OBERHAUSEN, Germany — For the Comet Awards, recently held at König-Pilsener-Arena and broadcast on Viva TV, a German subsidiary of MTV Networks, Procon Event Engineering supplied over 190 Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers, which stayed out of TV sightlines for the live broadcast pop music event. The TM Array configuration of subwoofers was deployed to provide even low-frequency coverage. Project Manager Sound David Bergmann, System Tech Thorsten Maier, FOH Engineer Kai Reiss and Monitor-Engineer Mathias Hentschel also used Meyer Sound MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program for the dual-stage awards program.
The first stage was mostly used by performing artists including Sportfreunde Stiller, Snoop Dog and Ashley Tisdale, who were surrounded by viewers listening through five arrays of Meyer Sound MICA, M’elodie and M1D line array loudspeakers.
Show host Oliver Pocher and Viva VJs Collien Fernandez took over the second stage, which featured four hangs of 12 M1D line array loudspeakers. The audience on the bleachers was covered by four MICA line arrays comprising 12 loudspeakers each for a 240° coverage. Sidefill was provided by two hangs of 6 M2Ds each augmented with one M2D-Sub subwoofer.
Sixteen 700-HP subwoofers were flown above the performance stage to form a short, camera-friendly TM Array configuration, a design initially created by Meyer Sound’s Thomas Mundorf to provide even in-the-round bass coverage for the Metallica tour. Additional low-frequency support for the audience on the arena floor came from six 600-HP subwoofers in cardioid configuration under the performance stage.
“With this setup we were able to minimize the floor space needed for subwoofers and maximize bass coverage for this in-the-round production,” says Bergmann. “And to avoid having any speakers in the camera sightlines, we also used smaller arrays than those normally used in a large concert.
“We brought the system directly from Moscow where we had used it highly successful as the Eurovision Song Contest’s main system, and although we had a complex audio system with over 190 loudspeakers and 70 suspension points, we were able to manage system setup and tuning very quickly with no distractions during the numerous rehearsals, a result of our well-trained crew as well as the accurate predictions from MAPP Online Pro,” he added. “Meyer Sound’s highly consistent loudspeaker systems allowed us to use so many different systems which blended so well.”
For more information, please visit www.meyersound.com. .
