The Jonas Brothers embarked on an extensive world tour with the FOH audio team consisting of FOH engineer Adam Robinson and audio system engineer Cameron Manes responsible for the crucial audio elements of the shows.
Because the tour would include many different venues, Robinson and Manes wanted to develop an optimized method to achieve the most consistent sound quality possible at each venue. To optimize this approach, the pair chose the Sound Devices A20 Nexus receiver and its new Test and Measure mode.
Although technology has an overwhelming impact on the profession, neither has forgotten that critical perspective. “Front of house is inherently an artistic thing – how to enhance the emotional experience of live music,” Robinson said. “Even though we may be nerdy about technology, we must never lose sight of how important this aspect is for both the artists and the audience.”
“That core idea has a big impact on how we work together on these shows, because the people on the technical side are artists too,” Manes added. “Part of our art is using technology that is precise and reliable and puts us at ease so Adam can focus on making art and not worry about whether the systems are working properly.”
“This really pushed us as a team to push the boundaries of what can be achieved and how we can use technology to streamline key processes in the sound production of shows of this magnitude.
Although the testing and measurement process is an important part of any major audio production, its purpose is often misunderstood even by professionals in the field. Ensuring consistent performance from speaker systems can make the difference between a successful performance and a disastrous one. “The key word in all of this is consistency,” explained Manes. “What many people don’t understand is that you need a trained ear to detect if the system is responding differently in different parts of the room. It may ‘sound good’ somewhere, but if the entire system doesn’t provide a similar sound experience in every seat in the house, the show can be a failure.”
Adding to the potential pressures of large productions is the fact that testing and measuring are often done in a hurry, as it can take so long to set up the right equipment. For Manes, this is what prompted him and Robinson to think about how to streamline the process for this tour. “We really only have about thirty minutes at each venue to do this process,” Manes said. “We were always looking for ways to do this more efficiently and get better results, as this is very important to the final product.”
“When Sound Devices added T&M mode to the A20 Nexus, we immediately signed up as beta testers because we saw an opportunity to completely improve the process.”
The foundation of Robinson’s FOH rig for the tour is the DiGiCo Quantum 7 console and d&b KSL line arrays supplied by long-time partner Clair Global. The measurement system he and Manes developed uses four Sound Devices A20-TX wireless transmitters paired with Isemcon EMX-7150 microphones and an A20-Nexus receiver connected via Dante to a DirectOut Prodigy.MP system controller, which provides system management and output routing and routes the test signals to Rational Acoustics Smaart measurement software.
The ability to work wirelessly proved to be a game-changer. “Most wireless measurement systems up to that point simply didn’t provide accurate enough results because they distorted the measurements in terms of frequency and phase shift,” said Robinson. “With Sound Devices’ T+M modulation algorithm, there is no frequency or phase shift, so we got exactly the same measurements as with a wired microphone, but with much more flexibility in terms of speed and placement.”
“This immediately made our T+M process much more efficient,” added Manes. “We were able to measure so many locations at once and immediately see the differences between locations. We now have to double check much less because we know we can trust the measurements we get.”
Implementing the new test system into their existing FOH setup proved to be relatively straightforward. Robinson and Manes were able to hit the ground running and get the A20 Nexus receiver up and running without too many headaches. “Sound Devices is known for making robust hardware, and they really go that extra step to understand how professionals use it and think about every detail,” said Manes. “The interface is incredibly intuitive and it was very easy to set everything up.”
“It’s a great piece of equipment that we can rely on to do our jobs. Everything worked exactly as it should – even in beta! – and there were hardly any problems,” Manes continued.
With the test and measurement system in place, the partners have refocused on the creative outcomes associated with delivering emotional experiences around the tour’s musical performances. “At some point, we always have to put technology aside and focus on the creative and artistic space around these huge productions,” Robinson said. “Being able to rely on that consistent response made that a lot easier and had such a positive impact on the sound of these shows.”
“We have a habit of bringing new electronic toys with us on every tour we do together,” Manes concludes. “The A20-Nexus was one of them, but it completely changed the way we work and we tip our hats to Sound Devices for creating something that has become so indispensable to us so quickly.”
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