friction between the
West and the Middle East. But if any industry
and community depends on free trade and
the ease of movement globally, its the music-
touring business.
is crucial to the creative mix of ideas that
Its also the beginning of a potentially makes our event meaningful. In other
slippery slope for any artistic endeavors words, actions like the ban might not im-
that depend on being able to predictably mediately impact you, but it begins a pat-
and efficiently travel internationally on tern of abuse that will eventually find its
strict schedules and have to pull in ele- way to your doorstep.
ments and players from around the globe. The travel ban has compelled at least
On top of these are the industrial pitfalls. one SXSW artist, Raam Emami, of Iranian
More western sound-reinforcement pro- rock project King Raam, to cancel his ap-
viders have established operations in the pearance at the festival, according to Bill-
regions affected by this ban. Pro audio board, which also reported on a number of
companies are doing the same. Last year, artists from the affected countries already
in the U.S. who are unsure if they would be
let back in if they were to leave, despite the
fact that they have valid green cards and
travel visas.
Back in 2003, the Dixie Chicks voiced
a comment from a London stage about
then-President Bushs decision to invade
Iraq. Their career then proceeded to fall off
a cliff, leaving them shunned by country
radio, which is literally the oxygen of that
genre. This time, there is a growing league

SANFRANMAN59
tour, to move around the world, in the pro- of touring music artists, including Tegan
cess making a living and cross-pollinating and Sara, Chuck D, KT Tunstall, John Leg-
local music cultures, is simply just not good end, St. Vincent, Billy Bragg, Arcade Fires
business, especially for a business for which Win Butler and others, who are making
travel is literally existential. their feelings known. What a difference a
Travel Bans Past and Present decade or so makes. Donald Trump earned
the enmity of musicians almost from the
beginning, during his election campaign,
by appropriating songs from artists who
found his message and/or methods loath-
some. By the time of the inauguration, the
entertainment committee was perilously
close to running out of people willing to
perform for it.
Practically speaking, the chances of
A landmark ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco overturned president Trumps Jan. 27 this ban having an immediate meaningful
travel ban. effect on music or even theatrical touring
via satellite for the 2008 broadcast). The oth- saw the first Prolight + Sound Middle East is negligible. Therell be the odd orchestra
er ban, where her work visa was nixed due to trade expo, held at the Dubai International or troupe that ends up short a clarinetist
assault charges, kept her from performing at Convention and Exhibition Centre. It host- or vocalist in the next few months as a re-
Coachella in 2009. ed 37 exhibitors from 11 countries, more sult of having the wrong passport in the
Another case was in 2010, when Bob than 120 brands, and drew over 1,577 wrong airport, green card or O & and P vi-
Dylan was kept from performing in China visitors from 50 countries. Our industry is sas notwithstanding. (In fact, that already
because Beijing feared his message could looking at this region as a place of growth happened: a Norwegian tenor horn player
undermine their authority with the coun- and opportunity. Meanwhile, our govern- scheduled to compete in a national com-
trys young. (From her show on a Shanghai ment looks at it as the equivalent of a leper petition with Eastern Iowa brass musicians
stage in 2008, Icelandic singer Bjrk had colony. That sets the stage for Chinese and in early March was informed she couldnt
startled Chinese authorities by shouting other Asian pro audio manufacturers and travel to the U.S. because she has dual citi-
one word, Tibet, twice, after performing service providers to step in, even as cargo zenship in Norway and Iran, despite having
her song, Declare Independence. Tough- and other transport services in the region been born in Norway. The Trump adminis-
er restrictions on potentially risky artists start losing a lot of American carnet and tration reversed its position on dual citizen-
and artistic expression ensued.) And back visa documents. ship visas even before the courts blocked
in 2004, Muslim convert Cat Stevens (a.k.a. the 90-day ban, and Paniz Golrang was
Yusuf Islam), a U.K. citizen, was put on a U.S. Music Industry Questions Ban given the green light to attend.) But long
no-fly list, resulting in missed and canceled Instances like these might be what are term, the seeds of the kind of distrust that
concerts. (That ban was lifted in 2006.) motivating some in the live-music industry businesses are built on have been planted.
But at least they had some notice, and to question whether the Trump administra- Certainly, theres a long history of friction
thats a big part of why this is such a prob- tions travel ban might have deeper conse- between the West and the Middle East. But
lem. If President Trump had given agency quences. The management of the South By if any industry and community depends on
professionals 30 days to review his order Southwest event, which takes places this free trade and the ease of movement glob-
on exactly who could go or not go where, month, issued a statement in January call- ally, its the music-touring business. Its not
he could have avoided the confusion at ing the ban intolerant. just politics.
airports, not to mention the media hyste- We stand against discriminatory laws
ria and the protests. It was the suddenness and unequivocally support civil rights for Dan Daley is a noted journalist and bon
and the unpredictability of the order that all persons everywhere, the event organiz- vivant. Reach out to him at ddaley@fohon-
caused most of the initial uproar and will ers said. Participation by speakers, artists, line.com.
leave the largest lingering concerns. and filmmakers from around the world

