Parton spends much of her show telling stories, jokes and ad-libbing for the crowd. According to Fechner, the performance of the previous sound system prevented the audience from enjoying the full live experience. "The problem was we were losing a lot of that great interaction," explains Fechner.
"We were originally called in to tweak their system," notes Thunder vice president Paul Owen. "But once they realised the possibilities with the Milo system and our production services, they were sold."
Dual arrays of 12 Milos and eight groundstacked 700-HP subwoofers comprise the main system for the tour. Twin side- hangs of seven M'elodie line array loudspeakers plus six UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers serve as front-fill.
Monitor engineer Jason Glass utilises 13 MJF-212A stage monitors, two UPA-1P loudspeakers and two USW-1P subwoofers to achieve the mix for Parton's 11-piece band. "I really like using these MJFs," says Glass. "They've got all the headroom I want, along with amazing clarity. It's a great combination for a monitor." Design and tuning are accomplished with MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction programme and a SIM 3 audio analyser.
(Jim Evans)
