Ice Cube, one of hip-hop’s most enduring and influential figures, recently made his long-awaited live return to the UK and Ireland, performing a run of six live shows with an L-Acoustics K Series rig supplied by UK production specialist, Adlib.
Adlib deployed a system made up of two main hangs each side consisting of 12 K1 and up to 6 K2 down. A total of 36 KS28 were used, 10 boxes flown behind and 8 ground stacked below each main array. Four KARA II and four A15 Wide were used in combination for the front fill system. The entire system was run via Milan-AVB across 46 LA12X amplified controllers.
“K Series is renowned for its consistent frequency response across various venue configurations,” said Jay Petch, Adlib account manager, explaining the key factors in the design and placement of the system. “The challenge with this show was delivering this consistency down as low as 30Hz for all audience members. The primary low-end frequency in a couple of the songs is a sustained 32Hz!”
Ensuring the sub design could reinforce Ice Cube’s bass-heavy repertoire was essential. “The artist didn’t request cardioid, and with ten flown KS28 per side, we had a line of subs almost as long as the main K1 hang,” explained Petch. “Flying the subs ensured even low-end coverage around the arena while also meeting the sub-requirements of the show, right to the furthest and highest seats. The ground sub was predominantly used to cover the first 20 metres of audience and was configured as a broadside array.
“As new suppliers to Ice Cube and his team, we wanted to reinforce the fact that they were in safe hands with one of the most trusted and recognised brands in the industry which is why L-Acoustics was chosen for this project.”
Also crucial to the tour’s success was L-Acoustics Soundvision software, which enabled the team to create the perfect design for each venue. “In the pre-tour design stage, Soundvision was important in previewing the necessary box counts to cover the largest deployments of the tour in London and Manchester,” system tech Dave Cartwright elaborated. “Beyond this, Soundvision was invaluable in getting the sub design correct before even leaving my desk, let alone flying anything on the first date.
“Adlib holds extensive room data for all venues on this tour, and we used this to design a standard system for the tour, changing side hang locations slightly depending on the venue. We ensured the IMAGs and K2 side hangs, which were in close proximity, were working together and not against each other, making minor changes to the rigging plots to ensure this was the case. Without Soundvision, these adjustments would not have been so apparent.”
