The Dead Come Alive with Meyer Sound

More than 45 years after their first concert, The Dead (previously the

Grateful Dead) continued to set the highest sonic standards on their

22-show, 17-city tour, the band's first tour in more than five years. Known

for their unyielding requirement for low-distortion sound, The Dead's new

tour was again supported by a Meyer Sound MILO line array loudspeaker system

supplied by Bay Area associates Pro Media/UltraSound.

The system, designed to provide up to 360-degree coverage for the tour's

multiple arena dates, included main left and right arrays of 16 MILO and two

MILO 120 line array loudspeakers each. Left and right side arrays of ten

MILO and two MILO 120 loudspeakers each were augmented by identical arrays

covering far left and far right areas, for a total of 72 MILO and 12 MILO

120 loudspeakers in all.

The rear areas were served by left and right arrays of 12 MICA line array

loudspeakers each. Low frequencies were ably handled by 16 700-HP

subwoofers, with eight each flown below the main MILO arrays. An additional

nine M3D-Sub directional subwoofers were groundstacked at the stage. Left

and right frontfills of three CQ-1 loudspeakers each and a pair of UPJ-1P

VariO loudspeakers for centerfill completed the setup.

'The Meyer Sound system provided us with a consistent, clean, and powerful

image across a wide range of venues,' remarked FOH Engineer Derek

Featherstone, who used a pair of HD-1 audio monitors at the mix position.

'Even with more than 90 open microphones on the stage, we had very little

leakage back onto the PA system.'

Few bands have played a larger role in the evolution of today's concert

sound than The Dead. The band was among the first users of Meyer Sound

systems, and Meyer Sound founder John Meyer credits the group's high

standards with inspiring his ongoing quest for audio excellence.