United Kingdom (July 7, 2022)—Veteran alt-rockers The Killers spent May and June slaying fans in the U.K. and Ireland on the Imploding The Mirage stadium tour. Along for the spree were FOH engineer Kenny Kaiser, monitor engineer Marty Beath and audio vendor Capital Sound (now part of Solotech UK Group).
Capitol fielded a sizable d&b audiotechnik GSL PA system for the production, opting for a design with main hangs of 16 GSL8 and 4 GSL12 cabinets left and right, plus 10 flown SL-SUBs per side and 14 GSL8 and 2 GSL12 left and right for side arrays. On the ground were SL-GSUBs, stacked six-wide and two-high, their arrangement of 21” speakers extending the system’s cardioid pattern control down to 30 Hz. “Low end is always an issue in stadiums,” says Kaiser, “but the control here with the flown subs and the G-SUBs, it’s just great.”
For delays, smaller KSL8s were deployed in hangs of 16 cabinets per side. All arrays were flown in compression mode, but smaller KSL8 arrays can be rigged from roof structures where needed, in tension mode to save weight.
Inside the Audio of The Killers World Tour
The system’s performance aided the sound team, as the GSL employs a combination of cardioid techniques which result in the rejection of energy to the rear, resulting in a quieter environment onstage and lower off-site sound emissions. Kaiser comments, “The back end is quiet and it’s really clean on stage, which makes life easier for everyone. Marty can get his mix out without fighting, so everyone’s happy—and when everyone else is happy, I’m happy. We’ve had comments from guests and promoters on the tour, saying it’s some of the best sound they’ve ever heard at their venue…and the Solotech guys have been absolutely amazing – great to work with.”
The Killers tour will continue with GSL through the European festival season, and then for its North American and Australasian shows later in the year.
