"That said I have been pushing the boundaries in some venues, or at least I thought I was" sound engineer and tour manager Daniel White expresses some initial reservations. "When I first bought the d&b audiotechnik Q system I knew this was a safe investment for the theatre circuit where Jamie generally plays. We played Hammersmith Apollo and my thoughts were confirmed; I've done a lot of shows at the Apollo over the years, and with a variety of PA systems, I can say with conviction that the Q-Series loudspeakers produced the best sound I have ever heard." Daniel continues "In Europe we have been moved up to some much bigger venues, almost arena size, eight or nine thousand capacity. I was carrying a system of just eight boxes a side and admit I was worried until I heard the first beat of the kick drum during sound check. My desk had to be positioned right at the back of the hall and even from there I could hear there would be no compromise."
White runs and manages his own PA Company called CHAPs; besides having Jamie Cullum as a client, CHAPs also works the corporate and events market. "That was a consideration for my purchase decision, I needed a PA system that could work in concert theatres, and still be usable stacked up in the corner of a small room. I recently did a wedding party for just fifty people with two boxes a side in a tiny room and it's been fantastic. Coverage and level were not an issue in such a small room, it's the quality that stands out, and the physical size and weight of the system. It didn't look cumbersome and out of place in such a small environment."
In fact White finds the system so small and convenient to handle he is seriously contemplating shipping it to the US for the next leg of Cullum's tour. "Part of that is its size and weight, I can easily defray the costs of shipping even on a tour of just five weeks; plus I've done other difficult venues besides those we have already discussed, like the Royal Albert Hall for example. Not an easy room by anyone's measure, but with my systems tech Liam Halpin, who has done an excellent job all tour, the Q loudspeaker system sounded excellent. Knowing it can handle difficult and challenging venues makes deciding to ship a lot easier."
On the tour Daniel White is assisted by monitor engineer John Underhay; Underhay, like White, wears two hats, being the tour's production manager as well.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
