At the age of 16, Elliott Mountford launched Ti22 lighting design company with a view to providing lighting and video integration on live shows. Little more than a few months later he was handling his first arena show at Wembley.

@Luke Dyson

Nearly 100 JDC1 hybrid strobes zap Brixton Academy audience.

Now still only 19, and from a background in programming, Elliott has work fully as a lighting designer. Most recently he has been creating a lighting show with Charli XCX—with an armoury of GLP fixtures for company, supplied by Liteup.

“We had 34 X4 Bars and 34 JDC1 [hybrid strobes] on the European and USA tour, and then the show at Brixton Academy was a total upscale, with a total of 96 JDC1s and 36 X4 Bars,” he reveals. The rig comprised both the touring and Brixton package. “It needed to be bright, and be able to create a thousand different looks out of a single unit …and the JDC1 always smashes that.”

Elliott Mountford Goes Crazy with Charli XCX and GLP. @Luke Dyson

Elliott already has some experience in the field, having worked as an LD with Skepta, Ghetts, Chipmunk and a number of EDM acts (Including Ultra Music Festival, Lost Fre-quencies, Carl Cox and Solomun).
Earlier this year he programmed and tour LD’d rapper Santan Dave for LD Tim Routledge, an award-winning lighting show that helped him gain further recognition.

When Charli XCX was searching for a new LD she realised that Elliott, after operating several of her shows, would be a great match. He stepped up to take the lead role, and proposed a completely different conceptual approach, working alongside creative director, Jed Skrzypczak.

“Charli and Jed loved my work, and kept me on board for the festivals, and the US and European tour,” he continued. The lighting design came together organically, without a brief. “I’ve worked with Jed a few times now, and totally get his vibe. Charli’s future pop music needed to stand out. It was apparent that the Cubes, designed by Jed, were our central focus and so I needed a fixture that could produce a flat soft field of light, but was also easy to complement the rest of the rig.”

@Luke Dyson

The GLP fixtures were the key to ensure all objectives fulfilled. “I’ve used X4 Bars for a while, but JDC1 was a new strobe to me at the start of the year. After using a bunch with [San-tan] Dave, I knew it was a fixture for the future and I was interested to see how far we could push it this time.”

Utilising two JDC1’s per cube, and six X4 Bar 20s on the back (with all other JDC1s audi-ence facing), he quickly got his answer. Elliott ran all fixtures in full mode in order to have as much control as possible. “Every pixel is mapped, and I spent a lot of time putting them into layouts and grouping them in a cor-rect way to allow me to separate the backgrounds, pixels and strobe channels.

@Luke Dyson

“The channel modes are super helpful when cloning from JDC1’s to other in-house fixtures. The strobe plate easily clones to an in-house xenon strobe, and the background module clones perfectly to any LED strobe or fixture, with the correct strobe duration/rate etc.

“I also love the way the JDC allows me to separate the plate priority with the pixels, al-lowing effects to be overlaid on top of each other. There’s a really cool part of the show where we go from every strobe at full, to a very very low UV flicker. We strobed the plate module at a low intensity but fast rate, and kept the pixels on high intensity to give it the push.

“It really messes with your eyes because of the refresh rate effect that was applied. The previous song was very very bright and harsh LED xenon white, and this song was a very dark low light UV. Because of the way a human retina deals with light exposure you could still see the previous ‘white’ song while now witnessing a UV look onstage … super weird. It totally matched the song intro and was the perfect look myself, Jed and Charli were af-ter.”

As for Liteup, this is Elliott Mountford’s regular vendor. “I have always worked with Gordon [Torrington] and their techs are amazing. We had Cy Doitmant as the crew chief and Ben Beverley as system tech. Everyone worked super hard and I will keep using Liteup in the future.”
In summary, the LD says there are many elements that make the GLP fixtures so special. “Wherever I go I see the Bars—everyone has them even in the weirdest part of the world, and they always match. Their dimmer curve and colours are unmatched, and I feel like it’s a fixture I can use on every design.

