Apr 5, 2007 2:57 PM

Houston-based LD Systems recently oversaw what is probably the largest temporary installation of Electro-Voice equipment in America for the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Series, featuring 108 X-Line boxes powered by an equal number of P3000RL remote-control DSP amplifiers. Upping the ante again for 2007, LD Systems incorporated Electro-Voice's NetMax networked matrix system controller into the system design for the first time.

LD’s plan for Reliant Stadium included 54 P3000RL amps a side sit-racked on two catwalks 200 feet above the dirt, powering 12x eight- and 10-box hangs of X-Line Xvls and Xvlt, with each array alternating left- and right-channel output for a full-coverage stereo image around the room. More than 2,400 feet of fiber-optic cable was used to simultaneously feed signal to the NetMax N8000 controllers and 54 P3000RL amps racked on each catwalk.

"This is our third year using X-Line for the rodeo," reports Robert Ausmus, director of operations at LD Systems. "The show used to receive complaints regarding sound quality due to the acoustical issues inherent in a large space like Reliant. The stereo setup has increased intelligibility in the stadium dramatically. This configuration is also helpful when touring engineers are dialing in their mix in this large space, as they can mute the rest of the room and just keep the L/R arrays facing them at FOH turned on. X-Line continues to perform just as brilliantly as an installed box for the rodeo as when we're out on the road with bands like 3 Doors Down."

Mike "Monk" Shear, audio tech and crew chief for LD Systems, prepared the IRIS-Net software for the Houston Rodeo, rewriting last year's file to use NetMax. "The speed of load in and set up is amazing using the X-Line/RL/IRIS-Net combination," says Shear. "Instead of having to hook everything up, mute and unmute, and turn all the amps down, I can go online via IRIS-Net with a wireless tablet, mute and unmute from anywhere in the room, and tweak the levels so quickly that I don't need another guy shouting across the room telling me he's ready to turn up the next amp."

For additional information about the Electro-Voice gear, visit www.electrovoice.com. Check out LD Systems online at www.ldsystems.com.

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