On tour, the audio challenge presented for the tour technicians is vastly different from those seen on concert or theatrical productions. Needing to be precise with their audio coverage, Front of house engineer Nick Walsh, monitor technician Mike Norfleet, and production manager Chris Warndahl are relying upon the services of Miller Pro Audio AVL and a full line of the their Omega Corps PA system.
"I have been out with the Oddball Festival for the last two years and having played a lot of these same venues previously, we knew the challenge would be that they are pretty steep with long throws making them hard to cover," began Walsh. "There are a lot of factors to consider so we try to cover ourselves by sending out a big enough PA that we don't have to rely on the house system. This year we really put together a full Omega Corps PA package from Miller Pro AVL so that we can cover any situation that we may encounter."
"This is also my second year with the Oddball Festival," added Norfleet. "Since we are playing mostly outdoor venues, we really needed a box that throws a far and wide pattern. Using the Omega Corps PA systems we are able to use less boxes while covering more area."
"Each night we have a full house who has to hear the jokes no matter how much crowd noise there might be," explained Warndahl who is also the Miller Pro AVL Account Manager for the tour. "To make sure this happens every night, we have deployed the most powerful Miller Pro AVL Omega Corps rig to date with the V48 and V28 Series as our primary PA."
As the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival continues to move across the country, the tour concludes on 21 September in Austin, Texas. Behind the scenes, it is apparent to all involved that it's the combination of talented audio technicians, the support of Miller Pro AVL, and the performance of the Omega Corps PA system that is making this tour's sound design one of the most effective to date.
(Jim Evans)