@Luke Dyson

“The JDC1 is simply by far my favourite fixture of the last two years. I can make so many different looks out of one unit, and you really don’t need many to create something spe-cial. The tilt also makes it a genuinely hybrid strobe; I use it for back light a lot and then back into the audience. I also love the thin strobe look, where the source is just a thin line.

“In fact I don’t think there is another strobe on the market that does LED colour and strob-ing all in one, and that is so widely stocked around the world.”

Both Gordon Torrington and tour manager Wilkie Wilkinson had initially thought it was cra-zy having nearly 100 strobes facing straight towards the audience. “But once Wilkie saw it in rehearsals he realised it was not just a strobe, as we were using it as a pixel device, for a bunch of wipes and hits. And he was super impressed,” Elliott concludes.

Prolight + Sound will not be held in 2020. On 12 March, the Hessian Ministry for Social Affairs and Integration issued general decrees prohibiting large-scale events expected to attract more than 1,000 visitors. At the present time, it cannot be assumed that the current situation will have changed by the time the postponed event was to have been held. Therefore, Messe Frankfurt has decided to cancel the event.

It was not possible to hold Prolight + Sound 2020 on the dates originally planned in view of therestrictions introduced against the background of the rapid spread of SARS CoV-2 infections.
“We did everything we could to hold Prolight + Sound 2020 as soon as possible after the original dates and would like to extend our thanks to the response and support from numerous companies and organisations that said they wanted to join forces with us to do so.
We are very sorry to have to cancel the fair. However, we firmly believe that, under the current circumstances, this is unavoidable”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

The next Prolight + Sound will be held from 13 to 16 April 2021

Further information can be found on Prolight+Sound website

Nine Trees Shanghai Future Art Centre, is the new crown jewel for arts and culture in China. The structure houses three theatre spaces equipped with Meyer Sound audio systems. The largest auditorium claims the first Constellation active acoustic system in China.

The Centre was conceived from the outset as a focal point for a wide spectrum of arts and entertainment performances, hosting both Chinese and international artists representing the global diversity of music, drama and dance. The task of designing and constructing venues suited to this brief was undertaken by Shanghai’s EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) agency, led by General Counsel Le Shengli and with lead technical assistance from Zhu Shijie, theatre director for the EPC.

The project principals surveyed a number of newer theatres in China and overseas, and soon determined that an active acoustic solution would best accommodate the desired diversity of performances. After evaluating available systems, they narrowed their focus to Constellation and initiated consultations with Meyer Sound’s Chinese distributor, Shanghai Broad Future Electro-Technology, Ltd.
“Constellation offers greater flexibility and convenience for future operations,” says Zhu Shijie, “and accommodates a broader spectrum of show programs. Also, when comparing to the alternatives, we thought that Constellation could bring over a purer and more involving listening experience than what the others could offer.”

The 1,200-seat main theatre, also made for hosting operas.

To confirm their decision, Mr. Le and Mr. Zhu traveled to the Meyer Sound headquarters in Berkeley, California to experience Constellation’s acoustical capabilities firsthand in the Pearson Theater and also to see how Constellation’s software, hardware and human design elements are seamlessly integrated. “This experience redefined my understanding of what an active acoustic system really is,” comments Mr. Zhu, “and explained the critical importance of precise installation to the success of the project.”

Constellation is installed in the main theatre, which accommodates 1,200 patrons on two levels. The balanced physical room acoustic, with a reverberation time of about 1.2 seconds, can be enhanced with times up to about seven seconds.
In addition, the subtle characteristics of the reverberation envelope can be altered by adjusting the warmth, strength and brightness. During commissioning and tuning, 11 presets were created for different performance requirements, with additional presets open for future needs.

The Main theatre whith a short RT made on purpose to fully allow Constellation to create the desired ambience. The hanged mics are visible.

The desired acoustical characteristics are created via a total of 160 self-powered, full-range loudspeakers (Ashby™-5C, Ashby-8C, UPM-1XP, and UPJunior-XP) mounted laterally and overhead, with the lowest octaves reproduced by 16 compact subwoofers (12 UMS-1XPSM and four MM-10XP).

