KLANG:fabrik controls Massive Attack’s monitoring

CS Audio recently engineered for Massive Attack’s British Summer Time gig in Hyde Park earlier this month, selecting a KLANG:fabrik for control of the monitoring system.

The 3D IEM system, which was reviewed in AMI earlier this year, was chosen by the sound equipment hire company’s MD Paul Hatt – also a monitor engineer – following a discussion with Andy Huffer of HD Pro Audio, the UK distributor of KLANG:technologies.

Although Hatt didn’t get a chance to fully audition the system, he was suitably impressed with both the overall sound and build quality of the unit, and commented: “It felt like a solidly engineered product, with dual redundancy and a generous amount of output mixes. Aside from the 3D possibilities of the system I could immediately see the benefit of musicians controlling their own mixes wirelessly via the KLANG:app.

“On the Massive Attack tour we were joined by the Heritage Orchestra for the Hyde Park show and were requested to provide sixteen personal monitor stations. So this was the ideal opportunity to fully prove the KLANG:technologies system and two KLANG:fabrik units were brought in, along with a router, sixteen iPads and sixteen Shure P6 hard-wire IEM systems, fully prepped and supported by HD Pro Audio’s Tom Turner.”

Hatt explained the simple operation: “System setup is very straightforward and it talked to my Soundcraft Vi console via the Dante interface with no issues. I sent a stereo band mix to the KLANG:fabrik along with groups of first and second violin, viola, cello and bass, and a direct out of each string line. This allowed each orchestra member to maintain control over their own level and get the desired blend with the rest of the string sections and the band.”

The weather on the day didn’t help, as Hatt explained: “What limited time we had for sound check and rehearsal on the day was delayed further by heavy rainfall in the morning. The musicians were understandably reluctant to get their valuable instruments out in less than ideal weather conditions, so overall I was very impressed with the speed with which the system achieved the desired results. After a short demonstration the musicians seemed to get acquainted with the system very quickly.

“I see it as two systems in one. It proved its worth to me as a high end wireless personal monitor control solution, but also the 3D image processing is quite something else. I solo’d a few output mixes by selecting the corresponding Dante return on a couple of free stereo input channels on the desk during the show. At one point I hit the cue bus and immediately physically spun around to look behind me as I was certain there was a group of cellos behind me; the spatial image was so real and beyond conventional stereo. It’s a great product – and lots of fun.”

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