this current run – brought Doubet out for a
Celine Dion show that had three arrays per
side of the stage: FOH throw, mid-side, and
side. “That got me thinking of splitting those
arrays…” Doubet shares.
The set-up for An Evening with Michael
Bublé features a passerelle connecting to a
thrust catwalk that leads to the 26-ft.-diam-
eter B-stage. That presented the challenge
of keeping Bublé’s vocal from coming from
behind him when he’s off the main stage.
Well ahead of the tour, Doubet met
with Meyer’s Director of System Optimiza-
trols… Works for me every time.”
The main stage system’s main and
side arrays cover the bowl seating in the
closest half of the arena; however, as
they’re slightly canted off to the side, it’s
the separate multi-array system flown
under the scoreboard (and above the
B-Stage) that handles vocal coverage for
the rear portion of the arena – basically
operating as a delay cluster when the per-
formance is anchored on the main stage.
When Bublé heads for the B-stage,
though, the “zero point” of his voice follows
EXPANSIVE MEYER SOUND AUDIO SYSTEM FOR AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL BUBLÉ
tion, Bob McCarthy, and Technical Support
Specialist, David Vincent, for some preliminary
brainstorming about in-the-round systems.
The two had recently designed a sizeable
system for Metallica and provided additional
insights on system drive and mixed arrays.
From there, Doubet drew up a rough
plan and sent it to Solotech’s Audio Techni-
cal Advisor, Patrice Lavoie, and Jon Trudeau,
the system tech and crew chief for the up-
coming tour. The two reviewed the design
and offered input on available inventory,
weight management, and coverage solu-
tions. At that point, Vincent checked back in
and, together, they solidified their approach.
Speaking to his longtime preference
for Meyer products, Doubet says they’re the
optimal solution for a vocalist like Bublé.
“The clarity, lack of phase wrap in the mid-
range, and sparkly high end just sounds
to me like a vocal should. Add to that the
variety of products, self-powered speakers,
drive systems with gobs of options and con-
along, transitioning in sync so that, when
he arrives on the circular platform, his voice
emanates from directly overhead while the
orchestra image remains at the main stage.
System drive and optimization comes
via Meyer’s Galileo Galaxy 816 AES master
processor, networked via AVB with seven
816 array processors. “We’re using a custom
beta software in the Galaxy that enables
Meyer’s CueStation interface to control
most functions in the Compass software in
real-time,” notes Doubet, which essentially
enables him to crossfade matrix outputs
with a single virtual fader.
“Michael’s vocal and FX are routed to
inputs of the Galaxy, separate of the music
mix,” the FOH engineer explains. “Using the
virtual fader, his vocal is moved between
the two stages. It also changes delay tim-
ings of some of the arrays that are used in
both systems.”
He notes that nailing the “panning”
effect with the vocal took a lot of trial and
error. “We had to figure how to align the dif-
ferent arrays’ level and tone at various seats,
assess the correct delay time changes, and
coordinate with Rob Mele at Meyer Sound to
change the software accordingly,” he reveals.
Trudeau, the tour’s system tech and
crew chief, says the biggest logistical chal-
lenge they faced in the design was figuring
out how to get power and signal to the
B-stage system. The plan he and Lavoie
developed involved integrating the power
distros and array processors on top of the
sub arrays on each side. “Then we designed
a fibre AVB network with an analog backup
to be able to control and patch the whole
system,” he shares.
Trudeau has grown quite fond of the
Galaxy platform over the years, with this
tour being a prime example of its usefulness
and power. “I think it’s the most powerful
matrix processing system on the market
right now,” he enthuses. “Everybody should
have a Galaxy for tuning their system; it’s
just so easy to use.”
Doubet says the collaborations with
both Meyer Sound and Solotech were seam-
less throughout the design process – as he
knew would be the case. “I’ve worked with
Meyer Sound for almost 25 years, and Solo-
tech for 11,” he shares. “I couldn’t ask for a bet-
ter relationship with either of them. [Meyer
Sound Co-Founder] Helen Meyer made sure
we had access to everyone and everything
we needed. [Digital Systems Project Man-
ager] Rob Mele took great pains to program
CueStation, and David Vincent spent several
days with us in production rehearsals.”
A unique challenge of the final set-up
is that the FOH mix position isn’t in the di-
rect field of any of the arrays – “so it’s a bit of
a head-spinner getting tuned in the room,”
Doubet asserts. “Meyer Sound has been nice
enough to loan us a pair of their AMIE [stu-
dio] monitors and an AMIE sub. I make use
of them every day, often relying on them for
direct signal at the mix position.”
That means he doesn’t get the full
vocal panning effect from FOH, and subse-
quently leans on Trudeau’s ears and advice
when tuning the system.
Doubet captains his rig from an SSL L500
console. Having worked as a studio engi-
neer in the years preceding his stint at the
FOH position, Doubet says he’s been using
SSL desks since 1986 and they’ve become
part of his “audio DNA.” He got his hands on
an L500 when they were first introduced
back in 2013 and took one out on a Selena
Gomez tour in 2016.
PROFESSIONAL SOUND 31