Depeche Mode goes global with L-Acoustics
- Details
Depeche Mode have worked with Britannia Row for more than a quarter of a century and this longstanding relationship with the company and the pristine equipment it provides gives peace of mind to both the band and their engineers, who are certainly putting it through its paces, with the stadium tour starting this past May in Europe and concluding in March 2018 in South America.
With the tour playing over 90 dates in stadiums and large-scale venues around the world, a system that provides accuracy and reliability was needed. L-Acoustics K1 was the choice and Antony specified a main system that comprises 14 K1 per side with four K2 as down-fills. Side-hangs are a further 14 K1 plus six K2 down-fills, to account for the throw distance needed and the large amount of vertical coverage required. There is a total of 46 KS28, with 12 of them per side flown next to the K1, whilst four hangs of 12 K1 are used for delays, all mixed via an SSL L500 Plus.
Depeche Mode’s set design always includes a thrust that sits to one side of the stage. Because of its asymmetrical construction and the position of camera platforms, there are restrictions to where the ground stacked subs can be placed.
The solution is to have 18 of the remaining KS28 configured as six stacks of three sitting in front of the stage, arrayed as a sub arc. Three ARCS per side are stacked on the outermost KS28 stack and four stacks of two Kara each on the innermost KS28, which are deployed as front-fills. Two Kara per side are used for stage in-fill and, whilst the band are all on in ear monitors, a further two KS28 per side are sited on the stage to provide them with a little movement. Delays are four hangs of 12 K1.
“There was originally talk of flying some K1SB as well as the KS28,” explains Terence Hulkes, FOH tech and crew chief. “However, because of rigging points and weight loadings, that wasn’t possible, but the flown KS28 spread the power around the venue better and keep it above the heads of audience. For overall low end and extra register the KS28 is amazing and it’s incredible how much the low end will travel.”
“K1 itself isn’t lacking in the low-end department, so in this instance we went for resolution rather than moving the air,” adds senior systems technician Richard Trowe. “For the really trouser flapping stuff, the KS28 is the one to have.
The tour is now heading over to the US. Brit Row will continue to provide sound for this, and all legs of the tour, which continues into 2018.
(Jim Evans)
