Engineer Alex Soto (left) and FOH engineer Fernando
Diaz
Spanish pop sensation Alejandro Sanz recently completed a three-month tour of Latin America and the United States to promote his latest release, No Es lo Mismo. Joining forces to provide production sound equipment for the tour were Mexico’s Procolor and Spain’s RLM, who together used four Lake Contour digital loudspeaker processors for the concert system.
Javier Barba, owner and general director of Guadalajara-based Procolor, was attracted to Lake Contour for a number of reasons. “Initially, the main feature that grabbed our attention was the wireless capability for monitoring and controlling the system from different positions in the venue,” he explains. “Plus, the SmaartLive integration with the Lake software was interesting since we usually use Smaart to make adjustments to our systems.”
One of the largest sound rental companies in Mexico, Procolor purchased the Lake Contour units some time before the Sanz tour. “We have used the Lake Contour before with other artists like Mana, Alejandro Fernandez, Blink-182 and for some local events,” reveals Barba. “After having tried the Contours with different consoles, different artists and different engineers, we noticed the warmth that these processors add to the sound. The Lake Contour definitely offers a great quality in sound processing.”
On the Sanz tour, a pair of Lake Contours handled the main stereo P.A. with an additional pair controlling the subwoofers, which were driven from console aux sends. Large quantities of L-Acoustics V-DOSC, SB-218, dV-DOSC, dV-SUB, ARCS and 115FM floor monitors were carried on the tour, allowing the production crew to custom-configure the system for a variety of venues: from medium-sized theaters to the historical Zócalo de México plaza in Mexico City, where Sanz attracted approximately 140,000 fans.
Barba also cites Lake Contour’s 113dB dynamic range, +24dBU input level and +21dBU output level and the seamless combination of parametric and graphic EQ as additional reasons for his purchase of the units. By carefully setting the gain structure of the Lake Contours and the DiGiCo D5 console, says Procolor systems engineer Alex Soto, the system was capable of delivering an average 112dB SPL at the FOH position at 97.5 feet and, in larger venues and stadiums, an average 118dB SPL at 130 feet.
For more information about Lake Technology, please visit the company’s Website at www.contour.lake.com. For more touring news, visit mixonline.com/livesound/tours.
