Cheap Trick performing with Adamson Systems monitors, sidefill and subwoofers.
Cheap Trick is currently out on tour and Burst Sound & Lighting, headquartered in Detroit, is the sound production company tasked with making sure the band has all of the equipment they require, including a new Adamson Systems monitor rig.
“We expanded our Adamson inventory when they rolled out the E218 line array cabinets earlier this year,” explains Scott Ciungan, operations manager for Burst Sound & Lighting. “I knew the new boxes along with the M212 monitors would deliver exactly what the band was looking for.”
The monitor rig is a new setup of Adamson Systems monitors, sidefill and subwoofers. Monitor engineer Steve Funke, who was not familiar with Adamson before this tour, says that he was impressed with the flexibility and sound quality of the monitor rig.
Sidefill comprises two SX18 3-way loudspeakers with two E218 subwoofers handling the low end. Each pair is placed stage left and right. A total of six M212 monitors are in use: four wedges on stage with four mixes, a cue wedge offstage at the monitor position and a spare wedge on hand for backup. The system is powered by Lab.gruppen PLM 10000Q and 20000Q amplifiers.
“The subs lay on their side with the tops on their side as well,” says Funke. “I don’t use a lot of sub, but it does round out the sidefills nicely. I get a nice kick drum sound out of the sidefills as well as out of the wedges.”
Equipped with two Adamson long-excursion 12-inch Kevlar Neodymium drivers, the M212 monitors supply power handling with solid midrange frequency response, which is ideal for a band like Cheap Trick with exacting vocal performances.
The Adamson E218 – loaded with two ND18-S Kevlar Neodymium drivers – features a band-pass enclosure that helps deliver that added kick to the mix. The SX18 provides high SPL with acoustic efficiency and beamwidth control making it a perfect fit for sidefill duties.
“One of the nicest things about this monitor setup is the consistency,” Funke adds. “From venue to venue there is very little change, which makes my job easier. It takes 10-15 minutes to get everything ready for a line check, which is a real time saver.”
Funke operates a Yamaha PM5D-RH digital console at the monitor position to mix the M212s and the band’s in-ear monitors. According to Funke, Robin Zander has always been fully in-ear with a Shure PSM900 in-ear transmitter and JH Pro 5 monitors. Guitarist Rick Nielsen uses a mix of systems: JH Pro 7 monitors along with a wedge mix and sidefills with Shure UR4S and UR4D wireless microphones.
In addition to the Adamson monitor rig, Burst Sound & Lighting provides everything except for stacks and racks. FOH engineer Bill Kozy uses an Avid Profile with a Waves Mercury bundle at FOH along with an assortment of analog and digital outboard gear
“The new rig has exceeded expectations,” concludes Ciungan. “The band is extremely happy with the end result and given the quantity of fans at each show, they must be happy, too.”
For more information, visit www.adamsonsystems.com and www.burstdetroit.com.