To capture the acoustic ambience, 56 miniature condenser microphones are distributed throughout the space. In between the microphones and loudspeaker output, a D-Mitri® digital audio platform comprising 21 modules provides the sophisticated DSP and matrixing, with five modules — one for each reverberation zone — dedicated to hosting the patented VRAS acoustical algorithm. The theatre’s 30 meter-deep stage is served by a dedicated Constellation zone functioning as a virtual acoustic shell.

For direct sound reinforcement, the main theatre provides a system anchored by dual arrays of 13-each LEOPARD™ line array loudspeakers, with deep bass from four 1100-LFC low frequency control elements. Also deployed as subsystems for fills, delays and foldback are a total of four UPQ-1P, two UPQ-2P, two UPM-1P and 14 MM-4XP loudspeakers along with six MJF-210 stage monitors.
Mounted over the proscenium — concealed behind a scrim — is a left-center-right system configured with 12 JM-1P and four UPQ-1P loudspeakers for, respectively, far- and near-field coverage. Three Galileo® GALAXY™ 816 processors enable system drive and optimization.
Since opening, the Constellation system has been used for a variety of performance genres, including symphony orchestra, drama and musical theatre. The results, according to Operating Technical Manager Li Yiting, have been uniformly excellent.

“In addition to the available acoustic presets, we can fine-tune the parameters to suit the needs of the performers,” she reports. “We conclude that the operation of the system is stable, responsive, naturally reverberating and comfortable sounding. More importantly, you can’t perceive that the reverberation comes from electroacoustics. The best way to put it is that the applause from the audiences and the response from the performers demonstrate their satisfaction with the system.”

The 500-seat theatre featuring retractable stands and a Lina based PA.

Regarding the LEOPARD-based reinforcement system, Ms. Li comments that “though it is relatively compact and lightweight, it has tremendous power. It not only sounds clean, but it also enhances the intelligibility and clarity of the sound.”

The two smaller venues in the complex also are furnished with Meyer Sound reinforcement systems.
The 500-seat multi-functional theatre relies on a system based on 12 LINA line array loudspeakers and six 750-LFC low-frequency control elements that can be flown or ground stacked as needed for the event at hand. Completing the system here are two UPA-1P loudspeakers, six MJF-210 stage monitors and a GALAXY 816 processor.

The smallest yet able to welcome 300 patrons theatre.

The 300-seat theatre is covered by two CAL™ 64 loudspeakers with advanced beam steering for the main system, augmented by two 750-LFC elements, two UPJ-1P loudspeakers, six MJF-208 stage monitors and a GALAXY 816 processor.

Summing up the supporting role of the new technologies, EPC General Counsel Le Shengli says, “The goal is to make the theatres more international, more iconic and more artistic. We aim to make Nine Trees Shanghai Future Art Centre a place that belongs not only to the Fengxian District but to all of Shanghai and, more importantly, a home for artists from throughout the world.”

Overall design of the entire Centre was by the French firm Frederic Rolland International, with theatre design by Thomas Yee of San Francisco-based STUDIOS Architecture. Physical acoustics for the theatres — optimized for Constellation in the main auditorium — were designed by Joseph Myers, president of the renowned Kirkegaard acoustical consulting firm.

A short video to visit the Centre:

And Learn about Constellation here

Martin Audio’s busy start to the year sees no sign of slowing down having unveils a further five new products targeting commercial installation sector with in-ceiling and pendant loudspeakers joining the ADORN series at ISE 2020.
The ADORN commercial series of on-wall loudspeakers was first introduced in 2019. This has now been expanded by three in-ceiling loudspeakers and the company’s first ever pendant speaker, available in white or black as standard.

Martin Audio ADORN on-wall and ceiling loudspeakers bring class-leading performance, reliability and value to a wide range of commercial sound installations, from retail outlets, bars and restaurants to corporate offices. With Martin Audio’s signature sound characteristics, the ADORN series is the perfect choice for background and foreground systems which require superior sound quality from visually discreet, ultra-compact enclosures.
They also provide a seamless sonic transition within a multi-zone complex using larger Martin Audio systems such as CDD or BlacklineX. This ability helped the new ADORN family members win a Best of Show Award at ISE 2020.

