UK - West London-based rental company Entec renewed its long working relationship with both FOH engineer Paul Ramsay and UK rockers band Skunk Anansie, who kicked off their Black Traffic tour with UK and European dates.
Ramsay has worked with the band since 1996 - and also with Entec as audio contractors for that period - although the band took an eight year hiatus between 2001 and their much acclaimed reformation in 2009.
Once again a d&b system was specified (as it was on their very first production tour back in 1996) .. however there has been considerable system and technical evolutions since then.
This time the d&b was a J-Series line array, and this was looked after on the road by Entec's James Kerridge and Richard Gibson.
The venues varied between 1200 and 12,000 capacities, so the key was having a system that was fully - and easily - adaptable, straightforward to fly as well as sounding great!
In its largest format, the PA comprised eight d&b J8 speakers a side with four J12 downs, with eight V8s left and right for the side-hangs.
The band have a propensity for serious bass, so eight B2s a side went in for the largest shows, arranged in a distributed bass array when the venue allowed it, along with four J-Infra subs.
Onstage, there were four Q10s and four Q1s along the stage for in & out-fills. The whole system was powered by d&b D12 amps as always.
Ramsay specified a Midas XL4 console for the tour. Although he was using a DiGiCo SD7 for festivals during the summer, he thinks there is something sonically magical about the sound and warmth of the XL4 that is just perfect for Skunk Anansie in a headline touring situation. Entec actually bought the XL4 to meet Ramsay's spec back in 1997.
Entec supplied a Midas Pro2C console in addition for the opening act, The Jezebels from Australia, who played all but four shows on the itinerary.