Montréal Jazz Festival roars back with Meyer
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The resounding success of audio at this year’s festival can be credited to the work of festival technical coordinator Dan Meier and his team from L’Equipe Spectra. Meyer Sound and Solotech worked closely with Meier and his team to develop and deploy the sonic experiences at the festival.
The enthusiastic response came as no surprise to director of R&D and technological solutions David Brazeau, who was responsible for overall supervision of AVL systems on behalf of Solotech. “We’ve heard only great reviews on the performances from people who were there and from the media. There was no particular mention of the sound, but then the whole idea is to make the reinforcement transparent, so it’s not noticed. When the sound is perfect you don’t hear anything about it.”
The Scène TD stage system comprised main front arrays of nine per side Leo linear line array loudspeakers, with focused low end from end-fire arrays of six per side 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements. Front-fills were Mica line array loudspeakers, with MSL-4 loudspeakers as out-fills. First delay was two arrays of six MICA loudspeakers augmented by six 900‑LFC elements in cardioid configuration, with pairs of CAL 64 and CAL 32 beam-steering column array loudspeakers supplying highly directional sound for the second and third delays. The VIP section was covered by four M1D line array loudspeakers.
Other acts energizing the overflow crowds at Scène TD included Lee Fields, Bran Van 3000, and Clay & Friends.
Meyer Sound systems also supplied reinforcement at several indoor venues hosting well-known performers. A Mina line array system was deployed at Maisonneuve Theatre for, among others, Al Di Meola, Manhattan Transfer, and Pat Metheny.
At Montréal Symphony House, Meyer Sound JM‑1P, UPA-1P, and UPQ-1P loudspeakers supported Gregory Porter, Ludovico Einaudi, and Ravi Coltrane, while at Monument-National Tommy Emmanuel, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Bill Charlap were heard through UPQ-1P, UPA-1P, and veteran UPA-1C loudspeakers coupled with 700-HP subwoofers.
Other outdoor stages equipped with Meyer Sound systems were Rio Tinto, Club Montréal, Stage Loto-Quebec, and Pub La Traversée Molson Export.
Solotech has been an integral part of the Montréal International Jazz Festival for as far back as Brazeau can remember. “I’ve been with Solotech for 25 years and we were supplying systems back then,” he says. “We are much more than a rental house, but really a full partner, one part of a team that for many years has included our key trusted suppliers, including Meyer Sound.