All the new ceiling models have a nominal impedance of 16 ohms, enabling four or more speakers to be driven in parallel by one amplifier channel, thereby maximising efficiency and minimising cost. The new ceiling additions are also fitted with an internal high-quality 70V/100V multi-tap line transformer with a switch to select the output level. For full-bandwidth protection, the low and high frequency sections are individually protected against overload in all models.

Comprising a 4” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, the ACS-40TS in-ceiling speaker produces 108 dB peak output at 1 m and its ported design delivers strong bass that extends down to 73 Hz. The very wide 180° conical coverage of the ACS-40TS makes it particularly suitable for low ceilings and reduces the number of speakers required for even coverage, leading to a reduction in installation cost. It features a shallow backcan for installation in ceilings with a minimum cavity depth.

Featuring a 5.25” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, the ACS-55TS in-ceiling speaker produces 113 dB peak output at 1 m and its ported design delivers strong bass that extends down to 79 Hz. The wide 150° conical coverage of the ACS-55TS makes it particularly suitable for low ceilings with a shallow backcan for installation in ceilings with a minimum cavity depth.

The in-ceiling ACS-55T with a generous internal volume maximises low frequency output and delivers strong bass that extends down to 62 Hz. It also features a wide 150° conical coverage.
Finally, the ACP-55T pendant speaker features a 5.25” (100mm) LF driver and a 0.75” (19mm) silk-dome tweeter, produces 109 dB peak output at 1 m and delivers superb sound quality for both music and speech reproduction. Its stylish pendant enclosure is equipped with a single-point mounting system plus provision for attaching a safety cable. Available in black or white, it also features a wide 150° conical coverage.

You can hear the award-winning ADORN ceiling and pendant loudspeakers alongside the rest of the Martin Audio catalogue at the first of this year’s UK Open Days, taking place March 17-19 at our headquarters in High Wycombe.

More information on the Martin-Audio website

Kings of Floyd are a leading Pink Floyd tribute band based in Germany. FOH engineer, Howard Heckers is the band’s audio lynchpin in helping to produce the authentic Floyd sound. Central to his setup for Kings of Floyd is a DiGiGrid IOS unit.

Kings of Floyd on stage.

Led by Brit, Mark Gillespie, this assembly of international musicians regularly undertake national tours, playing popular theatre venues to sold out audiences. In order to replicate and do justice to the magic and majesty of Pink Floyd, Kings of Floyd and their experienced crew place audio quality high on their list of priorities.

The sound guru Howard Heckers with his double screen LV1 virtual desk.

Highly respected FOH engineer, Howard Heckers, notable for his work with Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson amongst many others, is the band’s audio lynchpin and his work in helping to produce the authentic Floyd sound is essential.
Central to his setup for Kings of Floyd is a DiGiGrid IOS unit, as he explains: “I’ve been a DiGiGrid user for a while now, having started touring with the Waves LV1 around three years ago. In two hundred-plus shows during that time, DiGiGrid products have never let me down.
I use the DiGiGrid IOS for front-of-house it’s the best option available with eight inputs, eight outputs, two headphone outputs and AES. It’s ideal for PA feeds and some local inputs like talkback and playback from a video stream for the show. I love the preamps very transparent and clear.”

Heckers, whose career credits also include Liza Minnelli, Melanie and Randy Newman, owns several DiGiGrid products: “I actually have three Waves LV1 setups for different tours. The Kings of Floyd gear stays in the truck but I use a similar setup for other tours.
I’ll be upgrading my IOS’s to IOS-XL as soon as I have a break in the current Kings of Floyd tour. I also use a DiGiGrid MGB (coaxial MADI interface) on another tour – this is my newest setup that deploys a DiGiCo rack on MADI to MGB on FOH and has an IOC at FOH.”

On the bottom screen the « desk » and on the top the desk « screen » showing one of the 8 possible plugs per channel.

With a strong reputation and more than twenty-five years of experience that has encompassed ten major world tours, Howard Heckers has heard and used almost every available console on the market but considers that using DiGiGrid with Waves LV1 is the option that best suits his requirements. He’s also an admirer of the units’ durability, describing them as “rock solid”.

