MILWAUKEE, WI — Christopher R. Johnson, sound engineer for Old Mil Band, used a K-array setup for the band’s appearance at the Milwaukee Ale House earlier this year that included a KR400s system positioned on both sides of the stage, complemented by two KL18 subwoofers. Sennheiser USA’s Eric Reese provided the gear on a trial basis, and Johnson credited the gear for ease of setup and sound quality.
More details from K-array (www.k-array.com) and Sennheiser USA (www.sennheiserusa.com):
Christopher R. Johnson is a very active sound engineer in Wisconsin, USA, and usual soundman for the Old Mil Band, a rock band blended with electrifying energy and stage prowess. Over the years, Chris has been in search of a sound distribution system to be used on live events in pubs and clubs. This implied the need for full range covering and the possibility of supporting the rock sound as well as the excitement of the crowd to the uttermost with a suitable SPL. In addition, Chris sought a product that was portable, light and easy to assemble and set, hence reducing installation times thus allowing more focus on the success of the concert.
This is where Eric Reese, of the Sennheiser USA Integrated Systems (the area K-array brand distributor) Market Development department, came in. Eric asked Chris to test a K-array system but in a real context where all the aspects of the product could be tested. The right chance came up last summer during the Old Mil Band concert held at the Milwaukee Ale House, a craft brewery located in the more ancient part of Milwaukee City on Lake Michigan, with a breathtaking sight on Lake Michigan and a series of moors available for sailing lovers of beer.
Thus, the Old Mil Band “got the best” out of a KR400s system positioned on the two sides of the stage and completed by two KL18 subwoofers. Actually, KR400s turned out to be the ideal choice for this situation. As a matter of fact, KR400s are compact and easy to install (two vertical modules housing twelve 3.15” drivers with neodymium magnet), have the capacity to produce the entire sound range with valid support for bass sounds thanks to the subwoofers and they are extremely quick to set-up thanks to the manufacturer presets (obviously implementable with the client’s settings).
As pointed out by Chris: “The ease of setup for this system made it possible for me to focus on other aspects of the show prior to our starting time. I have used other portable systems in the past, and the layout of this venue combined with the coverage pattern of the K-Array system made this a very logical choice. Actually, the performance area for this particular venue is wide and not very deep. Ale House is known for a large crowd gathering very close to the stage. Using the KR400’s, we positioned the lower satellite’s inward to accommodate the up close and personal fans while the upper satellites were pointed outward for the patrons standing in the rear areas of the room.” Eric Reese did a very nice video of the event.
The response from the crowd was awesome also due to the Old Mil Band energy, who had a great time on a stage clear of cumbersome equipment.
“Throughout the performance we got lots of compliments for the even coverage and clean sound from a very thin physical PA – added Chris – I had comments from three different people, including one local musician who came to me to confirm whether our sound really came from those “tiny columns.” Fans were also commenting that the vocals were intelligible and one regular customer mentioned she has seen many acts in this room, and this was a pleasure to be able to hear all the instruments and carry on a conversation with friends.”
