San Diego-based MSI Production Services teamed with Taylor, Michigan's Thunder Audio to provide sound, lighting and video for the event, including a massive line array of 48 Milo high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers and 24 Mica compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers. The main arrays were augmented by 20 M'elodie ultra-compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers.
As Ken Freeman, MSI's technical director observed, the venue was a challenging one from an audio perspective. "It's a very wide room, probably 100ft tall at the centre and very live. The spoken presentations were a very significant part of the event, so it was important to design a system that could deliver both musicality and intelligibility in the face of such a large, reflective environment."
Low frequency content was covered by 20 700-HP ultrahigh-power subwoofers, arranged in cardioid pairs to reduce low frequency buildup on stage. "Lars Brogaard, Rod Stewart's engineer, had mentioned that he always does cardioid pairs with the 700-HPs, and we were really impressed with how effective it is," said Freeman. "The bottom end was clear and powerful out in the house, but there was no boominess at all up on the stage."
A Yamaha PM5D RH handled primary FOH duties, with a DM1000 providing submixes of all playback material. EW&F brought in their own DiGiCo D5 console. Sennheiser wireless mics dominated, with a mix of Shure, Sennheiser and A-T wired mics on backline. An assortment of MJF-212A high-power stage monitors and UM-1P narrow coverage stage monitors covered the performers and presenters.
(Jim Evans)
