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ADLIB Sounds Out the Scissor Sisters
ADLIB Audio continued its working relationship with the Scissor Sisters by supplying their recent UK O2 and Manchester Arena shows with a JBL VerTec PA system.
This was designed by ADLIB's Dave Kay, who has been onboard with the Scissor Sisters as their FOH engineer since they supported Duran Duran at Wembley in 2005. Monitor engineer Ben Booker, also from ADLIB, has looked after all their stage requirements for the same period.
ADLIB sent one of their A-Team crews to do these high profile shows, consisting of Tony Szabo (systems engineer), James Neale, Richie Nicholson (monitor babysitter) and Kenny Perrin.
The system was similar to the one that the band has toured with for the last 16 months. JBL's VerTec line array was chosen for its power and directionality … And plenty of it was needed, especially at the new O2 arena.
ADLIB supplied a total of 72 VT4889 elements, six VT4888s and 28 of the new high power VT4880A subs.
The main hangs comprised sixteen 89s a side plus eight subs, and the side hangs were 14 x 89s a side. These are augmented by a further offstage hang each side of six 89s and three 88s – required because the seats had been sold to 270 degrees around the stage.
The remaining 12 subs were ground stacked – six a side – filling the side and front areas.
At the O2, they also hooked into the VT4888 house delay arrays.
The system was processed using six of the new Dolby Lake processors which are now part of ADLIB's standard VerTec set up – along with two of the older Lake Contours.
Amplification for the main boxes was Camco Vortex 6s, with Crown I-TECH 8000s driving the subs.
Kay mixed using a Soundcraft Series 5 console, run in tandem with a Soundcraft Vi6, the latter used as a recording desk.
Outboards included dbx 160 compressors on the vocal and bass, and a BSS 901 on Jake Shears' vocal, plus BSS 402 comps and Drawmer DS201 gates.
The main effects were a TC D2 delay, Yamaha SPX 2000 multi-effects units, a Lexicon PCM91 and a TC M3000 reverb.
Cable management was a major challenge for these shows explains James Neale. With sight-lines of optimum importance to Mark Brickman's stage set design and because the show was sold 270 degrees, all cables from the PA hangs had to be moved from the front of the stage and dropped down at the back.
This involved the ADLIB team in flying two cabletrusses per side. Adlib supplied their own motors and the rigging came from KRS Rigging Services to deal with cables from the main and side PA hangs.
Onstage in monitor World, Ben Booker was overseeing his domain with a Yamaha PM5D console, complete with 24 mixes. It’s been his desk of choice for many reasons, one being that he’s been able to source one in virtually every corner of the world they have visited throughout the tour. Then he simply uploads his show and is ready to go.
The band uses a mix of IEMs and wedges. Jake has wedges. They are a more practical option because of his highly active and energetic style of performance and frequent costume changes.
The front of the stage set was shaped like the band’s logo, with two ‘scissor leg’ catwalks coming off it, going through the audience and into the arena. The drum and keyboard risers were cut out of the top of the scissor handles.
To cover all these areas, and with no side fills, a total of 18 of ADLIB’s MP3 wedges were distributed around the stage and set, so everywhere Jake roamed, he could hear himself.
The three brass players were also on wedges, leaving five mixes of IEMs using their own Sensaphonics moulds.
Sennheiser mics were used throughout including a G2 500 radio system, plus wired mics for the vocal, brass and drums.
ADLIB used the new AP5000 180 degree coverage antenna system from Sennheiser to cover the entire stage area for the IEM mix. Booker remarks that this is “A huge improvement” all round in smooth coverage and signal strength everywhere in the area.
Booker’s biggest show challenge was keeping Jake loud enough for his liking without interfering with anyone else, and also keeping up with him in terms of shifting his mix around as he strutted his stuff at lightening speed. This very hands-on task took maximum concentration.
On this final leg of the Scissor Sisters “Tah-Da” tour, the band also used some very special limited edition gold mics – custom sprayed Sennheiser 500 series – to match the glitz, glamour and gayness of the stage presentation.
20th August 2007
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