Panthers reinforce Hot Summer Nights dates
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Tour sound, provided by Major Tom, centred around a Meyer Sound Panther large-format linear line array loudspeaker system spec’d by Parker Vandenberg and the Major Tom team. Vandenberg, TLC’s production manager, took on an expanded role of production manager for the entire Hot Summer Nights tour, while also mixing monitors for TLC.
The Panther PA proved to be the right choice due to its versatility, compact size, and ease of use. The highly scalable system comprised 18 Panther loudspeakers per side, with 8 Leopard loudspeakers per side as out-fills, plus nine 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements per side as ground subs.
10 Uultra‑X40 compact loudspeakers in front-fills and 14 MJF‑210 stage monitors rounded out the system, which was optimized with MAPP 3D software and managed by Galileo Galaxy 816 processors. The system was supplemented with 12 extra Panther loudspeakers per side at the tour’s largest stop, the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.
“Venue sizes on the tour ranged from 4,000 to 25,000-seat venues,” Vandenberg explains. “The smallest deployment we did at any point was eight Panther, while the biggest system, for LA, consisted of 16 Panther loudspeakers in the main hang and 12 in the side-hangs, with nine 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements per side.”
Beyond delivering sound quality, Panther offers a streamlined form factor that simplifies logistics, he says. “When we look at the ammount of boxes and gear we were carrying, the form factor and compactness allowed the audio system to fit into one truck with ease — allowing additional room for other equipment. Traditionally, with similar systems, the truck space and weight would’ve been significantly more.”
The Hot Summer Nights tour kicked off on 1 June at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, AL, making stops across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up in Penticton, British Columbia, on 15 July.
