Winnipeg, Canada-Based Sound Art Supplies

Wantagh, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 1999):  As the saying goes, "A rolling stone gathers no moss." That can be said of Electro-Voice's famed X-Array™ loudspeakers since the system hit the road with Jewel for her Spirit Tour 1999 after gaining immense popularity as the premier sound package with the Rolling Stone's past two successful world tours. Winnipeg, Canada based Sound Art supplied the tour with a host of EVI Audio gear to complement the 72 X-Array™ loudspeakers, including the Midas Heritage 3000 FOH console, Midas XL250 monitor console, X-Array™ floor wedges, side and drum fills, Klark Teknik DN3600 and DN300 equalizers and EV N/DYM ^® N/D468B microphones.

"We've found that the X-Array™ cabinets have great sound for any concert, from Rock & Roll to symphonies," says Dave Cousins, president of Sound Art. "So for Jewel, who does everything from acoustic folk to full-on high-energy electronic rock during the same show, she needs a full-range system that can handle everything she plays. X-Array™ is ideal because it can do it all. Also, we don't have to provide as many components as we would have to with other systems we dealt with in the past. Overall, we generally provide 40 percent less boxes with X-Array™ than we have with other systems because of the X-Array™ system's tremendous output capability." Cousins adds that besides being a great sounding system, X-Array™ has tremendous flyability and flexibility, making life much easier for the tour's crew.

"I'm stoked with the EV X-Array™ rig -can't say enough about it," says Rob Howick, production manager and FOH engineer for Jewel. "Crystal clear high end, very smooth mids that don't get lost in the wind with tons of bottom end. Everyone who has heard the rig has liked it. A lot of what Jewel and the band play is very close to the playing of the album, Spirit, so it is important to try and match the sounds. We strive to let people hear live what they hear on the radio or at home. Jewel is quite happy with the production."

Howick adds that Midas Heritage 3000 is quite user-friendly and very quick and easy to learn. He explains that it is a highly musical due to quiet pre-amps that also packs quite a punch. "The Heritage 3000 allows for a very quick and easy mix set-up, and that's very important," he says. "Also, the addition of the console stand to the road case is quite brilliant. I do see the 3000 becoming a standard. It's a great sounding board with a low learning curve. The board's affordability doesn't hurt, either."

According to Cousins, the Heritage 3000 was recommended for the tour because of its schematics and entire feature set. "The board's output routing and matrixes are tremendous," he explains. "The H3000 is ideal for either the FOH or monitor position, but in this application, we thought it and the monitor board-the Midas XL250-would complement each other nicely in those positions. We couldn't be happier with the feedback we've gotten for the boards, X-Array™ and the rest of the gear provided for the tour."

The Midas Heritage 3000 is a dual-purpose console for Front of House or Monitors taken to the next level of sophistication. It is either left, center, right (LCR) or stereo and, to overcome the usual disparity of system size configuration between center and L/R clusters, an "Image" rotary is included on each input module. This continually varies the amount of LCR the user can dial into the center cluster effectively allowing assignment of less "power" to a small center cluster while maintaining the overall LCR spatial imagery.

The Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMD™) used on the X-Array™ loudspeakers are one of the reasons for its extraordinary sound quality. Traditionally, loudspeakers are plagued with time domain "ring modes," which hang on after the signal has stopped to unpleasantly color the sound and decrease vocal intelligibility. Furthermore, the effect of the ringing modes are aggravated as sound levels increase, tempting a system operator to adjust the system EQ during the event, with little or no success. RMD™ provides the clarity and definition of a studio monitor by literally eliminating the sound-coloring resonant modes created by the enclosure and the components. Their tonal fidelity does not deteriorate with increasing sound levels.

"Besides being a well rounded show musically, Jewel is performing in both open-air sheds and indoor arenas," Howick explains. "The entire system is performing terrifically, and X-Array™ sounds great wherever it is needed in any style venue."

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Electro-Voice is based in Buchanan, MI USA.

Electro-Voice is a division of Telex Communications, Inc., a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of sophisticated audio, wireless and multimedia communications equipment to commercial, professional and industrial customers, and high-quality, high-performance sound products for the professional audio market.