48 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

 THEORY & PRACTICE

Five Plug-Ins That Can Definitely

Improve Your Mix
By SteveLaCerra

T
here are literally thousands of available
audio plug-ins, ranging from the sim-
plest filters to complex multi-channel
surround reverbs. This month, lets look at
some commonly used plug-ins that can help
you make better mixes. Best of all, you may
already have some of them.
Fig. 1: Waves IR-L convolution reverb
Waves IR
As the names suggest, Waves IR-1 and IR-L
Parametric Convolution Reverbs are convo-
lution-type reverbs. If youre not familiar with
convolution reverb, heres the basic idea: un-
like synthesized reverb, convolution reverb
captures the sonic personality of a space by
creating an Impulse Response of the room, a
process somewhat analogous to sampling the
sound of the room. Convolution reverb sounds
far more natural and accurate to the original
space than traditional algorithms used to cre-
ate reverb, but presents two difficulties:
1: Its highly processor intensive, and
2: Convolution reverbs may lack control over
common parameters such as room size, reverb
time, pre-delay and early reflections.
Waves IR addresses many of these issues,
allowing for room size and reverb time con-
trol, while maintaining efficiency so that your
digital mixing systems CPU does not grind to
a screeching halt. One of the great advantag-
es of convolution reverb is that you can create
and/or import your own impulse response
files, enabling the plug-in to emulate real
churches, halls, or even older hardware pro-
cessors. (I have IR files for the Lexicon PCM70
that are absolutely wonderful.)
The stock Pitch Shift plug-in supplied
with VENUE software is a great tool for
fattening background vocals without
adding carbs.
Come Here So I Can Smack(!) You
Avids VENUEPack plug-ins include some
really useful, user-friendly processors. One
of my favorites is a compressor called Smack!
(shown in Fig. 2.) I often use it on lead and
backing vocals, bass and occasionally on
guitar. Smack! has quite a few controls, but
you dont need to address all of them to get
it to sound good. You have a choice of three
compression modes: Normal, Warm and Opto
(my favorite) that imitate electro-optical com-
pression. I usually use Smack! as an insert on
an input channel, sometimes combined the
VENUE stock channel compressor. Ill let the
stock compressor wrangle a few dB of gain
reduction and then let Smack! do the same,
allowing the two to combine for a higher de-
gree of dynamic control over vocals.
Smack! has no threshold control, which
may throw you for a loop, so you need to
mind your gain structure when setting it. I
start with the Input and Output controls at 12
oclock and adjust the channels input gain.
You need to watch (and listen to) the chan-
nel input meter and Smacks meter while
adjusting the gain. Sometimes you may find
that the input gain is sufficient, but Smack! is
not compressing. That being the case, bring
Smacks output control down a bit and raise
its input control, which should induce gain re-
duction. Setting the attack control for a faster
time can also help create more compression
without cranking up the input gain.
To use the output control to achieve uni-
ty gain, bypass the plug-in and listen for a
change in level. If the level is louder in bypass,
raise Smacks output control (or vice-versa)
until the levels between bypass and active
milliseconds, BPM (Beats Per Minute) or Host.
This last setting probably wont see much
use live unless your entire show is locked to
time code and/or a MIDI sequence. It enables
H-Delay to derive tempo data from a host ap-
plication. If you dont want to bother with any
of that, simply use the Tap button to set delay
time. The Feedback knob controls the num-
ber of repeats, until you hit about 12 oclock.
If you move the Feedback control clockwise
past that point, youll start to get a build up of
repeats, and theyll get louder (and possibly
out of control!). High- and low-pass filters are
provided to adjust the timbre of the delay. I
typically set the HPF to roughly 250 Hz and
the LPF to roughly 3 kHz. This makes the de-
lay smaller and lets the delay step out of the
way for the dry sound. You can achieve a sim-
ilar effect by using the LoFi button. Ping Pong
gives the effect some stereo width. See Fig.
3 for a setting that works well for lead vocal.
H-Delay can also generate really nice
modulation effects. Fig. 4 shows settings for
a chorus sound. Set the delay time between
13 and 20 milliseconds, Rate and Depth as
shown, and crack open the Feedback control
a bit. Add this to an acoustic guitar, and youre
in chorus heaven. Or youll have a heavenly
chorus.
Fig. 4: H-Delay can also generate a useful chorus sound.
Avid Stock Pitch Shift
tween subwoofers and top cabinets in a P.A.
system. You might ask: Why would I need
such a tool when I can simply use the system
processor to fix that? a reasonable ques-
tion. However, engineers dont always have
access to the system processor, and thats
where Sub Align comes into play.
Sub Align is inserted across the main L/R
mix bus and shows a pair of P.A. tops and subs
(see Fig. 5). Controls are provided for Cross-
over Frequency, Solo (tops or subs), Phase
Reverse (subs only), subwoofer delay in feet,
meters or milliseconds and subwoofer gain.
On-screen, you drag the sub cabinets, and as
you move them, Sub Align calculates and
applies delay to time-align the subs to the top
cabinets. When the alignment is correct, the
difference is clearly audible. If you tour with a
P.A., you probably have access to the system
processor, but on tours where you use differ-
ent racks and stacks every night, Sub Align is
an invaluable tool.
Steve Woody La Cerra is the tour manager
and front of house engineer for Blue yster
Cult. He can be reached via email at woody@
fohonline.com.
MEASUREMENT
MICROPHONES
h t +s o und
prolig .2017

