The Grammy Evolution By: Mel Lambert

Transcription

1 Copyright Lighting&Sound America April Kacey Musgraves performs at the 56th annual Grammy Awards. The Grammy Evolution By: Mel Lambert This year, as always, saw innovations in the awards show s sound system The annual Grammy Awards ceremony poses a number of unique challenges for technologies designed to serve the changing needs of performing artists. Held each year at the cavernous Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, Music s Biggest Night showcases the creative talents of venerable as well as emerging artists. And each year, the state of the art is advanced as the show s production and technical crews embrace new developments. This year saw the use of a custom subwoofer incorporating a novel moving-magnet design in addition to a full commitment to fiber-optic networking and a reliance on advanced wireless microphone technologies. Hosted for the third time by LL Cool J, the event was telecast live by CBS Television on January 26, drawing an estimated 28.5 million viewers around the world. ATK Audiotek, the firm that for several years has supplied and operated a sophisticated sound-reinforcement system for the event s live audience of nearly 20,000, recently developed a custom subwoofer cabinet based on Powersoft Audio s M-Force subwoofer technology, which extends the rig s overall frequency response by an octave. Augmenting the main PA system, which this year, as in 2012, included four identical hangs of 12 JBL VerTec VT4889 line-array cabinets plus a delay ring, was a single set of VerTec VT4880A subwoofer arrays flown above the center of the stage area; two additional ATK subwoofers were placed beneath the center of the combined A and B stages, each one powered by a single channel of Powersoft s proprietary K10 switchmode amplification delivering 9kW. Originally, we were planning to use four of our prototype cabinets, says Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 64 April 2014 Lighting&Sound America

2 Jeff Peterson, ATK system-design engineer, but we reduced the count to just a pair when the staging started to rattle! These short transmission-line cabinets, which measure 4' deep by 3.5' tall by 3' wide, present a very low 1.5Ω impedance to the amplifier, so we needed to keep the cables very short. According to Powersoft, the resistive part of the driver s load goes as low as 0.25Ω. Each custom subwoofer will handle 15kW, but it got plenty loud here at the Staples Center and went down to around 17Hz, Peterson continues. We also ran the two subwoofer amps from a separate power feed so that the transients and load swing would not affect the performance of our other The four identical hangs of 12 JBL VerTec VT4889 line-array cabinets. Top photo: Courtesy of The Recording Academy/Wireimage.com; Bottom photo: Courtesy of Mel Lambert/Content-creators.com. A2 World or Split World is the backstage area at Staples Center where four main analog splitters covered input sources being delivered from the two stages to the front of house and the pair of monitor positions. The A and B stages each had a 56-channel splitter dedicated to band inputs, a 56-channel C split assigned to wireless microphones, and a D split to all production elements as well as audio/video playback sources. ATK s main DiGiCo input racks included two racks taking splits from A, two from B, and one each from C and D, with the second duplicate A and B racks being labeled AA and BB. The rest of the DiGiCo racks were used mainly for outputs. April

