Adlib spends Christmas with the Overtones
- Details
This was among the highlights of a number of shows and tours wrapping up a busy year for the Liverpool based rental and production specialist.
Adlib’s audio team was led by Mario Leal who was tasked with getting the Coda PA fine-tuned and sounding crisp each day for the band’s FOH sound engineer Mark Clements. Paul Allen was the tour and production manager steering the ship.
The PA was specified by Mark and monitor engineer Cristiano Vuolo, explained Mario, and he, together with account handler Dave Jones, all worked together to ensure everything was co-ordinated smoothly and efficiently.
A typical set up was 12 x ViRAY left-and-right with three sensor-controlled SCP subs a side on the floor (six in total), together with six TiRAY front fills, which as the smaller version of the Coda line array worked perfectly to fill any sonic gaps!
Mario also covered the balconies with extra Coda C712 loudspeakers in some of the bigger halls, and this approach was especially useful when audiences were sitting behind the PA when the balconies curved all the way round to the sides of stage.
The whole system was driven by 20 of Coda’s proprietary Linus 10 amps, which, were set up and aligned utilising LINUS Live software which gives full networked control over the amps and the arrays, with the EQ and zoning taken care of in Mario’s Lake control rack.
Adlib supplied two Avid Profile consoles for the tour – for FOH and monitors. The Overtones used an 8-way Sennheiser SR2000 IEM system from Adlib, there were no side-fills, keeping the stage clean and clear, and for atmosphere they added four of Adlib’s new MP5 wedges across the front.
Lighting designer Neil Holloway has worked for The Overtones for around six years, and on this run collaborated closely with touring operator and lighting director, Tess Minor. He chose fixtures that were multi-purpose, offered many options and would give them plenty of latitude for all of the different sized venues and stages on the itinerary.
Hung on the back truss were five Martin MAC Viper profiles and six MAC Aura LED washes which provided lots of variety. They also had two ProLight Solar 36 LED washes, used in conjunction with another two on the floor, to illuminate a series of custom gauze banners at the back created by Back2Front.
Another eight Auras were deployed upstage / downstage stage left and right for low angled side washes, and six MAC Quantum Washes on different height Manfrotto stands were set up in an arc around the back of the set risers, nicely filling the space between the back truss and the floor fixtures.
Being a festive tour, there was a load of festoon and six Christmas trees with integral lights positioned in a similar arc to the Quantums on stands. Far upstage – behind the gauze banners – the visual picture was finished with a black wool serge drape.
A grandMA2 light with an onPC as backup were utilised for control.
Adlib’s lighting account handler was Dave Eldridge, who ensured that everything ran smoothly from the office / warehouse end.
(Jim Evans)