4. 7.4 nd A30
When you use IR, run it in an aux send/ef- match. I usually set the ratio control to 3:1 The stock Pitch Shift plug-in supplied with

fects return configuration, not as a channel
insert. Feeding it from an aux send allows you
to run multiple channels (such as snare and
toms) into the same IR, conserving CPU pow-
er but more importantly saving you the
aggravation of adjusting multiple plug-ins if
you decide the reverb needs to be changed
(channel inserts are better used for EQ and
dynamics processing). Fig. 1 (above) shows
Waves IR with a slightly modified version of
the stock Room preset, which works great on
snare and toms. Feel free to steal my settings!
or 4:1 unless I really need to grab hold of a
sound, in which case Ill go 6:1. Release time
will vary with the source, so use your ears on
that one. If you find you get excessive com-
pression on low bass notes use the HPF on
the side chain filter, and feel free to play with
the distortion control (I dont).
.1 Sta
VENUE software is a great tool for fattening
background vocals without adding carbs. Halle 3
Feed it from an aux send and return it to an
effects return channel. Set the Coarse pitch to
0, the Fine pitch to 7 or 8 cents (either plus or
minus will work) and add a bit (10 to 20 ms) of
delay. On the effects return channel, set a HPF
around 200 Hz so that the pitch shift does not
cause a buildup in the lower mids. Be careful
about detuning it too many cents or the vo-
cals may sound out of tune.

Fig. 3: Suggested setting of Waves H-Delay for lead vocal.

Fig. 2: Avids Smack! compressor
Waves H-Delay
One of my favorite delays is Waves H-De-
lay. It can run in three modes: mono in/mono
out, mono in/stereo out, or stereo in/stereo
out. I usually feed it with a mono send, bring
it back in stereo to an effect return channel Fig. 5: Sub-Align can be ideal for using P.A. du jour systems.
www.iSEMcon.com
and set the mix control to 100 percent Wet.
H-Delay has some features that make it Waves Sub Align
sales@isemcon.com
easy to use, yet also allows advanced delay Sub Align was designed to allow engineers
processing. Delay time can be dialed up in to correct time- and phase-misalignment be-