3 From left: Taidus Vallandi, of Group One; Leslie Ann Jones, of The Recording Academy s P&E Wing; Jeff Peterson, of ATK Audiotek; FOH music mixer Ron Reaves (front); consultant/pa system designer Andrew Fletch Fletcher; and FOH production mixer Mikael Stewart. Powersoft K10 amplifier racks beneath the stage used to drive the VerTec arrays. Eventually, Powersoft s subwoofer technology will be offered to other companies on an OEM basis; a single-channel amplifier is also planned for use in flown arrays. The current moving-magnet driver weighs 40lb and can be used with various types of cones; systems for the Grammy Awards featured a 30", polypropylene cone with a 2" displacement, offering a quoted 145dB at 30Hz, although a 40" version also is possible, Powersoft reports. The moving-magnet transducer is described in the sidebar on page 70. We also used four of these custom subwoofers at a recent taping of [the television series] The X Factor at CBS Studios, Peterson recalls. We highpassed those systems to reduce bassguitar and kick-drum energy; if we take them down below 25Hz, they simply end up shaking the floor. We calculate that one custom cabinet produces as much energy as a pair of dual-18" subwoofers but with much more low-end extension. There were a couple of minor tweaks to the main JBL PA this year, adds Andrew Fletch Fletcher, consultant/pa system designer. Because of scenic issues, the flown JBL subwoofer array had to be split into two and ended up being configured as two eight-box 4880A arrays on either side of center. All processing, system EQ, and delay was done in the Powersoft K Series amps via the firm s Armonia [Pro Audio Suite] software, which offers full remote control and monitoring, including online/offline system setup, tuning, and real-time management via an Ethernet network. Active damping control provides compensation of speaker-wire losses and offers improved cone control with a virtually negative output impedance, while Powersoft claims its TruePower limiter maintains the amplifier s output power at safe levels, depending on the varying load impedance over frequency. The delays were comprised of two eight-box clusters of JBL VerTec 4889 cabinets supplied by ATK and powered by Powersoft amps, Fletcher continues, in addition to a single center delay cluster of VerTec VT4889DP- DA cabinets provided by the Staples Center. As always, we hung six twobox clusters of ATK C6 cabinets to cover the sides of the 300 Seating Level. Digital networking via fiber-optic ring topology We were digital all the way from console input to amplifier outputs, Peterson stresses. The DiGiCo Optocore ring network ran some 2,500' around the venue, as can be seen from the figure on page 65, which shows how the five SD Series consoles and SD racks were interconnected via fiber-optic ports on all subsystems. From the backstage area at Staples Center, the four main analog splitters covered input sources being delivered from the two stages to front-of-house and monitor positions. The A and B stages each had a 56-channel splitter dedicated to band inputs, a 56-channel C split assigned to wireless microphones, and a D split to all production elements as well as audio/video playback sources. ATK s main DiGiCo input racks included two racks taking splits from A, two from B, and one each for C and D, with the second duplicate A and B racks being labeled AA and BB. The rest of the DiGiCo racks were used mainly for outputs and other destinations, including three guest-monitor consoles. ATK vice president of special events Mikael Stewart mixed production sound at the front of house on a DiGiCo SD10 console, while Ron Reaves handled music on an SD7 fitted with a redundant engine. Tom Pesa and Michael Parker mixed monitors on the A and B stages, respectively, using SD7 consoles with redundant engines. The SD8 located backstage was used as a signal test point for any input signal on the network, Peterson explains. It allowed the guys to check any signal on any input that was active. Since it was a monitoring-only station, we configured the SD8 so it couldn t affect the other consoles; it only drove outputs for a pair of monitor speakers. According to Taidus Vallandi, of Group One, the US distributor of DiGiCo consoles and technical liaison Photo: Courtesy of The Recording Academy/Wireimage.com 66 April 2014 Lighting&Sound America

4 at the Grammy Awards, Ron [Reaves] wanted to have his own inputs [to enable full remote control of DiGiCo mic pre-amplifiers], so the AA and BB racks on coaxial MADI links are duplicates of A and B racks on a separate split. The load-in schedule for the Grammys was tight; having his own racks meant that Ron didn t have to wait for the monitor guys to turn up the input gains. Since we haven t yet fitted these SD Series consoles with a second loop, we used MADI instead. Yes, I did have solo control of the AA and BB multis, Reaves confirms. It made things move a bit faster at FOH. But, in fairness, I never really waited that long for the monitor guys to do it. The last thing I want to do when I know that they ve got guest mixers with them and dozens of people talking to them about monitor things is further complicate their lives. So this was a good solution. Since the Optocore ring can transport a total 448 channels to/from the stage racks, Peterson explains, the inputs and outputs cannot exceed that maximum for the entire fiber network system, which accommodates up to six digital consoles and 14 racks. Because all of our analog/digital racks are outfitted with 56 inputs and 56 outputs and with ten racks on the Grammy Awards, we were far over the maximum fiber-channel count. As a result, to make it all fit, we had to remove a number of input cards and manage the output allocation as tightly as possible. Outputs for the PA system originated from three locations. Each local monitor rack had AES-format outputs feeding the main left and right arrays, Peterson continues. The under-stage amps had AES outputs feeding the subs and front-fill amplifiers; monitor feeds were accomplished similarly. Each local monitor rack also fed analog signals to their respective [Stage A/B] in-ear transmitter racks up at the stage-monitor consoles. Wedge feeds were delivered via AES outputs to Ron Reaves mixing music at the front of house on a DiGiCo SD7 fitted with a redundant DSP engine. Powersoft amps located close to the under-stage SD racks, just like the front-fills and subs. Each DiGiCo SD rack can share its outputs between multiple consoles; ownership is determined when we set up the consoles at the outset. Delay systems were fed from the same SD racks that fed the main PA; signals were sent up to the Powersoft amplifiers 60' above FOH to power those clusters we do that to avoid running an additional 500' of speaker mult from the ground. This year, we used an SD7 for both monitors and FOH music and planned to use as last year an SD5 for FOH production, Stewart confirms. We switched to an SD10 for production strictly due to scheduling since our SD5s were in use the weekend of the Super Bowl. We had a great show at the front of house, Reaves says. We did indeed have a bit more low-end capability [courtesy of the custom ATK subwoofers]; not so much more power but certainly another octave of lows was available. The VerTec system performed superbly, like it always does. There was a really good level of musicianship this year with some really good players and that always makes a mixer s job easier. Not that we don t always have great musicians, but this year just seemed to be above average, which is saying something for that show. According to Mike Abbott, audio supervisor for the Grammy Awards, My future interest is how to streamline the audio-data distribution system into a single flow or using a routerbased configuration. But the costs from all of the manufacturers making these devices Optocore, DiGiCo, Reidel, Stagetec are so high that none of the shows we do the higherprofile events are willing to pay extra for any more infrastructure. So it s still a facility-based option versus a live temporary installation. What would be preferential is 1,000 inputs because we re already up to five 56-pairs with 250-plus stage sources; the two music trucks [handling the 5.1-channel broadcast mix] have 160 inputs at any given time. I would love to see a GUI-based solution which we see in a lot of the remote trucks where you map presets and snapshot recalls between the available resources. This is a Broadway show on steroids! I ve been talking with ATK Audiotek about starting some kind of initiative. I firmly believe we can take Photo: Mel Lambert/Content-creators.com 68 April 2014 Lighting&Sound America

