To achieve good distribution in the theatre style venues they took advantage of the flexibility and spread of the Meyer MSL4s and configured the system to suit the venue. In general they flew three of MLS4s above either side of the stage with a further five on the stage, three flat and two sitting on top angled to take in the balcony areas. Six Meyer 650R2P SP subs (three per side) supplied the bottom end, with a pair of UPAs acting as in-fills for the front rows. Canegreen also supplied Lab Gruppen amplifiers, a Midas XL3 front-of-house console with a range of processing. On stage, Canegreen supplied the microphones and eight self-powered Meyer PSM wedges.
Front-of-house sound engineer Dean Norman has been mixing Emmylou for 12 years and explained: "The atmosphere with this band is unlike any other I have come across, we're all very close and Emmylou likes a relaxed atmosphere. That feeling extends to Canegreen. I've known Pete [Edmonds] for many years and his is the first number I call when I know we're crossing the Atlantic. I used to try and ask for the same crew, but I've come to learn that Canegreen seem to have an ethos that runs throughout and once again the guys on this tour are spot on." With regards to the equipment, Norman commented: "The Meyer system is ideal for theatre venues. Line arrays are all well and good, but the MSL4s can be configured to fill every part of these uniquely shaped venues."
With seven years on the show on monitors, Doug Dorson (who jumped on stage and played one number with Emmylou on bongos) was trying a new approach, as he explained: "I have started carrying my own Yamaha DM 1000 digital console, which has given me the ability to recall my settings for each song with all of the precision of digital sound. The Canegreen boys have been great helping me with the board and getting the best out of system. I run a five-way mix across the stage and we've an a great sound every night."
(Lee Baldock)
