New York, NY (September 30, 2022)—Journeymen rockers Incubus spent the summer traversing the country with the aid of Clair Global as the multi-platinum act played sheds, amphitheaters and everything in between. Perhaps a given due to guitarist Mike Einziger’s involvement as a co-founder of the company, Mixhalo’s augmented audio platform was also used by fans at each stop, in turn providing a new challenge for longtime FOH engineer Greg Nelson.
The 27-stop tour found the production carrying an L-Acoustics K Series system, which was more than fine with Nelson, who mixed the proceedings on a DiGiCo Quantum338 console. “I’m so comfortable with this system and was so happy that Clair and Brit Row were able to provide K1 for this tour,” he said. “The consistency I was getting from shed to shed was fantastic, and from the front row all the way to the beginning of the lawn systems it was very even and sonically full.”
The 2022 Summer Tour’s loudspeaker design was built around a pair of 16-enclosure K Series mains—12 K1 over four K2—with eight more K2 per side flown as out-fill arrays. Left and right hangs of six KS28 subs hung in cardioid configuration were bolstered by six more end-stacked on the stage below, also in a cardioid arrangement. Two A15 Wide per side flanked the ground subs for out-fill, while six A10 Focus spread across the stage lip delivered front-fill. The entire system was driven by LA12X amplifiers, housed in LA-RAK II touring racks, and managed via the L-Acoustics P1 AVB processor and measurement platform.
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However, that system augmented with extra content for fans in an on-stage VIP area via the Mixhalo real-time audio application. Mixhalo and L-Acoustics entered a strategic partnership back in 2021, so the tour marked the first joint deployment between them. The Mixhalo deployment was intended to complement the main audience coverage via K1 by a unique VIP headphone solution on stage that delivered real-time audio content tailored to the stage experience.
“We’ve had Mixhalo out with us from the start, obviously,” said Nelson. “I send a left-right mix as well as four other mixes that highlight Ben, Mike, Kil, and José’s instruments on top of a left-right mix. The band sells a VIP package that allows fans to stand on the sides of the stage, approximately six feet from Ben and Mike, and Mixhalo allows them to hear a perfect mix of the show via headphones. We also have been using it in select venues for the lawn. I think it’s a good use of Mixhalo on the lawn, because some venues’ lawn systems are pretty basic and hardly cover the large crowds that are there. Mixhalo gives people the option to listen when they want to and get a great mix.”
