“We also use a wireless MIDI system for a harness-mounted keyboard to transmit to a main stage three-keyboard rig located offstage left,” Chadwick adds. “For monitoring, we carry 18 channels of Shure PSM 1000 (personal monitoring systems) with JH Audio in-ears.
“Ten of the systems are in the G10 frequency range and eight are in the J8 range. We only require 11 for the show and are able to jump between the two frequency ranges if one is particularly congested that day. We do the occasional festival every so often where this flexibility is extremely handy. It proved invaluable for a late-night TV performance too.
“The wireless transmits to and from antennas mounted up in the lighting rig so nothing has to try and get through the chain,” he continues. “All RF gear is located in monitor world. The bass and guitar signals are sent and returned via a single traditional multipair cable to the Kemper (amp modeling) rack.
“For return we get three pairs of left and right for Bobby Wooten’s bass, David’s guitar and Angie Swan’s guitar respectively. All of the other RF mic outputs are fed via two AES multipair cables to one of the shared DiGiCo SD racks.”
Invisible Tech
Keppler shares Chadwick’s enthusiasm for the Shure wireless. “I don’t think I could tell the difference between a wired mic and the Axient D system. It sounds that good,” he notes. “We’re using a variety of mics on stage, from DPA 4088 headworn mics to a mix of DPA 4099, Shure, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, Audix, and C-tape on the drums and percussion, all patched into the Axient systems. The bodypacks will give five volts DC phantom powerso they can power the electret (mics).
“My goal is to make it sound like it’s a band in a room playing music, with two or three of the drummers forming one ‘drum kit’ – the rest adding percussive elements,” Keppler continues. “The show is all about humans on stage making music. There are no flashy videos, pyro, etc. To make it that way, we have an awful lot of tech offstage that no one sees.
“For a non-audio example, we use a lighting system called BlackTrax. The performers each have infrared emitters built into the shoulders of their suits. Those emitters are read by special cameras up in the grid, and that info allows BlackTrax to enable the standard moving lights to act as automatic follow-spots, tracking the people around the stage. Some performers may have as many as seven transmitters and receivers on them, for mics, in-ear monitors and BlackTrax.”
The only actual sound sources on stage were the six percussionists. Instead of a traditional kit, they wore their instruments; some were similar to parade drums, others played various percussion instruments. Keppler flew a Clair Global house loudspeaker rig with assistance from Clair system techs Jeff Wuerth and Cody Kiess. New Cohesion CO-12s, CO-10s and CO-8s served as mains, sides and front fill, respectively.
“The Clair Cohesion line sounds amazing,” Keppler states, adding, “I’m cautious about the amount of sub I introduce into the mix. I don’t mix sub heavy, even though there is a heavy groove in this music. I approach the surdo (a Brazilian parade drum) more like it’s a bass drum in a jazz kit, while the worn ‘bass drums’ serve as a conventional kick drum. Miking the parade drums was particularly challenging, as well. The hi-hats are clipped on the snare rims and the moving metal was definitely messing with the RF. We had to re-locate transmitters and splint the antenna to reduce movement and RF interference.”
