Steve LeRoux and Jad Gilles head the Hillsong audio team. "We purchased our first Lab.gruppen amplifiers a few years ago and they have been rock-solid," says LeRoux. "We've also been using Lake processors for many years, so the combination of Lake processing built into a Lab amp made choosing the PLMs an easy decision."
A total of 24 PLM systems were supplied comprising 20 PLM10000Q (four 2300w) and four PLM20000Q (four 5000w). Two FP10000Q's (four 2100w) were also purchased to drive the stage monitor speakers.
Hillsong is using a feature of the PLMs called LoadSmart. A verification function in the software activates a three-second complete system test, alerting the operator to any driver failures or cable problems. Fingerprint Data (load characteristics) for each speaker model, plus cable data, is loaded into the PLM file and compared with test results during the verification process. The 'one-click' test can be performed before and after an event giving operators the peace of mind that all drivers are within spec. In addition, the software provides real-time performance monitoring which will alert the operator to any load problems whilst the system is in use.
LeRoux adds, "We know that the Labs sound good and this was proven when we replaced the stage monitor amplifiers with the FP10000Qs. We just did a straight amplifier swap yet every musician and presenter could instantly hear the improvement and thought they were hearing a new monitor system. And it's the same with the FOH system - you simply can't beat the performance of Labs."
Supplied and installed by Brad Law and his team from Cuepoint, four racks of PLMs are located on the catwalk with full control and monitoring available via a laptop anywhere in the venue. Cuepoint engaged Ricki Cook to create and configure the large Lake/PLM file.
(Jim Evans)