5 all the data streams needed for communications and for control, together with all the analog, digital, and MADI signals, and develop a way of managing them. Theoretically, we re already on fiber, so instead of having all these disparate entities and fiber and analog mults, all you need are nodes at the key points. The time has come. Wireless frequencies Dave Bellamy, of Soundtronics The Science Behind the Powersoft M-Force Moving-Magnet Transducer System Unveiled last June at InfoComm in Orlando, Florida, the M-Force subwoofer drive system is somewhat unusual in that it uses fixed coils and moving magnets and a genuine push-pull behavior; it also combines an innovative linear motor, advanced power amplification technologies, materials, and real-time DSP. It is said to integrate perfectly with other technologies developed by Powersoft, such as Differential Pressure Control (DPC), which is used already in subwoofers with IPAL technology. The result is a device that s said to dramatically improve the efficiency of electrical-to-acoustic conversion, allowing the true exploitation of switch-mode amplification. Compared to conventional transducers, M-Force is reported to require less power from the amplifier to produce higher SPLs with low levels of distortion. Unlike conventional loudspeakers, M-Force is described as a genuine push-pull engine in which the magnetic field interacts in a linear fashion to provide a controlled force to the moving elements. The transducer is completely free of moving electrical conductors, which, in turn, maximizes system efficiency and reliability. The extremely high motor strength typically, an order of magnitude above conventional technologies is said to yield a natural, controlled sound with negligible power compression at high sound levels. Extreme displacement capabilities also allow an increase in SPL in relation to the size ratio of cabinet designs. The company is also said to have developed a single-channel amp module to drive the new transducer, which will be offered on an OEM basis for sound companies to use closer to the moving-magnet transducer; the combination will also be easier to fly and configure within cardioid arrays. In addition to ATK Audiotek, Maryland Sound International/MSI has also developed a proprietary subwoofer using Powersoft s patented M-Force linear motor technology, which is said to deliver a frequency response flat to 20Hz; the new system was first used during the New Year s Eve celebrations in Times Square. According to company owner Bob Goldstein, MSI used the firm s M-Force-powered BB30 subwoofer to augment coverage of the VIP area of approximately 15,000 people positioned between 43rd and 44th Streets in Manhattan. Two boxes per side gave really powerful bass to a large, unenclosed area where usually you would need a lot more subs to cover, he reports. Wireless, once again handled RF frequency coordination. It was his 13th Grammy event. We had close to 50 wireless mics, multiple guitar/bass belt packs, and IEM systems, he says. We used a Phoenix 8 antenna system with arrays that were put in place specifically to cover the entire Staples arena, including in-air acrobatics. Four of our WidowMaker and MiniWidows antennas were located upstage left and right and downstage stage left and right, with Dominators and Sidewinders for the six house arrays. We had 11 arrays throughout the Staples Center, including backstage, adds Soundtronics RF assistant Grant Greene, but could have run a total of 16 if necessary. The RF spectrum is getting pretty crowded here in downtown LA with a couple of new DTV stations. With our 44-odd RF wireless mics, 20 channels of IEM, and other sources in addition to 200 PLs, all in all, we must have used between 400 and 600 frequencies during the Grammys. Having performed a survey of the available RF spectrum, Bellamy and his team took a close look at the local DTV stations and then started to coordinate the available frequencies among the show s performers. I draw up a wall chart of all the frequencies we will need and take a look at what s happening in the arena, Bellamy says. In other words: What frequencies will I have the most of in the different bands, and what will I have the least of? Shure, for example, uses eight frequencies in the L3 band; we also have allocations from different artists in the G1, H4, and J5 bands as well as Sennheiser artists in the L and N ranges. On my chart, I list what we need and what s available. With careful juggling, we seldom need to reuse frequencies. Also, the spectrum for guitar wireless doesn t need to be as clean, for example, as Pink s vocal mic; the same for podium mics. As on previous occasions, Audio- Technica, Shure, and Sennheiser supplied a number of wired and wireless 70 April 2014 Lighting&Sound America