DiGiGrid’s european product specialist Michael Maurer.

Kings of Floyd’s connection with DiGiGrid extends even beyond its use by their renowned FOH engineer.
When the demands on Howard Heckers’ time recently resulted in the need for a deputy to cover some dates on the band’s current tour, they called on the services of none other than DiGiGrid Product Specialist, Michael Mäurer, to take the hotseat.
An accomplished sound man in his own right, Mäurer enjoyed the experience adapting to the setup was certainly not a problem!

More on the Waves website and on the king of Floyd

Regarding the increasing number of cancelations among the Prolight + Sound 2020 attendants due to the spreading of virus Covid-19, you can find the list of the one that will not be present this year in this news updated in real time.

The list of the Brand you will meet again in 2021 :

Lighting: Artistic Licence, Adam Hall, Ayrton, Cast, Chauvet, ETC & High End, Lightpower, MDG, Nicolaudie, Robe, Robert Juliat, Strand, Vari-Lite, Artistic Licence
Sound: Adam Hall, Adamson, d&b audiotechnik, Coda Audio, L-Acoustics, Nexo, RCF, Yamaha

More info on here

An Allen & Heath dLive mixing system is used for one of the most successful ice-skating gala events in the world, Art on Ice, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this month with a series of shows taking place across Zurich, Lausanne, Basel and Davos.

Combining live performances from internationally acclaimed artists, world-class dancers and figure-skaters, including the 2018 Gold Olympic medallist Alina Zagitova, Art on Ice offers a unique and immersive storytelling experience.
Produced by Swiss AV production company, Habegger AG with Session Pro helping to supply gear, the full setup featured a dLive S7000 paired with a DM64 MixRack, fitted with a superMADI card for multi-track recording and a Waves V3 card for external plugins.

Sascha Kohl and his D7000 behind him.

Operated by long-time A&H user and FOH engineer, Sascha Kohl, dLive was used to handle all sources including the musicians, vocalists, presenter and playback.
The nature of the venues presented some challenges, as Kohl explains, “As the main part of the hall is a very large, highly reflective sheet of ice, I was never able to get into a really good listening position, which made getting the mix perfect a little tricky at times.
As the PA was set up for the crowd, having the possibility to do the VSC on my laptop, via dLive Director, and walk around the venue was absolutely essential.”

Kohl is also quick to praise dLive’s easy scene management, including the simple to use ‘relative’ and ‘absolute’ update functions, and the MCA control introduced in firmware V1.8, which allowed Kohl to easily run the entire show via one surface.

Art On Ice rink with dLive in Action .

“The music, video playback, band, singers and presenter work seamlessly together and it’s great to have one system that can handle anything thrown at it,” Kohl adds.
“I’ve been using dLive since the very beginning and before that I was a long-time user of iLive, so I’m totally into A&H consoles. dLive’s workflow is just quick and easy to use, and I love the additional DEEP processing available, such as the OptTronik, 16VU and 16T.”

More on the websites:

• Allen & Heath
• Habegger
• Art on Ice

Tommex Żebrowscy Sp. J. best known as Tommex has been appointed Polish distributor for RCF’s Installed Sound, Commercial Audio and Voice Alarm EN54 product lines, with effect from January 2020.

From left to right Marcin Zimny, Tommex Commercial Director, Marzena Wójtowicz, Tommex Sales support manager and Luca Ombrati, RCF International Sales Manager.

Tommex’s Commercial Director, Marcin Zimny, stated that the move resulted from changes in the ownership structure and distribution strategy of their existing long-term loudspeaker partner. “This meant we were looking for a new partner with a high-quality installation range, that could complement our portfolio; RCF provided a great opportunity and was an exact match.”
“The combination of 70 years of RCF history with 30 years of Tommex provided a compelling partnership”, he said. Over the years Tommex has equipped many sports venues from stadiums and sports halls, to entertainment arenas, swimming pools and ice rinks. They had also worked extensively in theatres, operas and culture houses, concert halls, schools and transportation hubs. As such, RCF was seen as a perfect fit, and would create synergies with other brands in their distribution portfolio.

