Emsdetten-based Westfalen Sound Schallwand is providing the tour with a full Meyer Sound system based around 24 Mica compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers. The main Mica array is augmented by 12 600-HP compact high-power subwoofers, as well as an assortment of additional Meyer Sound systems, including six UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers and four UPM-1P ultra-compact wide coverage loudspeakers for front-fill, and four CQ-1 wide coverage main loudspeakers for covering outer seating. The system drive rack holds a pair of LD-3 compensating line drivers and two CP-10 complementary phase parametric equalizers.
The system is the first major tour Westfalen, a division of the Pool Group, has undertaken since committing to a huge purchase of Meyer Sound equipment. In fact, Jürgrens' January 20 show in Heilbronn was Westfalen's first outing with the initial delivery of their order, which totals over 500 pieces.
The Pool Group is a network of event planning and production companies whose clients include corporations such as SAP, German Telekom, DHL, and BMW, and world-class artists like Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Ricky Martin, and Diana Ross.
"The venues on this tour range in size from 1,500 to 15,000 people, so we have to scale the rig accordingly," explains Carl Cordier, Westfalen Sound's CEO. "For some of the smaller venues, a pair of CQ-1s and a single 600-HP per side is enough. For the larger halls, like Köln Arena, Olympiahalle Munich and Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, we're using 12 Micas per side on the main system, with six Micas per side as out-fill."
FOH engineer Christian Wattenberg mixes the show through Yamaha consoles: an M7CL for the main mixer and an 01V96 submixer, with monitor engineer Matthias Klette driving another M7CL off stage. Jürgens uses Sennheiser mics through Midas XL-2 preamps. Meyer Sound monitors populate the stage, including four USM-1P extended range narrow coverage stage monitors, 10 UM-1P narrow coverage stage monitors and four more UPM-1P cabinets.
"The performance of the Micas has been nothing short of phenomenal," Cordier remarks. "We've been getting enthusiastic responses to the sound quality at pretty much every stop on the tour. It's really amazing how much power can come out of such a small cabinet, and the Micas' clarity and articulation are well beyond what I've seen in much larger systems. I believe the Mica is going to become the new standard in mid-sized systems."
(Chris Henry)
