19/02/2015 » Axiom Powers Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular Tour Dates
A Proel Axiom line array system was used to power theatre dates on the recent Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular tour of the UK. North Yorkshirebased MB Audio Visual, specialist suppliers of conference and audiovisual technology, provided the Axiom PA for four shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh during January.
MB Audio Visual was asked to cover the Scottish Rat Pack dates on a recommendation from the tour’s regular audio supplier, and provided an opportunity for the company to put its recently purchased Axiom system through its paces.
After demonstrations of the Axiom line array, MB Audio Visual invested in a system of AX2065A and AX2065P compact midhighs and SW215A subwoofers in early 2014. “We decided that Axiom was right for us,” says MB Audio Visual’s Craig Hoyland. “The size, weight, clarity, and dispersion of these units makes them perfect for the work that we do – predominantly conferences, product launches, charity balls and medium scale outdoor events.”
Systems tech Craig Hoyland and sound engineer Danny Wragg elected to run an EASE Focus simulation in advance in order to specify the optimum PA configuration for each of the two venues on this Scottish section of the tour: the 1,785capacity Kings Theatre Glasgow, and the Edinburgh Playhouse, the larger of the two theatres which seats 3,059 people.
“Originally we planned to fly the line arrays with the compact fly bar but unfortunately there was no opportunity to fly the PA in either venue. So we made a decision to go for ground stacks on the stage wings,” says Hoyland. “The configuration was basically four AX2065 midhigh modules over one SW215A powered subwoofer per side covering the stalls. And for the first floor we used another three midhighs per side on delays.
"We also intended to use four subwoofers, but the output of the double 15inch SW215A is so impressive that only two were needed."
The Axiom AX2065 midhighs which feature two 6.5inch woofers and a 1.4inch compression driver are available in two variants: powered or passive, both with dispersion of 110° horizontal by 12° vertical. Uniquely for a loudspeaker product in this class is the capability of the powered AX2065A model to power one additional nonpowered, or passive, AX2065P cabinet. This arrangement enables very efficient use of the available amplifier power while maintaining identical voicing from both types of cabinet.
“This was the first time we’d used the Axiom system in a theatre situation, and we were impressed with how well it performed and met all the demands of audience sizes varying from 2,000 to 4,000 people, while still having plenty of headroom,” comments Hoyland. “I was happy with the output I was getting in both theatres, and with the coverage too – the Edinburgh Playhouse has a throw depth of 60 metres and is 50 metres wide.”
The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular band – consisting of four principal singers, keyboards, bass, drums, and a full horn section – also commented on the Axiom system’s sound quality, and were impressed with the sound quality from such compact cabinets.
Overall Axiom proved to be well adapted to the theatre environment, reaffirming it as the right choice of professional sound reinforcement for MB Audio Visual.