Meyer Sound Gives MICA a Workout at Shrine Auditorium
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On August 10, 2005, the crème de la crème of audio designers and engineers from the western US joined Meyer Sound at the 6,300-seat Shrine Auditorium, home to countless televised award shows over the years, for an introduction to and demonstration of Meyer Sound's new MICA compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker. MICA, a smaller, lighter version of the large-format MILO high-power curvilinear array loudspeaker, is ideal for mid-sized venues not requiring the additional power and throw of MILO, or as an adjunct to a MILO main system. The Shrine demonstration was held over two days and offered attendees the opportunity to hear MICA several ways: without EQ, with recorded music and with live music. After being greeted by Meyer Sound's Western Regional Sales Manager Jim Sides, the event's host, a CD selection was played over what Meyer Sound's John Monitto called "MICA in the raw": two MICA cabinets and one of the new 600-HP high-power subwoofers groundstacked on a caster frame sitting centerstage, with no equalization or other external signal processing. Adam Ogden, from Las Vegas' Canyon Ridge Christian Church, which is planning on installing a MICA in their new sanctuary, was thrilled to hear their choice in person. "We were all very impressed with the MICA," Ogden says. "It was a great first listen." Next, guests listened to the main system, which consisted of left and right arrays, each consisting of 16 MICA cabinets hung under two 600-HP subwoofers, supplemented by four 700-HP ultrahigh-power subwoofers on each side of the stage. Seven M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers were deployed individually for frontfill. Guests were captivated by MICA's smooth high end and power. "MICA sounds 'airy' and has a ton of horsepower," says Pat Hoffman, audio and lighting department manager for AV Concepts of Phoenix, Ariz., and San Diego, Calif. Music included the distinctive voice of James Taylor singing "That Lonesome Road" demonstrating MICA's clarity and tone, and a Brazilian selection showed off the substantial low-frequency power provided by the 700-HP arrays and flown 600-HP units. A live drum introduction performed by LA drummer Larry Pascal segued into a rock cut that let the attendees hear how MICA handled high-energy electrified music. Since live performance is really the best test for such a sound system, the crowd was treated to several songs by LA favorites Reno Jones, an eight-piece horn band playing original R&B. The event concluded with Monitto and Sides answering questions from an enthusiastic audience. "The audio quality — MICA's overall musicality and transparency — was excellent," comments independent event sound system designer Gary Hardesty. "MICA also showed good projection, especially very up-front vocal projection, and its horizontal and vertical coverage were much better than its competitors." It wasn't only MICA's sound that impressed the audience, but also its size, weight and QuickFly rigging with Guide-a-Links. "The captive rigging hardware seemed refined, even beyond the MILO system, and the reduced weight makes eight flown boxes total about a half-ton, which is very doable in a ballroom situation," remarks Will Nealie, director of audio engineering and design for events staging giant Creative Technology. At the end of the day, many audience members had become believers. "It was the best demo I've ever seen, as far as having a live band and having the demonstration flow well," Hoffman asserts. "MICA is perfect for mid-sized venues from 3,000 to 6,000 seats," he adds, noting that it worked especially well in the Shrine. Shrine General Manager Duke Collister concurs. "These have been an interesting couple of days," notes Collister, who is already looking at designs for the system the Shrine will be installing to handle its upcoming schedule of events. This fall the Emmys, the BET (Black Entertainment Television) and American Music Awards return, but Collister is also looking forward to bidding on next year's summer tours. "Having the right sound system means a lot and will be a plus for us," he concludes. "I'm looking forward to having Meyer in here." August, 2005 |
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