Three-time GRAMMY award-winning alternative dance/electronic media trio, Rüfüs Du Sol, are currently out on the road in support of their brand-new album Surrender, using d&b audiotechnik SL-Series loudspeakers provided by 3G Productions LLC of Las Vegas and Los Angeles for their live shows. Headliner caught up with 3G system engineer and account manager Adolfo Velez to find out how the system has been put to use and why it is one of the most powerful products he’s ever worked with.

The Australian group from Sydney is made up of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt, with the three-piece predominantly performing in amphitheaters across North America. Their tour began back in May and continues to run into the fall.

“The tour required the latest and greatest in audio technology and sound quality, so the SL- Series was the obvious choice,” explains Keith Conrad, CEO of 3G Productions. “The system was able to deliver powerful, even coverage throughout the venue with ArrayProcessing, while providing the best clean and quiet response behind the arrays for a better performance by the band on stage.”

One of the key features for Conrad, Velez, and the team is the full bandwidth directivity of the SL-Series. This aspect of the system has been designed to deliver quiet stages for the artists and maximum performance for the audience. Combined with d&b audiotechnik’s ArrayProcessing software, the system aims to provide a consistent audio experience for everyone in the venue.

On this tour, GSL loudspeakers are hung as mains and KSL systems as outfills. 3G Productions uses d&b’s ArrayCalc simulation software for planning and setup at all venues.

“RDS carries 12 GSL8s and four GSL12s per side as the main arrays, combined with 12 KSL8 and four KSL12 per side for the side hangs,” notes Velez. “We were able to achieve even sub coverage using a sub array consisting of 20 SL-GSUBs and a widespread front fill coverage supported by 10 V10P point source loudspeakers.”

Velez also explains that there are different issues to face when touring the country and going to new places on every show.

“A great challenge to face was noise regulation; in some cases, the venues were close to residences and the city would enforce a dB noise limit,” he elaborates. “In these situations, the venue can average measurements from around its perimeter and calculate a theoretical dB limit at front of house. Knowing the true power of SL-Series and ArrayProcessing, we asked for the mandated dB limit, along with the location of the measurement, then calculated the distance from the source. By doing so, we were able to provide more SPL at front of house than was ‘allowed’ without breaking the dB regulation at the venue boundary. You could walk beyond the boundary and back and hear a significant dip in the sound pressure level, keeping our clients and the venues happy.”

Velez also discussed how he, 3G and the d&b setup came to be such a central part of the Rüfüs Du Sol tour.

“When I first got introduced to Rüfüs Du Sol, I was an engineer with 3G Productions,” he says. “We got a call to do a one off show and I was the system engineer for that show. The band was really happy with how it sounded so they told us that we should bid for their tour. Which is what we did.

“They were very happy with d&b, with the SL-Series, how it sounded, the coverage, the ArrayProcessing… basically all the good stuff that d&b does! And the fact that it was so clean on stage was great, too.

“The band’s FOH engineer, who also mixes their live records, pushed for d&b audiotechnik as soon as he heard the SL system and he’s never looked back. The system runs on so much headroom. It’s just so impressive. I have never seen this much power with this much headroom. And the V10Ps are the best front fills I’ve ever heard in my life. They are the icing on the cake.”

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