Dowlen Sound fields winning combination of Outline products at John Denver Tribute event
A very special tribute to the life and work of legendary American singer, songwriter, activist, poet and photographer John Denver recently took place at the 1STBankCenter in Broomfield, Colorado. To mark his commitments to humanitarian, sustainability and conservation causes the event was held on Earth Day, April 21st.
Hosted by Olivia Newton-John, a close friend of Denver and his family, the evening featured performances from a large roster of artists including Lee Ann Womack, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John Oates, Trace Bundy and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. The show opened with Denver’s induction into the Colorado Music Hall Of Fame, the first artist to be so honoured, and also included performances from his first wife and his widow. The conclusion was a stirring finale where all the artists gathered onstage for a massed rendition of Denver’s most iconic song, ‘Rocky Mountain High’.
Sound production for the event was handled by Colorado natives Dowlen Sound who deployed a combination of Outline GTO, Butterfly and Mantas loudspeaker modules in the 6500-capacity venue. The main L&R system comprised 12 GTO plus four underhung Mantas modules per side while 16 Dowlen Sound subwoofers provided low frequency reinforcement. Eight Butterfly modules were deployed each side as ‘wraps’ to provide the necessary coverage width for seats near the stage sides.
Eric Satre of Dowlen Sound said, ‘For us and many sound providers like us, shows like this are an important part of our work but as one-offs they can be hard to do profitably. The fact that our Outline systems are quick to rig and de-rig with minimal crew, plus the ability to combine them seamlessly as required, really contributes to our operational efficiency in this type of event’.
Company owner Bret Dowlen mixed FOH for the entire show and commented afterwards, ‘Gigs like this are always a challenge because of the number of artists, the sheer quantity of instruments and the fact that there is always an element of the unknown! The only way to do it well is to use a flexible and accurate PA that can handle anything we throw at it, and that describes our Outline GTO, Butterfly and Mantas systems perfectly. With 105 inputs from the stage and the PA flown 8 feet upstage of the downstage edge the rear rejection and coherence of GTO has proven to be unrivalled, in fact this show may not have been possible with any other system. On a personal note it was very nice to hear John’s music again after a long absence. I was his system engineer for his dates in this region for about 10 years. Making it sound like it was supposed to was much easier with GTO and the amazing engineering that has gone into this box’.
The Vittoriale Amphitheatre sold-out. An Outline audio system for the only Italian date on the US artist’s world tour
Gardone Riviera (Brescia, Italy), 3rd August 2010 – Michael Bolton, one of the last thirty years’ most popular pop-rock artists, definitely chose a breathtaking venue for the only Italian date on his world tour: the amphitheatre at the “Vittoriale degli Italiani” (Shrine of Italian Victories), which overlooks Lake Garda (the largest in Italy) and was Italian poet Gabriele d’Annunzio’s favourite place and his home until his death.
The US singer/songwriter – who has sold 53 million records, won six American Music Awards, two Grammys and even has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame – will end an exceptional season in December, after holding no less than 110 concerts.
In Gardone Riviera, where Bolton presented his latest album, One world one love (released in September 2009), the Vittoriale’s amphitheatre was sold-out and an Outline audio system was used.
The local press commented: “A perfect performance that ended to triumphant applause and will remain in the hearts of a lot of people for a long time”.
Cipiesse Produzioni per lo Spettacolo was the Brescia rental company that supplied and installed the sound reinforcement system for Bolton’s show.
The main rig comprised 6+6 Outline Butterfly Hi-packs and 2+2 Mantas modules for down-fill (120°), hung below the main Butterfly arrays, as well as 5 Subtech 218, installed on the ground for the reproduction of infra-low frequencies.Five ultra-slim (self-powered) H.A.R.D. 115 SP monitors were positioned on stage and the set-up’s processors and power amps were also Outline.
Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani amplified by “Mantas Outlinearray” at Villa Fenaroli
Brescia (Italy), 1st July 2010 – World-famous pianist, composer and orchestra conductor Nicola Piovani has composed hundreds of soundtracks for films and television transmissions in over forty years of career.
Even if objectively the list would be long, the most famous is without doubt the score of the Roberto Benigni film "Life is beautiful", winner of an Oscar as best music and also nominated for a “Grammy Award”, one of the most important awards in the United States for results achieved in the music industry sector. The maestro also composed the music for the last three films by Federico Fellini.
As well as in Italy, Piovani has also worked considerably abroad, thanks to projects realized along with film directors such as Bigas Luna, Joe Stelling, John Irving, Ben Von Verbong, Maria Luisa Bemberg, Sergei Bodrov and John Harrison.
OnJuly1st, the splendid setting of Villa Fenaroli – one of the most prestigious 18th century Lombard villas and a national monument (located 5 km. from the centre of Brescia) – hosted his “Concerto in quintetto”, a work proposing music written for the cinema, theatre and concerts, specially rearranged by Nicola Piovani, in a version for a small group of soloists, in which the piano, played by the composer himself, has a particularly outstanding role.
Once again, where nuances made the difference, there was an Outline sound reinforcement system.
Cipiesse Produzioni per lo Spettacolo (www.cipiesse-bs.it)– owner of the Outlinearray system – was the Brescia rental firm handling the operation.
The Outline rig used for the “Concerto in quintetto” included 9+9 VLA Mantas, 2+2 Subtech 218 and T7 power amplifiers.
Outline provides Kingston Audio the solution for challenges faced at New Orleans Jazz Festival
New Orleans, LA, USA, May 2010 – The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, is a seven-day cultural festival at which thousands of musicians, chefs and craftsmen welcome 400,000 visitors every year. In its 41st year, it is one of the longest running and most successful music festivals in the US.
