Desert Rock, the Middle East’s highest-profile rock music festival
JBL VERTEC’s SLS Productions in Dubai, U.A.E. recently supplied concert sound, lights and video for Desert Rock, the Middle East’s highest-profile rock music festival. Featuring Darkness, Sepultura, Within Temptations, Machine Head, and other hard rock acts, the marathon festival had 8,000 people onsite at Dubai’s prestigious Country Club venue.
The main sound system from Sun Light & Sound (SLS Productions) consisted of 24 VERTEC VT4888 mid-size line array elements and 18 VT4880 full-size arrayable subwoofers. Set up on a temporary scaffold stage, the arrays were suspended at a height of 12 meters (39 feet), with the subwoofers flown and flanking the main left/right arrays.
The system’s power section included Crown MA3600 and Crown MA5002 amplifiers, driven by five loudspeaker management systems including dbx model 480’s and a BSS FDS-366. Front-of-house equipment included a Soundcraft Series 5 mixing console. Outboard signal processing consisted of touring standard equipment including units from BSS, Lexicon, and dbx.
International-class production values were provided for the enthusiastic audience’s enjoyment, with pyrotechnics and dazzling lighting effects being employed. The JBL VERTEC system was complemented by 100 moving lights, supported by a massive rig of 300 par-cans and other special lamps. A highlight of the stage setup was a massive par-can backwall matrix consisting of 160 different instruments, controlled with a Vari*lite Virtouso desk.
“When touring worldwide, it’s important for international artists to have access to consistent sound, lighting and other production systems,” commented David Scheirman, JBL’s director of tour sound. “Now, with a VERTEC system based in Dubai, the region’s concerts and special events will be on a par with the quality productions staged throughout Europe, Asia and North America.”
For more information about Sony, visit www.jblpro.com/vertec1/new_vertec.
