Any event at Inglewood’s SoFi stadium is likely to be upstaged by the venue itself. Along with the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, SoFi stadium’s place in Southern California iconography is assured. Site of the Super Bowl LVI (sorry Bengals fans) seen by millions around the world, it is arguably the pinnacle of stadium design. The superlatives are in the numbers: 70,000 seat capacity, 302 FTE roof panels containing 28,000 LED “pucks,” a 360-degree infinity screen, and 25,000 miles of cabling all set in a grade 100 feet below ground level. Passengers flying into LAX can view games or concerts projected on to the 80-million-pixel roof. But no less impressive is the ETC control system that keeps it all running.
The Body of SoFi
“The end-users’ journey through the stadium had to be considered on both game and non-game days, with attention paid to enhance memorable views and ‘Instagrammable’ moments along the way,” says Stacie Dinwiddy, Associate Principal at KGM Architectural Lighting, who handled the indoor hospitality area lighting. “We found ourselves addressing new and unique challenges as we navigated to complete a project of this scale during an international pandemic and lockdown, for a building and program originally designed for mass gatherings and public displays of face and body paint.”
To enhance the experience and promote movement around the concourse, KGM worked closely with a custom manufacturer to design a ribbon-like LED feature pendant that could twist and glow like neon to reflect a meandering path throughout the entire concourse. Another integrated installation that was thoroughly engineered is within the entrance corridors leading to the Owner’s Club. The original design was a continuous linear line of light that went up one wall, across the ceiling, and down the opposite wall. “To shake up a popular detail, we opted to offset the lines at the wall to create a more dynamic effect through the corridor and allude to the laces on a football – a theme carried out in many areas on the project,” she added.
LAM Partners’ James Perry describes the task of lighting the exterior of the massive structure. “The field of play is certainly the primary focus of the project, but the overall stadium was envisioned as a living, organic form that could pulse with activity and motion from the field all the way out to the exterior skin of the building. The lighting design and controls were a part of the story-telling of the architecture and the NFL excitement within.”
Of the many firsts attributed to this project Perry notes, “The LED media mesh that is draped across the clear membrane roof canopy was a first as far as we know. The entire roof and fifth elevation of the building becomes a large video board. But the interesting design challenge was achieving this for the exterior view of the building without impacting the environment or event within the stadium bowl below. None of that lighting is visible when ‘on’ from within the seating bowl.”
The Brain of SoFi
Providing the often overlooked but critical component of control went to 4Wall Entertainment, who integrated all the ETC control elements which form the backbone of this impressive project. Buddy Pope and Brent Pritchett headed up the team that linked it all together. “Every single light that turns on and off we controlled via Paradigm – restrooms, locker rooms, offices, concourses, exterior lighting, and even the signage a few blocks away are controlled by ETC Paradigm,” says Pope.
On the entertainment side, Mosaic Show Controller X and an Eos console control the sports lighting and color-changing lights throughout the venue. No stranger to huge installations, Pope notes that “a big challenge was the sheer length of data and DMX runs – the equipment list is short but has big numbers.”
To comply with California Title 24 rules, over 1200 Paradigm occupancy sensors are everywhere, but the Paradigm system easily dealt with any customization. “We were able to tweak the Paradigm advanced controls to make overrides,” says Pope. “The lights never go out in the Rams’ locker room during a game, for example.”
Not surprisingly, the sequence of operations for the building was extensive and called out for specific looks. The Paradigm system stores not only game and concert modes building-wide, but campus-wide. A Mosaic controls all the signage on the campus, color changing and white light controls as well as a retail section that is under construction. Even the landscape lighting has its own distinct presets.
Not even the restraints of COVID protocols and supply chain holdups during the construction cycle, could hold up the creation of this truly remarkable addition to LA’s sport and cultural life.
Stadium/Shed System from UltraSound Anchored by 72 PANTHER Loudspeakers
Dead & Company is back on the road for their 2022 Summer Tour which kicked off in mid-June at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. As they carry on the Grateful Dead tradition of using the latest innovations in sound reinforcement, the tour is powered by a system featuring Meyer Sound’s new PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeaker. The band further augmented its seemingly limitless repertoire of tunes while UltraSound — decades-long audio provider for the Grateful Dead and successor ensembles — assembled the largest system of PANTHER loudspeakers in North America, and the first to roll out on a USA tour.
To cover expansive audience areas in a mix of sports stadiums and larger sheds, UltraSound is carrying a PANTHER inventory that allows reconfiguration for venue size. For stadiums, a typical deployment is four identical arrays — two main front and two side — each comprising fourteen PANTHER loudspeakers, with four PANTHER-W wide coverage versions flown under 12 PANTHER-L long-throw versions.
