PMC supplied Adamson E15s for Sir Paul McCartney’s recent Bogota concert
because the managing director of a leading rental firm said to me, ‘It doesn’t make sense any more to buy stadium-only PA.’” A key part of the STM is its rigging system, which is common to all the components and allows it to be flown quickly and efficiently.
A similar approach has been taken by Clair Brothers Audio Systems, the audio equipment design and manufacturing arm of international rental company Clair. Harry Witz, senior director of systems development, says he doesn’t necessarily see a trend for
bigger systems but that a big system will work better in larger situations, so they still have a place. Alongside its big stadium systems Clair Audio has been developing smaller, mid-sized rigs for theatres and halls. The latest example of this is the iMicro,
which has been out in Europe on Ian Anderson’s shows for Thick as a Brick 2 (see tour report, page 48). The system is a more compact line array and, says Witz, it follows what he sees as the real trend in PA loudspeaker design by being something small that fits easily into a truck. “Productions are more budget- conscious now,” he observes. “People who can sell out a big stadium can have a few thousand dollars worth of trucking but not everyone can. We think the smaller show market is an opportunity, which is why we’ve launched iMicro. But we’re not trying to build something cheaper, we want to provide the right tool for the job. And being able to tour with one truck instead of two makes a big difference.” Czech rental and production
company T Servis has held stocks of a number of loudspeaker brands over the years, including Meyer, d&b and L-Acoustics. “The work we do needs something that can be used in clubs as well as at festivals,” explains managing
director Radim Janousek. “So in 2004 we began using the L-Acoustics V-DOSC and the d&b J and Q-Series as well. Now we’ve decided to go fully to L-Acoustics and last year joined the K1 family for rental.” T Servis moved into a new
warehouse at the end of 2011 and earlier this year bought additional K1 line source enclosures. As to whether a big box is still the best way to go as against smaller units with similar performance quality, Stéphane Ecalle, marketing director at L-Acoustics, says: “A large cabinet is the best option if you want a true full-range system with maximum coherence. A modular cabinet offers the best flexibility with its LF separate extension. For the client, it’s a matter of pure performance versus return on investment.” UK hire company Wigwam Acoustics has also used a variety of systems since it started in the business in 1979. It currently stocks d&b J and V-Series but has also been involved in the development of other scalable
Linear 5 is pure engineering excellence, uncompromising performance, and maximum SPL.
The five active and passive high-quality wood cabinets are easily combined to create a system fitting for a vast array of pro audio applications. And of course Linear 5 is made in Germany. Please find more information on our website at www.hkaudio.com.