Michael Bublé Crosses the Globe with Meyer Sound MILO
A chart-topper in Europe, Australia and his native Canada, singer Michael Bublé has
broken through to superstar status worldwide, garnering a GRAMMY® for Best
Traditional Pop Vocal Album and selling out arenas from coast to coast. With a Meyer
Sound MILO® line array loudspeaker system, Michael Bublé and his opening a cappella
group, Naturally 7, are performing across the US and Australia, ending with a week
of shows in the UK in July.
"With eight horns in a 13-piece band, there's a wide range of dynamics and a lot
going on," explains FOH Craig Doubet, whose credits include k.d. lang, Sergio Mendes
and Luis Miguel. "MILO is really the only system I trust to deliver the show with
clarity and accuracy. Mixing on MILO after using another system is like pulling a
wool hat off your ears."
Provided by Montreal-based Solotech, the touring system includes two hangs of 14
MILO and two MILO 120 line array loudspeakers, and two side arrays with 12 MICA(tm)
line array loudspeakers each. Six M1D line array loudspeakers cover front fill, with
eight M3D-Sub directional subwoofers on the deck. Four CQ-1 loudspeakers sit atop
the subs for spot fills. A Galileo(tm) loudspeaker management system with three
Galileo 616 processors control the system, with as many as 14 zones per side. On
stage, ten M'elodie(tm) line array loudspeakers provide foldback.
With an itinerary that includes large arenas, Doubet relies on MAPP Online Pro(tm)
acoustical prediction program to minimize setup time. "The first thing I do is walk
in with my trusty laser tools and measure the room. Once I've got the data from
MAPP, the rig goes up quickly. I can't imagine having to set up without it."
Doubet also gives high marks to Meyer Sound's flexible hardware design. "The rigging
on the MILO and MICA is incredibly versatile. You can do very extreme side hangs and
cover challenging areas. The biggest challenge in arenas is height; the upper seats
can be 90 feet in the air and there's always a section of glass in the middle. With
the Meyer rigging we can aim the arrays so precisely, and compensate for whatever
the hall throws at us."
During a recent stop at Nashville's Sommet Center, Bublé's crew visited Meyer
Sound's Soundcheck office and caught up with Lee Moro, Meyer Sound's Nashville
Operations and Touring Support and a veteran engineer for Bublé. "I mixed Michael on
tour and haven't seen most of them since then," says Moro. "Craig and the crew
really do a fantastic job and it was a pleasure to hear Michael and the a cappella
group sounding so good."