The internationally famous event celebrates New Orleans and Louisiana native music and culture, and features every style associated with the “CrescentCity”and state: Blues, R&B, Gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, Folk, Latino, Rock, Rap, Country, Bluegrass and everything in between, as well as (obviously) plenty of contemporary and traditional jazz.
The following are just a few of the best known artists at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: Simon and Garfunkel, Fats Domino, Bob Dylan, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, to name but a few.
Sound plays a major role in the success of the festival.
For the past two years (2009 and 2010), New Orleans-based rental company Kingston Audio Services was responsible for providing the Festival with superior quality sound equipment by Outline. The choice fell on Butterfly and Mantas vertical line arrays, combined with Subtech 218s for reproducing the bottom end.
The FOH rig used for the sound at the “Gospel Tent” stage consisted in 8+8 CDH 483 Hi-Pack elements and eight Subtech 218s. Mantas elements were used on front and side fill duty respectively.
“The Butterfly and Mantas in The Gospel Tent truly proved to be the right choice”, comments Tom Bensen, VP and Director of Operations of Outline North America LLC. “It is the most challenging venue in the entire festival. The combination of both Butterfly and Mantas provided the best possible coverage, with crystal clear reproduction. Artists and engineers alike were very pleased with the system, not to mention the avid gospel fans”, he added.
As well as the Butterfly, Mantas and Subtech systems, New Orleans’ Kingston Audio Services also supplied eight Outline LAB 21 infra-subs for the Gentilly stage, the festival’s second largest venue.
Kingston Audio Services owner Simon Fraser commented: “Getting low frequency coverage to the far reaches of the delay zones for Gentilly was never possible, until we added the LAB 21’s. They provided rock solid punch that carried all the day to the back of the Gentilly field. It was amazing. Plus they are the most musical we have ever used. They really performed and added a whole new dimension to our stage.”
VIETNAM: Sponsored by Mobifone, Rock Storm 2010 entertained rock fans across Vietnam with a host of
national artists, including Pentatonic, Final Stage, Nuranium, Rosewood, Microwave and Thai Thuy Linh. As it did in 2009, the 10-city tour kicked off in the chilly December air of Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium, before going on to Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, Vinh, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Dong Nai, Can Tho and finally Ho Chi Minh City. In all, it reached more than 200,000 fans and millions of radio listeners and TV viewers.
Vietnam hasn’t previously attracted such numbers to outdoor concerts, and with Rock Storm 2010 came growing pains like crowd control and Black Market ticket availability. However the tour has developed a lot since 2009 in terms of sound and lighting, and the set changes were in particular slick and well rehearsed. Rock Storm’s show sound director was renowned Japanese engineer, Masaaki Azuma, who has handled sound control for famous international shows, including Madonna, Oasis, Under World, Metallica, and Fuji Rock Festival.
An Outline Butterfly line array system consisting of CDH483 Hi-Packs and supplemented by SubTech 218 subwoofers was used at some of the concerts, as Fantasy Show & Light’s Dinh Viet Hug explained: ‘We needed to provide all round coverage for up to 35,000 people at these stadiums, but the television broadcasters insisted that the PA system had to be compact. Fortunately, the Butterfly system provides high SPLs and even coverage, and is relatively small in size so that it doesn’t block the broadcasters view of the stage. We are looking forward to taking stock of the new Outline Mantas system, which can be used alongside the Butterfly speakers as supplementary fills or on their own for smaller events.’
Cyprus’ coolest club has been kitted out with a state-of-the-art “Mantas” Outlinearray
Outline’s distributor Mr. Zacharia said his favourite part of the sound system is…
“enjoying the absolute speed and accuracy of the Outline MANTAS sound, which was not only pushes the sound to really high levels but is also able to manage quieter tones.”
Owner Mr. Frantzesko Hadjimichael said:
“I’m really impressed. It’s the first time in my life I can enjoy a super-clear sound which allows every detail to be heard. Whether I stand two metres in front of the speaker or go 30 metres away, the average power which I feel is almost unchangeable.”
Britannia Row’s Outlinearray supported the return of the one and only Robbie Williams at London’s Roundhouse
Outline’s Butterfly VLA was again requested by both the BBC and London's Roundhouse for the 2009 Electric Proms season. Supplied by Britannia Row, the system comprised 12 CDH 483 hi packs per side, supplemented by 3 Mantas “Wide boxes” each hang and 12 Subtech 218s, all driven by Outline’s T9 amplifiers and controlled via Dolby Lake 412s.
The Butterfly has become the most specified system for the Roundhouse due to its high power and even dispersion together with its camera-friendly look, which is essential to televised jobs from the Roundhouse.
October 20th the opening night of BBC's Electric Proms season saw the charismatic return of the one and only Robbie Williams who was backed by a 34-piece orchestra plus his own touring band. Legendary producer Trevor Horn was playing bass and directing the band.
Derrick Zeiba was in charge of the orchestra and Snake Newton was Robbie’s FOH engineer.
Derrick Zeiba remarked, "The addition of the Mantas wide element has meant that you no longer need infill/outfill boxes - the 120 degrees produced by Mantas does everything that you need. This was proven to great effect especially in the Roundhouse, which can be very unforgiving."
Snake Newton has been quoted as saying, "It's my favourite small system, very little system or channel EQ was used to get unbelievable results."
The Electric Proms continued its season with performances from Dizzee Rascal, Dame Shirley Bassey, The Doves and Smokey Robinson.
All performances used Outline’s Butterfly system with Mantas 120 degree cabinets and Subtech 218s.
