Meyer Sound News : The "Go For It!" Roadshow Goes for Meyer Sound

The "Go For It!" Roadshow Goes for Meyer Sound

"Using self powered speakers definitely saves floor space that allows us to move in and out more freely. Another advantage of using Meyer Sound is that it is much faster assembling and pulling the PA system."

- Roland Ryan
Front of House Mixer, Health South Roadshow

The "Go For It" Roadshow relied on an all-Self-Powered Meyer Sound Loudspeaker system for sound reinforcement this year.

The elaborate show, presented by Health South Corporation, is a field trip program for elementary school children that was developed to promote the importance of education, exercise, and good nutrition. Such sports legends as former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, Superbowl place kicker Matt Barr, and Olympic diver Jennifer Chandler participate as coaches and referees to rally each of two teams, which are made up of audience members. Music groups such as 3rd Faze and Dream Street also participate, making the event appealing to audiences at many levels.

In order to get their message across clearly, the Roadshow relied on a lineup of self-powered M3D Line Array Loudspeakers, M3D-Sub Directional Subwoofers, MSL-4 Horn-Loaded Long-Throw Loudspeakers, and UPM-1P Ultra-Compact Wide Coverage Loudspeakers. The monitors were PSM-2 High-Power Low-Profile Stage Monitors.

MUSE Productions of Birmingham, AL has been providing equipment for the tour for more than seven years. They recently made the switch to an all-Meyer system. Robert Hawthorne, president of MUSE Productions, says, "Our move to Meyer equipment is ongoing. We started our fall tour in Orlando, and with the disruption in air traffic we cut it close. We literally built the new rig onsite. We even had our equipment delivered on the day of load in! A truck pulled up with the Meyer rig and it was a beautiful sight."

All of the Roadshow action takes place on the arena floor, with the audience seated on either side. A rectangular stage on one end of the floor features a runway that connects to an octagonal stage at the center of the arena. The sound system is rigged left and right of the main stage, an arrangement which poses some interesting challenges. Dave Lawler, principal of Docktr Dave Audio Inc. admits, " We were initially concerned that there would be too much spill from the speaker system into the performance areas, possibly causing feedback. Also, the long delay time (from the main system) could make it very difficult for the singers to find their tempo." The game plan was to "angle the arrays 15 to 20 degrees out to the sides." However, "owing to the M3D's system's superior control, we found that we could decrease the offstage pan to 10 degrees and still have plenty of system gain," says Lawler.

"Dave Lawler came in at the beginning of the tour with Meyer's SIM System II for the Orlando, Fl and Savannah, GA shows, and he did a great job at SIMming the rig out and getting beautiful coverage in the room," says Hawthorne. Roland Ryan, the Front of House mixer for the Roadshow, says, "sometimes it's hard competing with ten thousand screaming fourth graders, but the results have been very, very positive, and very clear."

Ryan says, "Using self-powered speakers definitely saves floor space, and that allows us to move in and out more freely." The production crew takes twelve hours to set up 40,000 pounds of lighting and sound equipment, but only five hours to take it down. "Another advantage of using Meyer Sound is that it is much faster assembling and pulling the PA system," Ryan concludes.

Health South's "Go For It!" Roadshow debuted on the 13th of September in Orlando, FL. Ryan praises Meyer Sound's service during this difficult time. "It was a challenge, but Meyer was outstanding in getting the product to us – and the technical support was top-notch."

December, 2001