Meyer Sound LEO system powers Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour

Ed Sheeran is once again relying on a Meyer Sound LEO Family reinforcement system for his latest ÷ (Divide) Tour.

The foundation of the current touring system, provided by UK-based Major Tom, is formed by four arrays of 18-each LEO line array loudspeakers with low end augmented by 42 1100-LFC low frequency control elements: two flown arrays of 9 each and two end-fire arrays of 12 each on the ground.

LEOPARD (8), LINA (20), and UPA-1P (2) loudspeakers supply fill from the stage as needed, while 56 MILO line array loudspeakers are deployed on four delay towers.

For onstage foldback, the tour also carries two MJF-212A stage monitors and two 900-LFC low frequency control elements.

System drive and optimisation is handled via a pair of Galileo GALAXY AES master processors, with stage array processing from eight GALAXY processors and delay processing by four Galileo processors. The tour also carries a SIM3 audio analyser for fine tuning response before each concert. Meanwhile, Sheeran uses a Sennheiser 9000 Series digital wireless system for his guitars and on-stage microphones.

Production manager and FOH engineer Chris Marsh mixes Sheeran’s monitors on a DiGiCo SD7 console, while his partner in fine-tuning the tour’s massive rig on a daily basis is audio systems engineer Charlie Albin.

“Our touring system has transitioned smoothly into the USA stadiums,” said Albin, “although every venue presents a slightly different set of challenges due to variations in size, shape and reverberant field. That’s why we keep using the Meyer Sound LEO Family loudspeakers alongside the GALAXY processing and SIM3 analysis tools. Together they deliver the consistent clarity, tonality, musicality and dynamic impact from the nearest to furthest seats, whether Ed is singing an intimate ballad or an all-out belter.”

The 2018 North American leg of the ÷ Tour was launched on August 18 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and continues through the final show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on November 10, with a total of 24 shows in 21 cities.