FRISCO, TX – Texas Tour Sound provided RCF’s TT+ Audio GTX system for the ACM “Country Kickoff at The Star” festivities on May 6 and 7, 2025. The free, two-day festival ran outdoors from 5 to 11 p.m. each day in the runup to the 60th annual ACM Awards ceremony on May 8 within the Ford Center at The Star.
More details from RCF USA (www.rcf-usa.com):
At the 60th Annual Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, RCF’s flagship TT+ Audio GTX system took center stage, both literally and sonically, on the outdoor Plaza Stage at The Star in Frisco, Texas, for the ACM “Country Kickoff at The Star” event. This first-ever at-capacity event held in the plaza outside the Ford Center delivered two days of nonstop performances, unpredictable weather, and crystal-clear sound, thanks to the powerful GTX 12 line arrays and GTS 29 subwoofers from RCF.
Audio veteran Wayne Pauley manned the FOH mix, bringing out the best in a lineup of 20 acts across two days. Despite challenges including rain, lightning and fluctuating crowd levels, Pauley and the production team maintained unwavering control over the sound environment. The system, which included eight GTX 12 modules and six GTS 29 subs per side, ensured even SPL distribution and high intelligibility across the sprawling outdoor venue.
“The GTX system continues to really be impressive,” stated Pauley. “Even in tough weather conditions, the clarity and power stayed consistent. It’s got the muscle and the finesse to handle a dynamic, multi-act show like this.”
Pauley has a deep history with the TT+ Audio GTX system, having relied on it for multiple high-profile performances with country star Lee Brice. He first embraced the GTX 12 for large-scale festival settings at JEEP BEACH 2024, which transformed Daytona Speedway into a sonic haven for Jeep enthusiasts and music lovers alike, where clarity, power and precision were critical. He’s praised the system’s natural high-frequency response and effortless setup, noting its standout performance during initial tuning. Most recently he has relied on it throughout Lee Brice’s recent You, Me and My Guitar solo tour. For that run of intimate, mid-sized theater shows, Pauley selected a system that included 12 GTX 10 boxes per side and three GTS 29 subs per side, based on the GTX’s compact size, pristine fidelity and exceptional dynamic range, ideal for Brice’s stripped-down, vocal-forward performances. Whether flying the rig or ground-stacking it in challenging venues, Pauley consistently achieved studio-quality clarity, thanks in part to RCF’s RDNet software and the system’s highly linear response. That tour cemented his trust in GTX as a go-to solution for powerful yet nuanced live sound and underscores his trust in its consistency and fidelity, especially in challenging live environments.
The success of ACM’s “Country Kickoff at The Star” was made possible by a tight-knit production team. Sound reinforcement was provided by Texas Tour Sound, led by Seth Vance, with Zach Anthony on systems engineering. Additional production personnel included Keith and Stephen Beck, Zachary Arnerich, Meghan May, and support from Michael Lawrence and Josh Snyder, who helped guide the show from planning to execution.
“The ‘ACM Country Kickoff at The Star’ was the perfect venue for our GTX system,” said Tarik Solangi, VP of Sales & Marketing at RCF USA. “With a lineup of top-tier talent, a challenging outdoor environment, and a full-capacity crowd, this event showcased exactly what the TT+ Audio GTX Series was built for – power, precision, and performance you can count on. At RCF, we’re focused on designing systems that empower engineers and elevate the live music experience, and seeing the GTX system deliver flawless performance at one of the biggest country music events of the year is a powerful reflection of that mission in action.”
The performance stage, nestled within the iconic training facility of the Dallas Cowboys, saw country music fans gathering in full force, backed by a wall of immersive, high-performance audio delivered by RCF.
Learn more about RCF’s TT+ Audio Series at www.ttaudio.com/en/
