The latest edition of ibis RockCorps recently returned with a show featuring Macklemore, Franglish and Rosinia at Accor Arena in Paris, with support for the event provided by pro audio service provider 22live in the form of a main sound reinforcement system utilizing Martin Audio Wavefront Precision WPL arrays and a range of supporting components.
The concept of the event is unique in that anyone giving four hours of their time as a civic project volunteer in the French capital is eligible for tickets to this free concert. 22live tendered and won the contract, having worked for the show’s producers CC-Lab in the past. The four-person sound team for the event included crew chief Nick Jackson, monitor engineer Sam Cook, system tech Ryan Bass and Jack Davis.
However, 22live director Paul Timmins was aware that to service a gig economically within the Eurozone would require a combination of careful logistics and commensurate sound quality. He rationalized that by flying Martin Audio’s large-format Wavefront Precision WPL line array in 20-box hangs either side of the stage, with a further 16 WPL as out fills on each flank, the arrays could project some 90 meters to the rear of the auditorium without the need for delays, thus enabling the inventory to be confined to a two-truck haul.
“I knew we would require a big PA system, and when I picked up the spec, I was pleased to see Martin Audio on the rider — so it was an easy decision to quote WPL,” Timmins says. “WPL is a bit of a beast and like MLA it tends to be able to handle these big arenas without delays. I believed that by going deeper with the system we could dispense with the delays, and it absolutely nailed it.”
Aside from the main and peripheral PA hangs, production had 18 SXHF218 subwoofers on the ground in a castellated split broadside configuration, split largely because there was a catwalk thrust down the middle. The system was powered by 42 iK42 DSP amplifiers in 1-box resolution, designed to afford greater DSP power and help ensure consistent coverage front to back.
Fills were required for the front rows and 22live turned to TORUS loudspeakers, deploying T1215s while for a VIP breakout room the sound was relayed via TORUS T1230s.
Aside from Timmins’ logistics, the show’s success owed much to Bass’ adept system engineering and his ability to adapt on the fly. Having done his visualization and calculations on the day of arrival, based on a full arena, he suddenly had to reoptimize on show day after discovering an area in the upper balcony had now been draped off.
“Re-optimizing within DISPLAY allowed for a quick and easy change of the coverage,” Bass explains. “Changing the area at the back that was now draped off from ‘Audience’ to ‘Non-Audience’ ensured there was no wasted energy directed at an empty space whilst also helping to reduce slapback from the back of the arena. With a traditional system this would have required a full re-deployment of the PA.
“By adjusting the weighting of the prediction to prioritize the audience over non-audience or ‘Hard Avoid,’ this allocated more DSP power to ensure consistent SPL and frequency response from front to back,” he adds.
‘Hard Avoid’ was further deployed on stage to avoid unnecessary levels bleeding back. “Some of the audio crew working on stage expressed how impressed they were by the reductions compared to out front,” notes Bass. “Making use of the cardioid presets within VU-Net [software] further allowed for a good reduction on stage.”
Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps, concludes, “When you’re putting on a show for more than 13,000 people who’ve all volunteered four hours of their time to earn their ticket, you want to be sure that it’s the concert of a lifetime. The look and sound of the production are key and thanks to Paul and his crew at 22live, they always deliver. From pre-show planning and sourcing equipment to working with the creative team, ibis RockCorps was always in safe hands.
“Dealing with three big name artists in one show has its technical challenges but the changeovers at the event were seamless, ensuring the crowd stayed in the vibe while keeping the artists confident and set to light up the stage … in this case, literally, with Macklemore’s crew clear to deliver off-the-scale pyrotechnics. The ibis RockCorps production was next level, delivering a huge celebration that this crowd of volunteers justly deserved. And it just sounded great!”
