Houston-based LD Systems designs and deploys sound reinforcement and lighting on a massive scale for the HLSR. This year, LD Systems' massive 108-speaker Electro-Voice X-Line rig was augmented by the new Midas XL8 digital live performance system.
The HLSR features 23 top tier acts over 20 days, running the genre gamut from George Strait to Beyonce to ZZ Top. Having had the opportunity to demo the XL8 during the day prior to soundcheck and showtime, well over half the performers' FOH engineers opted to use the XL8 for their evening mix - all became comfortable with the work surface in a matter of minutes.
"Having the XL8 at the Houston Rodeo was very exciting," says Robert Ausmus, director of production services, LD Systems. "We had 20 nights of first line acts coming through, and there was a constant stream of both FOH and monitor engineers up at FOH position eager to get their hands on the new Midas. The response was unanimously positive - the XL8 looks, sounds and feels unlike any other digital console out there, and everyone who tried it loved it.
"Having the XL8 on hand made for a great sonic partnership with our EV X-Line System," Ausmus adds. "The rodeo is a great opportunity to interact with these crews, to share how sound for a complex, large scale event like this can be precisely managed with great-sounding results, using sophisticated but user-friendly digital systems."
David Haskell, tour manager and FOH engineer for Gretchen Wilson, was one of the many pros who tried the XL8 for soundcheck and ended up mixing with it for the main event. he said, "I was one of the fortunate few who got to see drawings of the XL8 during the early stages of development, so it's great to finally mix a show on it. There's a lot to like about the XL8. Those who've been mixing digital for a few years will love it too; they don't have to go through 15 pages and 14 menus to find what they need. What it comes down to though, is that I must be pretty confident in the control and sound quality of this console, as I'm about to mix my first show on it in a 70,000-seat venue."
(Jim Evans)
