It can now be revealed that L-Acoustics K Series was used to power the tour of the UK by the rock band Keane as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of their album “Hopes and Fears“, which has sold more than 5.5m copies worldwide. The initial dates commenced in May and included two nights at London’s O2 Arena. Keane are now touring the show globally.
The hurdle to achieving the dynamic sound the group wanted included the varying sizes and acoustics of the different arenas and the set design, which featured a T-shaped thrust extending into the audience, complicating speaker placements and coverage.
L-Acoustics and its certified provider, Solotech, supplied a solution featuring 16 K1+6 K2 per side for the main l/r hangs, 16 K2 each for side hangs and eight K3 for the 180º hangs per side of line array speakers, complemented by eight flown KS28 subwoofers in a cardioid configuration per side toed out 30º with 18 ground stacked KS28 subwoofers in a cardioid sub-arc array.
Out-fills consisted of four A15 Wide per side, with 12 Kara II used for each the front and thrust fills. All enclosures were powered by LA12X amplified controllers, with system control managed by three P1 processors on a Milan-AVB network.
L-Acoustics Soundvision software played a crucial role in the system design process. Initial designs were created by veteran US system engineer Michael Gazdziak and the designs were then refined for each venue on the ground by Solotech’s touring system engineer, Rich Kemp.
Philip Harvey, front of house engineer for Keane, said: “L-Acoustics was specifically requested for this tour. It’s the system I feel most comfortable with after years of working with it, mixing for other artists. While Keane is known for their melodic ballads, their live performances demand a very dynamic sound. Our goal was to deliver a powerful rock show that ranges from the intimate moments to thunderous crescendos, all while ensuring every seat in the house received a consistent audio impact.”
Tim Mitchell, project manager at Solotech, elaborated on their approach: He explained: “Coverage was our main goal, making sure everyone received the same full spectrum audio impact. With most of the audience in allocated seats, we needed the sound to reach every one of them with a comparable quality and power.”
The team employed innovative techniques to address the unique challenges posed by the T-shaped thrust. Mitchell said: “Panflex was used on the K2 down-fills to minimise spill onto the thrust. A strategically placed second row of Kara II along the edge of the thrust provided in-fill for the areas affected by the stage structure and those not covered by the K2 down-fills.”
Harvey concluded: “The barometer for success of this UK arena leg was the two O2 shows, and we were overwhelmed by compliments and positive feedback.”
