Subscribe
Live

Coldplay Music Of The Spheres d&b system 50% more energy efficient than last tour

Coldplay’s recent Music of the Spheres US tour saw all of its operations adapted to minimise CO2 emissions in line with the best science and practices, from set build and travel to freight, power, and sound. For every ticket sold a tree will also be planted, with a portion of the proceeds going to a variety of global green initiatives.

The Coldplay camp requested that the sound system be 50% more energy efficient than on their previous tour in 2016-17. In turn, Firehouse Productions deployed d&b audiotechnik GSL and KSL loudspeakers for their efficiency, paired with D80 amplifiers that demand less input power and enhanced energy saving features.

“Firehouse supports the European Coldplay dates alongside Wigwam; while Firehouse is handling the PA in the states, Wigwam will be providing production later this year when the tour heads to Europe,” said Nick Bechard, account manager, Firehouse Productions. “It is a joint effort that has worked very well.”

The d&b SL-Series was developed with efficiency in mind, reducing power requirements by up to 50% for equivalent sound pressure output levels compared to former systems.

“99% of the venues will be outdoor, as in stadiums with no roofs,” states Tony Smith, head of audio and sound designer for Coldplay. “As the sound limits within and outside the stadiums in Latin and North America are not monitored, use of NoizCalc has not been implemented yet. Once we get into Europe, sound emissions will be an issue and NoizCalc will be a useful tool, but with ArrayProcessing more so – I can predict what will stay in the stadium and at what level. Also, with SL-Series and its full-bandwidth cardioid pattern, the lack of sound from the back of the array will also help for any upstage level monitoring where the sensitive areas usually are.”

d&b NoizCalc was developed in direct collaboration with SoundPlan for predicting environmental noise pollution into the surrounding areas of an outdoor performance. It can account for topography, buildings, wind speed, air temperature and humidity.

Smith added that ArrayProcessing has become a vital tool “for regulating sound emissions, but also sound levels within the stadiums. There are some sites where the loudest area of the audience is monitored for audience protection against hearing damage. With J-Series the local authority was surprised with the uniform sound level across the audience area, and now with SL-Series I am happy to continue this consistency.”

Smith noted that they are also sending data to d&b audiotechnik R&D so they can monitor the power usage.

The first leg of the tour was in Latin America, with Firehouse helping arrange local suppliers and as much local equipment as possible, using predominantly J-Series with SL-SUB.

“Many venues are already adopting sustainability strategies and artists have an increasingly strong desire to tour in an environmentally friendly way,” said Marc Lopez, VP of marketing, d&b audiotechnik Americas. “d&b received a Green Guardian Award in recognition of the work being done to reduce the carbon footprint of the live entertainment business. We are privileged to aid Coldplay in their sustainability initiative.”

The Coldplay d&b system configuration consists of 16 GSL8 per side for main hangs, 16 GSL8 per side for side hangs, six SL-SUBs flown per side, 18 KSL8 per side for 270 hangs, four delay towers with 16 KSL8 per hang, 18 SL-SUBs for ground subs, six Y7Ps, and eight Y10Ps for front fills.

There are 116 D80 amplifiers total: 40 per side of stage, nine per delay tower. A Luminex Network backbone is used for amplifier control with an Optocore backbone for AES distribution of signal with an analog backup.

Firehouse also provided a support control package including two DiGiCo SD10s, while Wigwam is providing the Coldplay control system package. Coldplay control is based around DiGiCo SD7Q, SD10RE, SD Racks, Nanos, Minis all with 32Bit Cards, utilising two loops. Optocore festival boxes, M12 with DD2s are used to transport backline MADI lines onto the loop. DirectOut Prodigys, both .MC and .MP, are used for analogue I/O to MADI and system EQ and control. Other systems provided by Wigwam include Wisycom IEMs, two M2 stage monitors and one J-SUB for bass player Guy Berryman. XSL tops will be used in Europe paired with KSL-SUBs for side fill.

“Now we have no sound on stage,” said Smith. “We felt the need to fill the void a little or at least have that ability to give some clean audio rather than the mush given off by other PA systems. Again, the SL-Series, even in the smaller format, gives a great punch at half the size and power consumption.”

According to d&b product manager Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer, the company is doing everything in its power to be as energy efficient as possible.

“For many years total system efficiency has been core to technology development at d&b,” he told Headliner. “As a company, we’re conscious of the impact that the entertainment industry has and we have focused our effort where we see ourselves having the greatest impact: on sustainable production methodologies, power consumption and noise management.

“We started by reducing the PA transport volume drastically during the ‘80s and ‘90s, and introducing passive crossed-over speaker designs reducing the amount of amplification channels and cabling while saving energy with highly efficient total systems. After the millennium, controlling the total directivity of a loudspeaker system or arrays, alongside drastic improvements in the efficiency of the loudspeakers themselves, was on focus.

“These developments came together with the introduction of d&b’s SL-Series alongside the D40/40D amplification platform (the amplifier of choice for KSL and XSL-Systems). Apart from full range broadband directivity control being a solution to environmental noise, the holistic SL-Series design delivers the same or even more acoustical energy at up to 50% less power draw compared to older systems.

“As environmental topics come more and more into focus for everyone, our customers, partners and artists recognise just how important it is that we all think and operate in a sustainable way. End to end, from audience, to environmental noise and energy consumption and we are working to affect positive change where we can.”

Bayer also elaborated on how d&b is working practically to make its offering as energy efficient as possible.

“We are taking a number of steps to ensure our practices are sustainable,” he continued. “First and foremost, our systems are built to be energy efficient, demanding less input power and offering enhanced energy saving features. 

“Secondly, we have tools in the d&b Workflow that support engineers and the crew on the ground. In 2015 we were spearheading a method to model environmental noise emissions from amplified open-air events with d&b NoizCalc simulation software. Even today, this modelling method is an important USP for us. As more and more events take place in urban areas, noise management plays a significant role in the total sustainability of an open-air event. The noise modelling information calculated in NoizCalc enables event organizers and promoters to communicate with noise consultants and local authorities, helping to keep the open-air events industry alive. 

“Alongside the d&b ArrayProcessing software function, refined control of level distribution and allows tonal balance to be easily achieved. The combination of the ArrayProcessing and NoizCalc software tools, ensure that the desired sonic experience is delivered reliably and faithfully to the right ears, and not the wrong ones.

“In addition to power efficiency and noise management tools, our ongoing integration of new enabling technologies continues to extend the lifecycles of our hardware product offerings hugely. While the entertainment industry is still at the beginning of this environmental journey, we are really proud that d&b is leading the way and taking action; and artists and promoters are noticing.”