fohonline.com MARCH 2017 49

 SOUNDSANCTUARY

By VinceLepore
Special Services: Buy vs. Rent
Wireless Systems

A
s we enter the Lenten season, a com-
mon dilemma for the church techni-
cal director is deciding whether to
buy or rent equipment for special services.
When youre in need of additional equip-
ment for a special set of services, should
you rent the equipment you need, should
you buy it outright, or should you do a bit
of each? My first inclination has always been
to buy, buy, buy, but when you take a step
back, buying is not always the best option
in the long term. Carrying an inventory of
expensive technical equipment costs money
in maintenance and limits your long-term
flexibility.
Its also important to look at the duration
of any potential rentals. Do you simply need
gear for Easter weekend, or do you need it
the entire week leading up to Easter, and
maybe even the weekend before? How long
will it take to integrate rental equipment
into your existing systems? The longer your
rental duration, the higher your rental costs,
which might tip the scales in favor of buying.
Your Church, Your Budget
The decision of whether to buy or rent
comes down to your churchs individual
financial situation. If your budget is struc-
tured as a capital budget, where the money
is earmarked for purchasing new equipment,
buying might be your best (or only) option.
However, if your budget is structured as an
operating budget, equipment rentals might
be more attractive. My own experience at
churches is that the tech budgets intended
usage is not always clear. You can often ask
five people how your budget is intended
to be used and get five different answers.
Clarifying how your budget can be used is
the first step to making these types of deci-
sions. Below I have identified four main areas
that churches struggle with the question of
whether to rent or buy. Of course, FRONT of
HOUSE is an audio magazine, so Im focused
on audio equipment, but video and lighting
gear have similar considerations as well.
Some of the most common pieces of audio
gear that churches need for special services
are wireless mics and in-ear monitors. Inte-
grating additional wireless is always a chal-
lenge because you need the audio I/O capaci-
ty, the antenna distribution, and the ability to
have the additional systems coordinated with
any existing wireless on your campus. Unless
you are absolutely certain that youll be using
new wireless systems on a regular basis, this
is probably better rented than purchased.
You dont want to be sitting on a large inven-
Your needs are probably somewhat more modest than this service in front of St. Peters Basilica in Vatican City, but large or
small, every church needs to decide how to provide audio for seasonal events.
tory of unused wireless systems, and with the
UHF landscape in turmoil right now, putting
off major RF purchasing decisions until it is
necessary may be a good idea. However, any
FCC changes implemented this year will not
kick in for at least 39 months afterwards, so
there is some breathing room in that regard.
However, in either case, I expect to see a lot
of new wireless technology coming out in the
next two to three years, so sit the fence on
major purchases if you can.
Headsets and Lavs
This topic hits close to home, because I
have a large inventory of headsets and lava-
liers that lie dormant for much of the year.
In the summer we typically do a theatrical
production that uses every last headset
and lav we have available. During Lent and
Advent, half of our inventory might be in
use across multiple venues, but the rest of
the year, they sit in plastic bins in my office.
These types of mics also happen to have
high maintenance costs and are difficult to
manage. They have little pieces like wireless
adapters that are expensive and easily lost
or broken. The moral of the story is, unless
youve got a use for a bunch of bodypacks,
headsets and lavs (and the budget to main-
tain and repair them), rent these as much as
possible for special events.
Audio I/O
We live in a wonderful time indeed. Many
of us have the luxury of scaling our digital
consoles I/O up and down depending on
our needs at any given time. I can remember
several years of submixing orchestra inputs
on a second console and busing stems into
my main console for Christmas concerts.
Thankfully those days are gone. Even mod-
est digital consoles can add remote I/O via
Cat-5e, coax or fiber. This is where things can
get tricky, because the cost of renting stage
racks is rather high. If you find yourself need-
ing to rent additional I/O two or three times
a year, it is probably smart to consider buy-
ing. If you have the means, buy a card-based
modular I/O rack. That way, as your needs
grow, you can add input or output cards to
your system, usually in increments of eight
channels per card.
Intercom
Larger productions require more inter-
com in more locations, and sometimes re-
quire wireless intercom that you may not
already own. The first consideration is to
look at your existing intercom inventory. Is
your intercom system a party line system or
a matrix? Do you need party line or point-to-
point communication? Id venture to guess
that the vast majority of churches use party
line intercom systems, with only the largest,
most high-tech churches using an intercom
matrix. If you have a party line system, it
would be advisable to stay in the party line
world and add additional beltpacks or user
stations as needed. If youve got an intercom
matrix, renting keypanels is a viable solution
if you have the wiring infrastructure to sup-
port them. And in either case, if you need to
add wireless intercom, it can be integrated
easily into a party line or matrix system if you
have the capacity to do so.
The Decision
Ive always been the type of person that
wants to buy everything, and Ive always
viewed renting as a waste of money. How-
ever, when you consider the cost of owner-
ship for the gear we use, things arent quite
as clear. Take a close look at your churchs
needs before making these types of deci-
sions for your big productions.
Vince Lepore is the technical director at St.
Lukes United Methodist Church in Orlando
and teaches live production at Full Sail Univer-
sity. Contact him at vlepore@fohonline.com.

