Sting in Brescia: Sound by Outline

After the concerts in Palermo, Venice and Rome, Sting's Symphonicity Tour arrived in the northern Italian city of Brescia.

In this world tour the English singer performed his biggest hits with a symphonic slant, accompanied by the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sarah Hicks, plus band members Jorge Calandrelli, David Hartley, Michel Legrand, Rob Mathes, Vince Mendoza, Steven Mercurio, Bill Ross, Robert Sadin and Nicola Tescari.

The Outline loudspeaker system installed in Brescia's Piazza della Loggia -- 12 Butterfly, nine Mantas. and four Subtech per side -- was entirely flown, following a precise request to this effect by US front-of-house engineer Howard Page: there was not even one sub on the ground. Just six Outline Mantas units, positioned right up against the stage and used as front-fill systems for the benefit of the front rows of spectators.

The system was designed using Outline OpenArray 3D software, a 3D simulator able to predict the electro-acoustic results expected from a live show or a permanent installation. Cipiesse Produzioni was the Brescia rental firm that supplied the equipment and handled the entire operation.

"We simulated everything with the Outline software a few days before the show and, after the installation on the morning of Sunday 31st, realized why a monument should be built to OpenArray 3D: the simulation reflected reality with surgical precision", comments Giancarlo Paladini, head audio technician on behalf of Cipiesse.

"One of the challenges to be faced was that of obtaining 110 decibels of SPL over the entire square and no spill on to the stage, above all of low frequencies. The requests by Sting's technical staff continued with the need to mount delay systems half-way down the square and not use subs. These were the results: no delays half-way down the square, in spite of the 73m to be covered length-wise and 110 decibels of SPL guaranteed with wonderful uniformity, exceeding even Sting's technicians' expectations. To manage to carry this out we used two distinct Outline VLA, with an array made up exclusively of subs between them. 9+9 Mantas elements (120°) were aimed at the audience in such as way as to cover a distance of 30m, while for the remaining distance we had 12+12 Butterfly enclosures," continues Paladini.

"As I said, there was also a third array, made up of just subs, positioned between the Mantas and the Butterfly systems. Following the sound engineer's precise instructions - since a 50-piece orchestra is no joke to handle - we kept the stage clear of low frequencies, once more using OpenArray 3D so successfully that, thanks to a rather unusual cardioid sub configuration, somebody on stage even said that the subs were switched off," concludes Paladini.

Just a few days earlier, in Piazza della Loggia, Cipiesse used its Outlinearrays to amplify the (sold-out) concert by Jethro Tull.