6 microphones. Pink, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Beyoncé, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Queens of the Stone Age used Sennheiser models. For Pink s aerial segment, the artist used a custom IEM earpiece with an integrated boom that housed a Sennheiser HSP4 capsule with a cardioid polar pattern; she then switched to a SKM 2000 transmitter coupled with a custom MD9235 capsule. The only thing I needed to be concerned with was the effect of the costume and body on her transmitter, Bellamy says. In this application, the SK 5212 transmitter propagates extremely well and is very compact in size. It isn t affected as much when being used on the body as other body-pack transmitters, and I like that. Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun mics were used on the front line along with Neumann KM184 condensers for the surround broadcast mix. I deployed a total of 22 channels of Sennheiser wireless, Bellamy continues, including several Sennheiser EM 3732-IIs, which are robust, reliable units; I also liked the way we could change frequency ranges to about anywhere we want to go. Because of the show s high number of RF devices, I was using Channels 62 and 67; those are the only receivers on the market that will hit these upper range frequencies, and I really needed them. Because of a crowded RF spectrum, Bellamy had to license channel 62 and 67 specifically from the FCC. Bellamy also utilized two RF channels for host LL Cool J, using a Sennheiser SKM 5200 transmitter with an MD 5235 capsule as well as an SK 5212-II body-pack transmitter. The body-pack transmitter worked just as well as the handheld transmitter, he says. Our busiest production was for Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Greene adds, with a total of 13 RF channels; although, Metallica had a number of wireless guitar channels that we had to take care of. Audio-Technica models included AT4080 ribbon mics on guitars, AT4050 condensers on guitars and bass, AT4040 condensers as drum overheads, AE2500 mics on kick drums, AE5100 mics on hi-hat and ride cymbals, AE5400 mics on rotary speakers, ATM650 mics on snares, and ATM350 clip-on mics for toms. For the third consecutive year, all of the artists and bands who performed using in-ear monitors opted for the Shure PSM 1000 personal monitor system in addition to Shure SM58, Beta 58, and KSM9 wired plus wireless models. As part of the show s opening act, Jay-Z used a UHF-R wireless system; other performers using UHF-R and handhelds included Hunter Hayes (UR2/SM58); Robin Thicke (UR2/SM58); Keith Urban; Gary Clark, Jr. (UR2/SM58); Imagine Dragons (UR2/KSM9HS), who performed with Kendrick Lamar (UR2/SM58); The Highwaymen (UR2/SM58); Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder (all on UR2/SM58); Nate Ruess (UR2/SM58), More. who performed with Pink; Ringo Starr (UR2/SM58); Chicago (UR2/Beta 58); and Sara Bareilles (UR2/KSM9), who performed with Carole King (UR2/SM58); and Kacey Musgraves (UR2/Beta 57A). New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde performed her song Royals on an SM58; John Legend, Paul McCartney, and Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor all used Beta 58 wired models during their sets. Other artists who opted for wired mics included Metallica (Super 55 BRC), who performed with Lang Lang (Beta 181/C) on piano. We re working in a high RF noise environment with a large channel count, Bellamy says. All the horns were using Shure UR1 transmitters on high power in a spectrum with a high noise floor; the equipment worked perfectly. Energy Efficiency Fixture Choices Rebate Experience Control Options Project Management Technical Support Equipment, Expendables, Systems, and Rigging for Entertainment and Architectural Lighting Since more@barbizon.com April