ADVERTISERS INDEX
COMPANY PAGE ON THE WEB COMPANY PAGE ON THE WEB COMPANY PAGE ON THE WEB

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Ansmann Rechargeables 51 ansmann.de Entertainment Metals 2 entertainmentmetals.com Rainbow Production Services 20 rps.us.com

Applied Electronics 4 appliedelectronics.com FBT C1 fbtusa.com RCF USA Inc. 7 rcf-usa.com

Ashly Audio Inc. 10 ashly.com Flex Rental Solutions 48 flexrentalsolutions.com Riedel Communications 3 riedel.net

Audio Plus Services 14 audioplusservices.com Group One LTD./DiGiCo 9 g1limited.com Sennheiser Electronic Corp. C3 en-us.sennheiser.com

Audiovend Wireless Systems 47 audiovendwireless.com Harman Professional 35 pro.harman.com Sound Productions 51 soundpro.com

Avid 15 avid.com Hi-Tech Audio Systems Inc. 51 hi-techaudio.com Sweetwater Sound 41 sweetwater.com

Bose Corporation 11 bose.com iSEMcon 49 isemcon.com Swing House Inc. 37 swinghouse.com

CAD Audio 12 cadaudio.com JH Audio C1 jhaudio.com Telefunken USA 16 telefunken-elektroakustik.com

Carvin 20 carvinaudio.com K-array 8 k-array.com VUE Audiotechnik 27 vueaudio.com

Celestion Professional 19 celestion.com Kaltman Creations 39 kaltmancreationsllc.com Waves Audio Ltd. 13 waves.com

Countryman Associates, Inc. 16 countryman.com L-Acoustics C2 l-acoustics.com Whirlwind Music 28, 29 whirlwindusa.com

d&b audiotechnik Corporation 13 dbaudio.com Neutrik USA 6 neutrik.com Yamaha Corporation of America 1 yamahaca.com

