NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA — Sound Image is providing the live audio system for the current Gwen Stefani world tour, “The Sweet Escape.”
A massive stage set, cutting-edge lighting, LCD image surfaces and video support systems all contribute to the sophisticated show, which highlights a five piece backing band and project’s Stefani’s personality with advanced stagecraft techniques such as a larger-than-life throne that elevates the artist during a featured production number.
Rehearsals for the current world tour began March 17 at Sound Image’s worldwide headquarters in San Diego, California. Front-of-house sound mixer Michelle Sabolchik-Pettinat challenged Sound Image to provide a touring system that was adaptable to both medium and large-scale venues, and that would deliver consistent sound in the wide variety of indoor and outdoor buildings where the show would play.
The current tour features a JBL VerTec system, including 60 VT4889 full-size line array elements and 24 VT4880 full-size arrayable subwoofers. Additionally, the system features 56 Crown I-Tech 8000 amplifiers, dbx 4800 DriveRack loudspeaker management units for signal processing, and an AKG HUB 4000 Q Wireless network with AKG personal monitors. The entire system is networked through Harman’s HiQnet System Architect.
Tour industry veteran Gary Sanguinet is the project’s system engineer, and long-time Sound Image employee John Schimke is on board as monitor engineer. Sound Image’s technicians on the road include Nathan Klaeser and Andrew Cawley.
“We have been using JBL component transducers for over 30 years,” said Dave Shadoan, president of Sound Image. “We own hundreds of VerTec loudspeakers. The majority of our tours are using VerTec systems. And we like working with Harman products because we can network them and they have a sonic purity that we like.”
Since kicking off with a successful two months in North America, the tour is now extended to Australia, Asia and Europe. Additional U.S. dates will be added for November.
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For information, please visit www.sound-image.com or www.jblpro.com.
