Outline GTO powered the sold-out ‘Concert for Carolina’ concert, at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, which raised more than $24.5m for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. More than 82,000 fans packed into the stadium to watch singers like Sheryl Crow and James Taylor perform, with surprise appearances by actress Nicole Kidman, who joined her husband, Keith Urban on stage, and country music legend Randy Travis.
With an in-the-round stage layout, the concert on October 26 required tailored sound coverage. Special Event Services (SES) was selected to meet this challenge, deploying an extensive Outline GTO line array system.
The audio system featured a combination of Outline’s GTO, GTO-DF, GTOC–12, Mantas, and LAB 21 HS sub-bass cabinets, powered by TTM12K4 amplifiers and controlled by Outline’s Newton FPGA processors.
Sound designer Jason Farah led the system’s design and deployment, utilising Outline’s OpenArray 3D simulation software to precisely map the venue’s acoustics and deliver crystal-clear sound to every seat.
Ben Rigby, the FOH engineer for performer Eric Church, said: “The first thing I noticed during soundcheck was how precisely it captured the fine details of Eric’s playing. Eric has moments where he barely sings above a whisper or fingerpicks so softly it’s barely above the noise floor. With the GTO, I didn’t have to fight to bring those subtleties forward in the mix. The PA was evenly deployed, giving every seat – even in the upper bowls – the same pristine audio image as those down front.”
Andy Lytle, FOH engineer for singer Billy Strings, added: “We walked in and the PA was tuned perfectly for the stadium, which is no easy task while performing in the round. I rely on a PA system that allows low and high mids to really cut through without getting muddy, and the GTO rig did just that. I look forward to seeing this PA system out on more gigs and festivals.”
The star-studded lineup featured North Carolina natives Luke Combs and Eric Church alongside James Taylor, The Avett Brothers, Scotty McCreery, Chase Rice, and Parmalee – artists with strong local ties – plus Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, and Bailey Zimmerman.
