The 2003 tour sound equipment consisted of 18 V-Dosc and 4 Arcs cabinets, 12 SB218 subwoofers for the front fill, and 115FM floor monitors. The tour presented an opportunity for Ricard Live Music and Network partner, Potar Hurlant, to test one of the latest L-Acoustics line items, the 115XT coaxial speakers, both in front fill and monitor applications.
Madje Malki, a Potar Hurlant sound engineer, gave his impressions of the tour this year: "In front fill (with the dedicated 'fill' presets), these cabinets are astounding, very coherent, efficient and easy-to-use without needing to equalize them, which is a vital quality for this type of quick setup application. As a sound wedge, it is excellent and particularly adapted to instruments such as keyboard and drums. The 'monitor' presets allow for very clear medium and low frequencies. The XT line has certainly seduced me. As we had a limited area of 7,5m high and 2,5m wide (due the trucks providing the main infrastructure), V-Dosc to my knowledge, is the only system able to offer such a high level of coherent sound to an audience that can be anything up to 35 000 people, without the need for delay loudspeakers".
Nicolas Laheurte, Ricard Live Music stage manager, explains: "As in previous years, our challenge was to offer top quality concerts to audiences ranging from 18,000 to 35,000 people in 2003. We are very satisfied with the sound quality brought by L-Acoustics sound systems, quick to both rig and tune."
Ricard Live Music have, over 12 years, put on a total of 414 free concerts involving 1138 participating singers and musicians playing to more than 5,5 millions people. This year was the 10th consecutive year using the V-Dosc system.
(Lee Baldock)