D.A.S. Audio 21 dasaudio.com NTI Americas Inc. 46 nti-audio.com

50 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com

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fohonline.com MARCH 2017 51

 FOH-AT-LARGE
By BakerLee Rules and Regulations
R
ules and regulations are stultifying and,
though we are all aware that certain
guidelines are required to maintain a
safe and healthy work environment, nobody
appreciates being bound by directives that
add to our cost of doing business. Consider-
ing that we are professionals with many years
of experience, it is almost insulting to be told
by outside sources how to do our jobs. In
many instances, we ignore various rules al-
together, as they just dont seem to apply to
what it is we do.
The Sky is Falling!
For example, rule 1926.100(a) as stated
by United States Department of Labor Oc-
cupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) handbook: Employees working in
areas where there is a possible danger of head
injury from impact, or from falling or flying ob-
jects, or from electrical shock and burns, shall be
protected by protective helmets.
I have often seen this regulation ignored
by most audio companies, audio personnel
and even riggers while on site during stage,
lighting and audio builds. Granted, if you are
a front of house engineer standing 100 feet
from the stage, there is probably little need
for the protective helmet. Then again, if you
are a monitor engineer, audio rigger, guitar
tech or any of the many stagehands required
for the installation of the monitors and back-
line, it would be safe to say that the producers
and crew would be in violation of the OSHA
rule if headgear is not being worn by all of the
workers. Being struck by a crescent wrench or
set of dikes dropped from overhead can ruin
your entire day.
Sound Advice
Another OSHA rule that most of us are
guilty of breaking is: OSHA allows eight hours
of exposure to 90 dBA but only two hours of ex-
posure to 100 dBA sound levels. NIOSH would
recommend limiting the eight-hour exposure
to less than 85 dBA. At 100 dBA, NIOSH recom-
mends less than 15 minutes of exposure per
day. The A in the dBA stands for decibels
measured in the A weighted system. Its
arguable as to the amount of noise we endure
during any given workday, but if a concert or
festival should last for at the minimum of two
hours, I would assume that, without protec-
tive hearing equipment, we as an industry are
in direct violation of the OSHA rule.
TECH FEATURE
NEXT MONTH
Room Tuning The speakers may be hung, but its those little tweaks
that make the difference.
52 MARCH 2017 fohonline.com
Of course, trying to adhere to this regula-
tion could easily ruin the live concert industry
and put many people out of work as the stat-
ed decibel restriction would be overly prohib-
itive for most live events. Years ago, as front
of house engineer for Summer Stage in New
York City, one of my obligations was to meter
the sound and make sure that the reading did
not exceed 95 dB at front of house position,
which was about 100 feet from the stage. The
problem I encountered was not in limiting
the audio level, but in deflecting the angry
concert attendees and visiting audio techs
while doing my job as directed.
Rules, Regulations and You
The cited OSHA regulations are not neces-
sarily bad rules, but may not entirely apply to
our type of business and if implemented
could easily lead to a loss of business and reve-
nue for promoters and company owners. That
said, most rules and regulations are a boon to
employees, as employers are playing with a
stacked deck, which enables them to call the
shots. Employees who are part of a workers
union stand to benefit from their membership
because union rules and regulations are put in
place to protect them from those employers
who might be unethical. This is not to say that
unions are without their own problems, or
CHURCH SOUND
When to Upgrade An investment in the right pieces (or a
complete rig) can make a huge difference in delivering the
message. And here, sometimes timing is everything!
ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY AU
that all employers are unethical, but the rules
and regulations that guide our industry (as
well as many others) are set in place to protect
the most vulnerable this being the employ-
ees and the concert attendees.
Unqualified workers are not only a detri-
ment to themselves, but also to the people
with whom they work. Even a simple task
such as operating a lift gate comes with
the stipulation that the operator lets every-
one know when the gate is moving in or out.
This is a simple yet important rule to abide by,
especially if there are heavy or awkward loads
that could possibly fall and injure the people
on the ground.
Shocking
Tying in and out of electrical power with
camlock connectors has its own protocol
with ground and neutral being the first legs
to be connected going in, and the last to be
detached on the way out. The rules and reg-
ulations that come affixed to accessing elec-
trical power are fully warranted due to the in-
herent danger involved if mistakes are made
during the process.
Trico power clamps are made for film and
video, but I have also seen them used by au-
dio companies for accessing power from a
wall panel. Trico connectors are like big alli-
Digital Wireless We present the latest in wireless mic technology,
with efficient RF systems that make the most from todays crowded
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gator clips, and using them is similar to using
jumper cables on a car battery and even
though they are rated for high amperage
they could pose a danger by not provid-
ing the most secure connection. While the
Trico website says that their product is to be
used by certified electricians only and to turn
off power before applying or removal, I have
seen various audio companies disregard the
rules and regulations and use Trico electrical
clamps to tie into power as a matter of expedi-
ency and also as a way of saving money.
Good Ideas and Bad
I have always been a big proponent of
planning for the worst-case scenario rather
than the best and other than extremely
poor decision-making I would say that
many of the disasters that have occurred in
our business have been due to some promot-
er or company skirting the rules and regula-
tions just to save a bit of money. One incident
in particular was the collapse of the Indiana
State Fair stage in 2011, where seven people
died and about 60 others were injured. The
official reason for the collapse is given as: The
failurewas due to the inadequate capacity
of the lateral load resisting system, which was
comprised of guy lines connected to concrete
Jersey barrier ballast.
Basically, what this means is that proper
protocol was not followed and the rules and
regulations that serve as a safety guideline
were bypassed in favor of building a struc-
ture with inadequate support. While there
were multiple violations cited on behalf of
the staging company, there were also many
breaches of protocol found on behalf of the
State of Indiana as well as The Indiana State
Fair Commission. Indeed, a perfect storm of
omission from all parties was involved.
The conclusion I draw from this informa-
tion is that either everyone involved was un-
qualified for their position or that somewhere
along the chain of command there was more
money to be made by ignoring the proper
protocol. I am not an advocate of over-reg-
ulating that which we do, but rules and reg-
ulations are put in place to protect everyone
from the incompetent, the shysters and the
greedy. Its what I see as the cost of doing
business at the expense of keeping everyone
honest.
Contact Baker Lee at blee@fohonline.com.
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