Focus Advanced Event Technology, part of the Netherlands' Rent-All Group, is providing a full technical package for the tour, including a substantial L-Acoustics ARCS Wide and ARCS Focus loudspeaker system.
Designed by Jeroen ten Brinke - arguably Dutch theatre's best-known sound designer, having been involved in large-scale theatre productions including Soldier of Orange and Anne, and European partner for international sound design group ADI - the L-Acoustics solution was chosen for its audio quality and flexibility.
"The position of the lighting rig changes from time to time and, as a result, the position of the audio grid can also change," says Jeroen. "We needed to have a system that could cope with this and the ARCS Wide and Focus solution offers us maximum flexibility. Additionally, the very accurate dispersion helped us to aim the system precisely and avoid reflections from the ice floor.
"Truck space was also at a premium, so the more compact size was an additional advantage, as is the fact that ARCS Wide and Focus are passive loudspeakers, so each cabinet has its own amplification channel, allowing us to easily adjust levels and hi shelves."
The main system comprises 10 clusters of 12 ARC Focus plus one ARCS Wide, with two stacks of four SB28 subs positioned left and right. Front-fills for the VIP area comprise nine L-Acoustics ultra-compact coaxial 5XT cabinets, with six 115XT HiQ providing floor monitoring on stage. The entire system is driven by LA8 amplifiers, housed in five L-Acoustics LA-RAK modular touring racks.
"The bottom Focus faces almost straight down, with the Wide closest to the audience," explains Jeroen, "whilst the top two Focus cabinets have the most distance to overcome."
Focus Advanced Event Technology designed and manufactured custom dollies for the tour, which means the loudspeaker clusters are hung in exactly the right position to be flown at each venue, further aiding the fast set up of the system.
Having worked with the system for several months, Jeroen feels he has chosen the best possible solution. "The system is light, quick to set up and compact," he concludes. "And I believe it has the highest possible SPL to budget ratio in the world."
(Jim Evans)
