The Score Magazine - Archive February 2015 issue! | Page 19

Legendary Drummer Dave Weckl
relies on QSC for perfect on-stage
audio reinforcement!
Dave Weckl isn’t just a name in the world of drums and
percussion – the man is a legend! For more than 25 years,
Weckl has developed and maintained a reputation among fans,
peers, and the international music community as one of the
great living drummers, with numerous accolades and honours
including Modern Drummer inducting him into their Hall of
Fame and naming him "one of the 25 best drummers of all
time." And for a man of such legendary status, it’s quite obvious
that he guy takes his gear very seriously. So it comes as no
surprise that the ace drummer relies on QSC Audio products
to sort his on-stage sound reinforcement needs – after all,
legendary artists only choose those products that do justice to
their performance and reputation.
It’s great that an emerging group of acoustic drummers have
taken the step to purchase their own microphones, mixer, and
build their own sub-mix of their drum-kit – a technique that
proves very useful for those in smaller venues where the in-
house P.A. or house engineer are untested, or there is simply
no P.A. system at all – creating their own drum “mix” on stage.
But the thing is, most of them end up overlooking the need for
accurate stage amplification that would allow them to hear
every minor adjustment or tweak they make to the mix. The
ideal acoustic drum amplification system should therefore
accurately reproduce the drum kit’s full-range sound just like
a great pair of studio monitors does (Unfortunately studio
monitors make poor stage amplifiers!).
Here’s where Dave stands out and sets the standards really
high when it comes to his on-stage audio reinforcement gear,
with QSC’s House of K comprising his personal on-stage
monitoring system. Says Dave “The toughest thing in sound
reinforcement for drummers is being able to find a system that
has the power and that can handle the sound pressure of the kit
and the low ends, while ensuring the fidelity remains true. I found
all of that in QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers.”
QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers offer studio-quality
reinforcement for acoustic drums, and with 1000 watts of
pure Class D power, they are able to play at volumes that
can drive the rhythm and support all the other musicians on
stage. Dave recalls his first encounter with QSC’s K Family of
loudspeakers as he shares “When I first heard the QSC KW152’s
at the company’s HQ in Costa Mesa, I remember thinking to
myself ‘Wow, these sound amazingly fresh and real – these are
really cool’. And the really cool part thing that amazed me was
that the quality of sound reproduction was almost identical in the
KW122’s.”
In addition to pristine audio reproduction and high quality
performance, other benefits of the K Family loudspeakers
include;
Full-range, accurate reproduction at performance volume.
Flatter off-axis response is achieved using DMT Technology-
this results in more intelligible sound for the other players on
the stage, and wider stereo imaging when using a stereo pair.
Floor wedge or pole-mount options on the 10” & 12” models.
Dual 12” and single 18” subwoofer models available for extra
LF in large or loud room settings.
Two channel mixer onboard (including a Mic Input) allows
for instrument amp and stage monitor use simultaneously.
Through-connections and a mixed output are provided for
easy connection to mixing console inputs. Control the volume
of your stage “mix” using an Expression Foot Pedal.
Talking about his prized QSC system and how it’s never failed
to impress him, Dave Weckl, the master himself, shares
“The KW122’s fit my needs perfectly, in terms of portability and
performance – the system is tight, punchy, sonically pleasing, and
compliments my acoustic drums phenomenally. And the beauty
about the system I use is that there’s not a lot of manipulation
that you’d need to do on the mixing end for it to reproduce
perfectly where you’re at. I am running the 12's in parallel and
the sub on a separate output. This allows complete flexibility
depending on the music and how much punch I need vs bottom.
Out of any rig I've ever used, I found I had to EQ the system very
minimally here... the speakers just sound great.”
The entire range of the K Family of loudspeakers are readily
available within the Indian market through Pro Visual
Audio Pvt. Ltd (the official distribution partners of QSC
Audio products in India) and its various channels across the
country, backed by superlative prompt after-sales service and
support.
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