Confirming the decision, RCF International Sales Manager, Luca Ombrati, stated, “We were one of the few brands able to fill all the missing product lines in Tommex’s product portfolio.
After negotiation I accepted their proposal because until then RCF had only been successful in the ‘entertainment’ market segment (Pro Audio and MI), thanks to our partner Arcade Audio, and they will continue as our exclusive distributor for TT+, Pro, Live, Mixing, Recording and Transducer product lines.

“But for RCF this provided an excellent opportunity to develop the ‘Installation’ market-segment in Poland, represented by a well establish distribution company in the specific field.” One range that looked particularly attractive to Tommex, he continued, was the new Business Line of products. “We also see great potential in the Compact and Compact-M series, the P series, the entire commercial sound catalogue and the DXT3000,” continued Marcin Zimny.
The company has wasted no time in marketing the brand. “We have already announced this to our customer base on social media, the trade press and other portals. We will introduce it further during trade exhibitions, seminars and demos.” Leading the sales mission will be Tommex Commercial Director Marcin Zimny, who will be personally responsible for the development of the RCF brand in Poland.

In closing, Mr Zimny said, “Our customers have been positively surprised and extremely excited by the news [of the RCF brand acquisition]. They are delighted that we can offer such great quality systems and are able to expand our product portfolio to offer such a wide range of systems and possibilities … quickly, and with excellent product availability and support.”
Luca Ombrati concluded, “We are confident that Tommex can develop this specific part of business for us and look forward to a healthy trading partnership.”

For further information visit Tommex website and RCF website

While major audio brands have decided not to exhibit at Prolight + Sound 2020 in Frankfurt, Elation Professional confirms his presence.

No message but a positive claim for our industry clearly impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak from the American brand Elation. More to come…

Following the announcement that Prolight + Sound 2020 will be postponed to late May, L-Acoustics has decided not to exhibit at the fair this year.

Following the announcement that Prolight + Sound 2020 will be postponed to late May, we regret that the proposed dates do not allow us to ensure a quality experience for our clients, partners and visitors. L-Acoustics has therefore decided not to exhibit at the fair this year.
We wish the Prolight team the very best and will communicate soon about upcoming events and meeting opportunities.

The L-Acoustics Team

Following the postponement of this year’s Prolight + Sound exhibition, due to the spread of Covid-19, Yamaha and NEXO have taken the decision not to exhibit during the show’s revised dates.

Jean Mullor

Nils-Peter Keller

In a joint statement Nils-Peter Keller, Senior Director Pro Audio & AV Group, Yamaha Music Europe GmbH and NEXO CEO Jean Mullor have said, “Both Yamaha and NEXO fully understand the decision by Messe Frankfurt to postpone this year’s Prolight + Sound show. The spread of Covid-19 is a complex, challenging and evolving situation and our primary consideration is for the welfare of both show visitors and event staff.
“As two of the leading brands in the professional audio industry, many staff and customers of both companies will be gearing up for the busy outdoor festival season during the show’s revised dates at the end of May. Therefore, it is with regret that we have now decided not to exhibit at Prolight + Sound 2020.

“Both Yamaha and NEXO are naturally very disappointed that we will not be present at the show this year and we look forward to an opportunity to return in 2021.”

A pair of DiGiCo SD5 consoles handled front-of-house mixing for the Latina-American Super Bowl performances by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, while two Quantum 7 desks in monitor world were plenty for the 150-plus outputs for the singers, musicians and dancers on stage.

A view of Hard Rock Stadium from behind the primary SD5 FOH console.

Super Bowl LIV was a truly Latina-American event: Bronx-born Jennifer Lopez headlined the halftime show and Columbia native but Miami Beach resident Shakira shared the main stage, while New Mexico native Demi Lovato sang the National Anthem. The 12-minute extravaganza, watched by over 100 million people, garnered rave reviews for its showmanship but also drew plenty of kudos for its sound.

