Supported by Orbital Sound, the Flare Audio rig represents an extremely compact system that is fully capable of handling the tour's diverse venues. Steve Levitt has been putting the X5A/Q18 rig through its paces, commenting:
"I am really excited by this Flare Audio system on several levels. Not only is it just about as pure a sound as you can get, but it also delivers outrageous pressure levels and clarity! Davies Roberts has created something exceptional, based on good science - removing the sound distortion associated with the conventional wooden box approach and letting you hear the speakers for themselves.
"We have worked this system hard during this tour, and after some tweaking with the electronic pre-sets, it lets me do exactly what I want. If I use equalisation now, it's to correct the room, not the box, and the imaging is amazing - move the pan pot a notch or two and you can really hear it. It's a very clever sound, with louds of power, and I wouldn't hesitate to tour it again."
Flare Audio's X5 Series has been designed for maximum scalability, and can be used as a single unit for point source applications, as ground-stacked small arrays, or large-scale hangs of up to 22 cabinets.
(Jim Evans)
*Pic Flare