Mixing the band for PANTHER’s North American touring debut is FOH Engineer Derek Featherstone, who also serves as tour director and UltraSound CEO.
PANTHER is a very responsive system and reacts quickly to change. The vocals tend to lead nicely, staying up front in the mix better than with last year’s system. I’ve altered some vocal compression to take advantage of this.”
Derek Featherstone UltraSound CEO and Dead & Company Tour Director/FOH Engineer
Weighing in at 150 lb (68 kg), the PANTHER loudspeaker nevertheless produces greater than 150 dB peak SPL. The compact size and reduced weight save on transportation costs while the new Class D amplifier dramatically reduces power consumption. PANTHER is the first line array system to offer AVB Milan™ protocol network connection directly to the loudspeaker cabinet.
As tour director, Featherstone appreciates the added flexibility afforded by PANTHER’s power-to-size/weight ratio.
“We’re using the same count of PANTHER as we had for LEO last year, but the reduced size and weight allowed us to carry more subs and deploy them more effectively. Recovered truck space allowed us to bring the VLFCs, while PANTHER’s reduced weight makes it easier to do more end-fire sub-arrays in stadiums within the same total weight limits.”
For larger venue deployments, PANTHER arrays are bolstered in the bass registers by 18 flown 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements plus 12 700-HP high-power subwoofers on the ground. Ten VLFC very-low-frequency control elements extend response down to a subsonic 13 Hz.
A dozen LEOPARD compact line array loudspeakers are deployed singly for front fill, and a total of eight GALAXY Network Platforms provide system drive and optimization. The stage foldback system comprises 10 MJF‑210 and two MJF-212A stage monitors along with two JM‑1P loudspeakers for side fill and two 1100-LFC elements as drum subs.
“We invested in PANTHER for three reasons,” says Featherstone. “We needed additional inventory, we were confident that the fidelity would be as expected from Meyer Sound, and we would benefit from the added versatility. We are already getting a good deal of interest from other tours and events after Dead & Company wrap up next month.”
In addition to Featherstone, the Dead & Company tour is supported by Michał Kacunel (system engineer), Ross Harris (recording engineer and ground PA tech), Lonnie Quinn, and Ian Dubois (monitor engineers), along with crew members Sean McAdam, Aaron Lauzier, and Reilly Williamson.
The band’s 2022 tour proceeds eastward with 20 shows scheduled in 16 cities, wrapping up at Citi Field in New York on July 16. Of the tour venues, four are Major League Baseball stadiums, one an NFL stadium, and one college football stadium, with the balance at larger sheds.
Dead & Company was formed in 2015 when the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir joined forces with artist and musician John Mayer, Allman Brothers’ bassist Oteil Burbridge, and Fare Thee Well and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti, and has quickly become one of the most successful touring bands year over year. Since its formation, the band has completed six tours playing to millions of fans and became a record-breaking stadium act when it broke Wrigley Field’s all-time concert attendance record, which still holds to this day. Having toured consistently since its 2015 debut, the band has grossed $300 million and has sold more than three million tickets across 172 reported shows.
ApexPro Managing Director, Justin Acers meets with Meyer Sound Director of Global Marketing, Tim Boot at Infocomm 2022, Las Vegas 2022
Last week, Meyer Sound premiered the new Panther large-format linear line array loudspeaker at it’s booth at InfoComm Show 2022, in Las Vegas.
Our managing director, Justin Acers, had the pleasure to meet with Meyer Sounds Director of Global Marketing, Tim Boot, to experience the power of the Panther firsthand!
“We are very excited to bring the Panther to the African market. No other line array comes close to matching PANTHER’s remarkable output of over 150 dB in such a compact cabinet. PANTHER delivers unrivaled linearity and headroom, only achievable with a self-powered system.” ApexPro technical director Mark Malherbe points out.
Designed to kick the bass to the next level, the 4055 takes the traditional concept of a kick drum mic and turns it on its head – no more pre-tailored sound – now you can take sound design back into your own hands.
Join The ApexPro team on June 14, 10 am (SAST) for a LIVE STREAM demo of the DPA 4055 kick drum mic with Keith Karimi.
What makes the 4055 stand out from the competition is that it delivers the renowned DPA sound, clarity and linear frequency response, both on axis and off axis. Its low frequency response and dynamics are superb and result in a tight, natural, well-defined sound – the best low-end with detailed mids and highs.
The 4055 is one of the only kick drum mics that is not sonically pre-tailored to fit a traditional sound in a specific genre. Its performance allows a professional sound designer to create the exact sound s/he is listening for – regardless of the music genre. Want more attack? Slide the 4055 into the bass drum and point it directly at the beater. For a super-low-end sound, place the 4055 at the hole, just on the outside of the front head. Here, the level of sub and lows are represented the most.
