BERKELEY, Calif. – A chart-topper in Europe, Australia and his native Canada, singer Michael Bublé has broken through to superstar status worldwide, garnering a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and selling out arenas from coast to coast. With a Meyer Sound MILO line array loudspeaker system, Michael Bublé and his opening a cappella group, Naturally 7, are performing across the US and Australia, ending with a week of shows in the UK in July.
“With eight horns in a 13-piece band, there’s a wide range of dynamics and a lot going on,” explains FOH Craig Doubet, whose credits include k.d. lang, Sergio Mendes and Luis Miguel. “MILO is really the only system I trust to deliver the show with clarity and accuracy. Mixing on MILO after using another system is like pulling a wool hat off your ears.”
Provided by Montreal-based Solotech, the touring system includes two hangs of 14 MILO and two MILO 120 line array loudspeakers, and two side arrays with 12 MICA line array loudspeakers each. Six M1D line array loudspeakers cover front fill, with eight M3D-Sub directional subwoofers on the deck. Four CQ-1 loudspeakers sit atop the subs for spot fills. A Galileo loudspeaker management system with three Galileo 616 processors control the system, with as many as 14 zones per side. On stage, ten M’elodie line array loudspeakers provide foldback.
With an itinerary that includes large arenas, Doubet relies on MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program to minimize setup time. “The first thing I do is walk in with my trusty laser tools and measure the room. Once I’ve got the data from MAPP, the rig goes up quickly. I can’t imagine having to set up without it.”
Doubet also gives high marks to Meyer Sound’s flexible hardware design. “The rigging on the MILO and MICA is incredibly versatile. You can do very extreme side hangs and cover challenging areas. The biggest challenge in arenas is height; the upper seats can be 90 feet in the air and there’s always a section of glass in the middle. With the Meyer rigging we can aim the arrays so precisely, and compensate for whatever the hall throws at us.”
During a recent stop at Nashville’s Sommet Center, Bublé’s crew visited Meyer Sound’s Soundcheck office and caught up with Lee Moro, Meyer Sound’s Nashville Operations and Touring Support and a veteran engineer for Bublé. “I mixed Michael on tour and haven’t seen most of them since then,” says Moro. “Craig and the crew really do a fantastic job and it was a pleasure to hear Michael and the a cappella group sounding so good.”
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