A pair of DiGiCo SD5 consoles at front of house and a pair of DiGiCo Quantum 7 desks at monitors were the crown jewels atop a custom JBL sound system, comprising 18 1,500-pound carts on the field and 14 flown line arrays. All of the gear was designed and brought in by ATK Audiotek, which has been the halftime event’s sound-reinforcement provider for nearly two-dozen Super Bowls now.

Alex Guessard at FOH facing the pair of trusty SD5s.

“For me, the SD5 is still the fastest-workflow console ever,” says ATK Audiotek Project Manager Alex Guessard, who also mixed the live sound for the show—alongside the Rolling Stones’ longtime FOH engineer, Dave Natale and designed the entire sound system, which was used for the pre- and post-game entertainment, as well as the halftime show.
“I set the two SD5s up so that we had mirror images of both the worksurface and one console as the A engine, so in the unlikely event that we had a failure on one console, the other was ready to run seamlessly.” Needless to say, there was no need to take advantage of that redundancy.

What the show did leverage, however, was the SD5’s superb input capacity, which Guessard says managed the complex show’s 60-plus input channels, including vocals, instruments and Pro Tools outputs, with ease: “It was flawless, and the SD5 is so easy to configure.
For instance, I used the assignment buttons on the left of the screen to toggle between the head amp, filters and auxiliary, and the moves were quick and easy under pressure.”

The event’s massive Dante network was “fed from the MADI on the consoles, and signals were eventually routed via AES to the amplifiers,” Guessard explains. Each console also had two DiGiCo SD-Racks of its own, allowing them to operate independently.

The monitor world

Over in monitor world, Tom Pesa and the monitor crew had to manage upwards of 150 wireless beltpacks for vocalists, musicians and dancers. He also used two consoles, both of which were Quantum 7 desks. They began working on the show at two rehearsal locations one offsite and one onsite which necessitated the need for two consoles to be available as the complex production came together. Once the show was ready, Pesa, like Guessard, kept the second desk online as a backup.

“Instead of having the B engine as the backup on one console, we’d have an entire second console as our mirrored B engine,” explains Pesa, who was working his 24th Super Bowl halftime show. “It’s overkill, but it’s also the Super Bowl.”
The output of the console went to a combination of in-ear monitors 120 of them for dancers alone, who rely on them for click tracks and cues and to a dozen ATK Audiotek LM3 wedges around the stage. Pesa says the Quantum 7 managed all of that easily, using only onboard processing.

ATK Audiotek’s pair of Quantum 7 desks at Super Bowl’s monitor position. The ultimate redundancy !

“I lean heavily on DiGiCo’s onboard processing; I almost never need external processing, especially since Quantum came along,” he says. “That gives me so many onboard options for limiters, compressors and EQ, and I can easily customize each snapshot for each artist as each pass goes by. There’s so much available to let you make each artist sound exactly the way you want them to. It’s all just there at your fingertips.”

The Quantum 7’s assignability was also called upon for this show, as Pesa was able to set up an entire separate section of the console customized for Ramon Morales, Shakira’s longtime monitor mixer. “I could literally create an entire section for him with Shakira’s inputs for vocal channels and effects returns, and any other control group needed to lay down as a VCA to control her Pro Tools level, all in one bank,” he explains.
“So I could do what I needed to on my side of the console and Ramon could have everything he needed laid out right there in front of him. The Quantum is a big leap forward and I’m really impressed with how many new features there are with the new firmware, like Mustard. The console just keeps getting better.”

Monitor engineer Tom Pesa at one of the two DiGiCo Quantum 7 monitor consoles. Without a doubt a trusty technician with 24 Halftime shows in pocket.

Super Bowl’s halftime shows are a marvel of tightly packed bombast on a precision schedule that a field marshal would admire. “It’s all over so quickly,” recalls Guessard, who was working on his third Super Bowl halftime event.
“We had six minutes to get ready as the football players were leaving the field and the stage was coming together, then a 12-minute show, then six minutes to get ready before the teams came back.
It’s a huge adrenaline rush no matter how many times you’ve done it, and it takes an insane amount of coordination. You need the tools you’re using to be perfect, and that’s what the DiGiCo consoles are perfect.”

For more details visit Super Bowl LIV, on ATK Audiotek and on DiGiCo website