Adlib supplies sound and visuals for Radio City Live

Liverpool, UK-based technical solutions provider Adlib supplied sound, lighting, scenic video and crew for the regular summer pop event at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, Radio City Live.

Some of the biggest names in UK pop were lined-up for the 2012 Radio City Live event, including One Direction, Professor Green, Will Young, Labrinth, Stooshe and Rizzle Kicks, who performed to a crowd of 10,000. Steve Hill and David Andrews of EMO oversaw the event planning and management, with Andy Grey and Neil McDonald in place as production managers and Steve Pottinger stage managing.

The lighting was designed by TPi Award winning LD Ian Tomlinson with Andy Rowe as lighting crew chief, working together with Neil Holloway, Stu Wright and Jeff Bond on stage. Adlib’s Richie Nicholson was the audio crew chief, accompanied by Sam Proctor, Christ Smethhurst, Dan Ungaretti and Carlos Herreros.

An L-Acoustics K1 system was specified with 14 K1 speakers a-side for the main hands and 10 K1 for the side hangs. Ground-stacked were 10 SB28 Subs per side with 4 L-Acoustics ARCs II boxes on top as infills, alongside L-Acoustics Kara speakers for front-fills.
Nicholson commented on the low-end control of the K1 for this type of event, which allowed them to keep up the expected volume levels for the young audience without hammering the system or anyone’s ears. All L-Acoustics elements were powered by L-Acoustics LA8 amps. The system was time aligned and controlled via the LA Network Manager 2, which Nicholson described as: “Very cool.”

The main EQ was fine-tuned utilising a wireless tablet and combination of Lake LM26 and LM44 processors in one of ADLIB’s standard control racks.

The FOH console was a Soundcraft Vi6 for the bands, with Nicholson using an additional Vi1 desk for presenters, video stings and play-ins.

Covering monitors were Smethurst and Ungaretti running a Yamaha PM5D console and Herroros co-ordinated everyone’s playback requirements.

Eight sets of Sennheiser 2000 Series IEMs were used together with Adlib MP3 wedges powered by Labgruppen PLM amls.

Phil Kielty, account manager, said: “To work alongside Richard Maddock and the Radio City team is a real joy, as I used to go along to their roadshows as a kid! The stage Liverpool’s biggest pop event and make it look so effortless. Steve Hill and David Andrews head up a superb team and there is a great atmosphere behind the scenes. A stunning line-up from One Direction to Professor Green saw a three hour show that people will remember for a long time.”

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