Not only does the position inside or outside the kick drum give you different sounds but working with the angles of the microphone just outside the hole will deliver nuances of the drum sound. No matter what sound preference you have, the 4055 captures the true sound of a kick drum, whether it is used in classic, jazz, rock or any other genre.
The 4055 is placed in a large, robust housing and there is wind damping foam just in front of the capsule, behind the grille. A specially-designed shock mount also suspends the capsule inside the housing to avoid vibrations from the stage. The shock mount together with the extra wind damping ensures that the 4055 captures only the source.
The 4055 is easy to position, both inside and outside the drum. Its unique asymmetric design makes it quite easy to place the mic through the drum hole without ripping the front resonator skin.
ApexPro is the sole distributor of DPA mics in the Southern Africa region.
The recent Level 42 UK tour called on the versatility of Electro-Voice and Dynacord equipment to ensure that every audience had the best possible experience, no matter what kind of venue the band was performing in.
The British jazz-funk band toured with an Electro-Voice
The British jazz-funk band toured with an Electro-Voice X2 system as its main PA, driven by Dynacord TGX amplifiers with control from SONICUE sound system software.
The tour marked the first time that the band’s FOH engineer, Mark Clements, had moved away from Level 42’s usual equipment supplier for 25 years. However, the band had been working with Merlin PA on overseas and festival packages, and it became a natural move to tour the UK with the rental company too.
NEAL ALLEN, MERLIN PA’S
“The percussive and transient nature of Mark King’s style really shone through with the use of the X2’s 12” driver on the Mid Band Hydra.”
A further reason for the switch was to move to Electro-Voice’s X2 system, which Clements had heard several times. The solution’s size and form factor made it the perfect choice for a concert hall tour, but the technical qualities of the X2 also made it a strong choice for Level 42.
“The percussive and transient nature of Mark King’s style really shone through with the use of the X2’s 12” driver on the Mid Band Hydra,” explains Merlin PA’s Neal Allen. “That’s what the technology in the MBH allows you to deliver.”
The capabilities of the X12-128 dual-18” subwoofers were also an important factor for the performance. “This tour was one of the first where we consistently used a cardioid sub arrangement in almost every venue,” recalls Allen. “Due to the nature of the stage setup, some venues required a super-cardioid sub design, which dramatically cleaned up unwanted resonance onstage for Mark King.”
In addition to the X2 main PA, compact 8” two-way XLE cabinets were called into action to provide further support. “XLE was required to provide extra intelligibility and consistency,” says Allen. “This was particularly important at Sheffield City Hall, which is a notoriously tricky venue to contain with a full house when you need to cover all three floors.”
A further aspect that enhanced the tour was the Dynacord electronics and software that drove every performance. “TGX amplifiers and SONICUE sound system software provided the backbone power to the Electro-Voice system,” notes Allen. “The intuitive nature of SONICUE enabled us to make effortless on-the-fly changes at different locations, while also providing an overall picture of all aspects of the system.”
Portugal’s stunning Teatro Garcia de Resende was recently renovated and selected ETC lighting solutions including ArcLamp luminaires, ArcMesh Drivers, and an Echo control system to upgrade the space.
The theatre, which is recognized for its interior ‘Italian-style’ architectural beauty, was built in the 19th century and is a part of the European Route of Historic Theatres: a route around Europe, which distinguishes the most beautiful, historic theatres that represent European cultural heritage.
The theatre’s technical director, António Rebocho, was in search of LED lighting to replace the existing tungsten lights in the building. He particularly wanted an LED solution, which would not compromise the quality of the light or increase maintenance costs. After researching various options, António decided to go with ETC’s ArcLamp luminaires commenting that he had ‘never seen the room so beautiful – the new lights enhanced all the colors, especially the red tones.’
ETC dealer, NAN Audiovisuals installed 108 ArcLamp lights with Fade to Warm feature technology into the Teatro Garcia de Resende. The LED luminaires provide quality light, smooth dimming, and up to 90% energy savings. António Rebocho – commented: “ArcLamp is a unique solution in the market which would accomplish everything needed for the project. It improved the quality of light in the theatre whist simultaneously reducing the maintenance costs related to lamp replacements and energy consumption. Being able to control the lighting from the installed button stations and lighting desks was also a great improvement.’”
“The Teatro Garcia de Resende is considered to be a building of great architectural beauty and a landmark in the city of Évora. We are very thankful and proud that our ArcLamp solution was chosen by the theatre. Despite some challenges due to the age of the venue and its electrical infrastructure, the highly experienced staff of NAN, our dealer in Portugal, did a fantastic job with the installation and commissioning of the system. Not only was the lighting result stunning but also highly energy efficient and nearly maintenance free.”
