Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc.
Berkeley, CA 94702
United States
Video Equipment Rental (VER) Tour Sound has provided a Meyer Sound LEO linear large-scale sound reinforcement system for Bassnectar's 2013 spring tour. This switch to LEO has given the electronic dance music (EDM) phenomenon's shows a noticeable step up in power, clarity, and visceral impact.
"When I first heard the LEO system at a demo in Nashville, I immediately realized this would be a game changer for EDM," says Brendan Hoffman, FOH engineer and production manager for the tour. "LEO is miles ahead for this style of music. It has given me the opportunity to bring a 'hi-fi' factor to Bassnectar shows that I don't believe anybody in EDM has offered to this point."
For most of the tour's venues, the LEO system comprised dual main arrays of eight LEO-M line array loudspeakers, each with an underhang of four MICA line array loudspeakers. A massive setup of 24 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements delivered plenty of low end, while six JM-1P arrayable loudspeakers supplied front and corner fill as needed. The entire system was controlled by a Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system with one Galileo AES master and four Galileo Callisto 616 array processors.
"Most of the energy and key points in the compositions are focused on deep bass," observes Hoffman. "It's critical to get down to those notes cleanly and with enough energy to make them effective, and the 1100-LFCs do it every time. There's a physical weight to it that you can feel in your body and through to your bones. With the 1100-LFCs, you get that full effect without it being screamingly loud."
Hoffman also appreciates the sonic freedom afforded by the LEO: "The evenness and linearity are fantastic. I can achieve levels that I want without coloration, and without getting into a scenario where speaker components are being overdriven."
Supply of VER's LEO system was coordinated by Ralph Mastrangelo, director of business development at VER. Chad Fuller was systems tech; Whit Hawkins was monitoring engineer; and Carlos Donohue was tour manager. The system's front end was anchored by an Avid VENUE SC48 digital console loaded with Waves plug-ins. For vocalizing, the artist employed a Sennheiser ew 500-935 G3 wireless system.
Starting his musical career in metal bands in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lorin Ashton turned to EDM, and adopted the stage name of Bassnectar in 2002. His amalgamation of bass-fueled styles has made him a top concert draw in contemporary EDM.
