It is no secret that Pearl Jam put’s on an
incredible live show and have a very loyal fan base, as proven by recent
sold out tour dates across the USA in support of their new release,
Backspacer.
Pearl Jam are now back on the road, with their long time sound provider,
Rat Sound Systems Inc. Pearl Jam is known for their intensity,
compassion and three hour shows.
For this tour, they chose to take out the new L-Acoustics K1 system as
their main system under the direction of FOH engineer Greg Nelson along
with EAW MicroWedges on stage headed up by monitor engineer Karrie
Keyes.
When asked about his reasoning for choosing the twenty four box
L-Acoustics K1 system and SB28 subs over other systems on the market,
Nelson clarified "After hearing the system at Coachella I was blown away
with how much sub bass we were able to get out of the main flown system.
It was be a perfect fit for PJ because I have had to fly subs in the
past both to cover the venue and to keep the sub bass off the stage
where it can annoy the band.
Add the cardioid sub pattern I am using with the SB28 and I am able to
get away with way more sub bass than I have in the past and even now
have complaints from my monitor engineer that the PA is too quiet! The
clarity of the system is great. A lot of times during the show I have 3
guitars just hammering away and it is very easy to make them all
individually heard with this new system."
At monitor helm is their longtime monitor engineer
Karrie Keyes who met the band in 1991 when working for the Red Hot Chili
Peppers for whom Pearl Jam was support at the time. She has been with
them ever since and knows their needs extremely well.
Amongst the challenges this tour she faces is the sheer volume on the
stage, small stage space and each member of the band wanting to hear
different things except when they want a crossfire sound. The goal is to
have no pockets on stage without sound, with Eddie Vedder being the
loudest and the clearest as he thrives on the volume. For this reason,
she chose to tour this time with the new EAW MicroWedge 12's. "I am
using the Microwedge 12 for Ed's guitar mix", explains Keyes. "They are
wonderful and I can get them to sound very close to his guitar rig’s
sound without much EQ or trouble!
So far I have found no other wedge that comes as close. The small
footprint helps as well as we have limited stage space. We are also
using MicroWedge 12’s for Matt's drumfill with a left and right mix plus
a sub," she continued.
"We have had challenges in the past with Matt's getting his Drumfill
world right, so finding the right combo has been a crucial hurdle we
have overcome.
Large drum fills and Iin-ears systems, left him fatigued and with ears
ringing! Currently we are running the MicroWedge 12 at full volume and
Matt wearing fully sealed ear plugs which seems to be the perfect
balance! Again, they need very little EQ and
I can over power them if needed and the smooth high end does not add to
ear fatigue!
The band thrives on the stage volume which provides the energy to rock.
We are all very happy!"
Pearl Jam are touring with a Digidesign Venue at FOH, L-Acoustics K1
system for mains PA powered by L-Acoustics LA8 and LA48 amps. At monitor
world a Yamaha PM5D, EAW MicroWedge 12's, Rat Trap sidefills, Sennheiser
In Ears and a Shure wireless microphone package.
