For Kylie’s recent Australian tour, FOH Engineer Kevin Pruce utilised a d&b audiotechnik KSL system supplied by JPJ Audio, with control from Solotech UK.
“There are three hangs per side and flown subs, 18 x KSL8 in the main hang, 16 x KSL8 in the side hang and 8 x XLS8/12 in the 270 hang,” he explained. “The flown subs behind the main hang are 6 x KSL-subs. On the floor is a sub-array across the front of the stage, on either side of the thrust, consisting of 10 x SL-subs. Front fills for image are 8 x Y10s, all powered by D80 amps.”
The PA system control is via a DirectOut Prodigy FOH and Mavens as nodes SL/SR, which are all connected via Optocore.
Pruce adds that he chose the KSL over the GSL because he needs the system to cover to the barrier (the front fills are relatively low for sight lines), so the vertical coverage can be pretty high, and the KSL has larger splay angles to allow him to do this.
“I also prefer the main and side hangs to be the same box,” Pruce remarked. “I think the KSL works well for this show; it’s not too big a box and not too heavy and has cardioid lows and low-mid pattern control, which can help in a “boomy” arena.”
Pruce has been a DiGiCo user for quite a long time, favouring a Quantum338 Pulse for this tour. The Digico SD racks have the 32-bit i/o cards installed.
“It’s a good console and the right DiGiCo for this show,” he stated. “I had to go with the Pulse version as the channel count increased. I like the ergonomic layout of the surface and the screens, which have great contrast and are helpful in the sunlight at a festival or strong overhead lighting.”
Alongside console processing, Pruce utilizes Waves plugins, including the F6 Floating-Band Dynamic EQ, C6 Multiband Compressor, H-Comp Hybrid Compressor, and Primary Source Expander, among others.
“Obviously, Kylie’s vocals are the most important element of the show, and it takes a lot of riding and fettling to keep it controllable and upfront in the mix,” he said. “Kylie spends a lot of time in front of the PA on either the thrust or C stage; therefore, spill into her mic is an issue, so I use the Cedar DNS8 noise suppressor on her and the three backing singers to help cut down this spill and get a cleaner signal.”
The band consists of a four-piece lineup: drums (both electronic and acoustic), bass (played on both guitar and synth), guitar and acoustic guitar, keys and vocals, and, of course, three backing singers and eight dancers.
The drum mics are standard, except for the snare and toms, which feature the relatively new Lauten Tom mics.
Monitors
Gavin Tempany ran a Solid State Logic L550 Plus console, explaining that the gig primarily operates on a Digico/Optocore optical loop, and he has numerous Optocore M12 and X6R interfaces to facilitate connectivity in and out of that loop. A rack-mounted Digico SD10RE provides the copy audio functionality to the Optocore units to which the SSL is connected.
“I have my usual SSL ML:32:32 stage boxes for any analog I/O, for example, the typical band inputs and 20 or so shout mic inputs, giving me independence from the rest of the desks,” commented Tempany. “The Wisycom MTK982 in-ears are fed via AES-3 from an SSL D32:32 AES interface.
The playback and keys are transmitted to us via the optical network, as are all the microphones. We’re covering many areas in the arenas both for reception and transmission. Kylie performs for a significant portion of the show on the C stage, which is located near the FOH area. It’s 40 to 50 metres from the main stage and our radio systems.”
In early planning meetings, Solotech account handler Robin Conway, RF technician Kevin Snuggs, Crew boss Jonny Buck, and Tempany discussed creating the simplest solution to provide the most controlled In-ear transmission and radio mic reception.
“We’ve ended up using an RF over fibre solution to extend the transmission of the in-ears for the performers that frequent the C stage,” explained Tempany. “It’s clever; we can get a low-powered auxiliary output at the same frequency from the main transmitter and retransmit it with no phase issues using an amplifier at the C stage. The Wisycom MPR-50 IEM receivers provide excellent reception throughout the entire arena and automatically switch between transmitters.
“We’ve had great results with the Wisycom systems. The third-order harmonics are so low we can place them much closer to each other than other systems. The Wisycom IEM system has a wide frequency range, so we need only one set of transmitters and receivers for a world tour. Also, the receiver packs are dead silent.”
The eight dancers on the show also use IEMs – Sennheiser 2000 series receivers fed by a Wisycom transmitter in a Sennheiser emulation mode. To get them worldwide, the Tempany carries two sets of ten rechargeable receivers in two bands (Aw and Gw).
The band and Kylie use UE11 IEMs, while the dancers use UE5s, all of which were purchased new for the tour. Tempany adds they’ve been a great combination of excellent service, sound, affordability, and reliability.
Kylie has been a long-time Sennheiser user, touring with six custom-coloured microphones from the older 5000 series range. Tempany remarks that they are lightweight and their radio performance is incredible. Even when she’s 40 – 50 metres away, in a packed arena on the C stage, he still has full reception on the main stage receivers. The backing singer’s mics are Sennheiser system 6000 with 435 capsules.
Tempany utilizes a stem group specific to the SSL desk to group the mics and perform any EQ or processing. This enables him to perform all the level and tone adjustments on one stem group, with the mic channels only being unmuted and muted, depending on the song. Running it in this fashion still gives him the flexibility to effect a mic individually if it changes tone compared to the others.
Tempany remarks that Kylie’s vocals are not overly loud in the mix; she prefers to blend in with the music and feel the vibe. The trick on this gig is that she’s always in front of the PA, so Tempany uses an SSL Sourcerer plugin, a primary source enhancer that effectively reduces background noise.
Tempany follows the show time-code to fire scenes for each song, which gives him the flexibility to deal with other things and just mix the show whilst having the repeatability of changing scenes every night at the same time. He adds this is very important in the show’s medleys.
Playback
As is often the case with large-scale productions, Playback goes far beyond simply triggering audio. The Playback and Keys system on the tour is deployed, designed and built by Opto and run by Will Sanderson, Playback Engineer.
“It forms a technical backbone and a dynamic tool to support the creative teams by removing technical limitations,” explained Sanderson. “It serves as the central source of timecode for all departments and delivers digital audio directly onto the show’s Optocore network. Audio consistency is crucial, and it is accurately achieved at the source with the use of a DiGiCo SD11 within the playback system. I’ve found this invaluable for source audio analysis, recording and on-the-fly adjustments in response to creative direction as the show evolves.”
Beyond audio and synchronisation, the system provides show-wide communication in innovative ways. For example, it manages a network of iPads to provide show-specific timing data tailored to each department’s requirements. This simple yet effective tool allows stage movements and tightly choreographed sections of the show to be executed confidently, regardless of changes in song arrangements, staging, or venue.
“It is a technical show, and maintaining alignment across all departments as we tour the world is vital,” added Sanderson. “By integrating these elements, the Playback system ensures every performance can be executed with absolute precision.” Kylie’s Tension Tour travels the US through April, followed by a UK and European tour from May to July. South America is next, with the tour set to conclude at the end of August in Mexico after seventy shows.
Photos: Erik Melvin
This article first appeared in the April Edition of Lighting & Sound International
