http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/u2_360_redefining_stadium_sound_in_the_round_on_current_tour/
I had the opportunity to see the U2 360 tour in Atlanta, GA. At the time I was very aware of the technicality of the show however I did not have the knowledge to understand it to its fullest extent, that and the scope of the concert itself put any technical thoughts out of my mind and just left me to enjoy and appreciate the music.
After being at Full Sail for a year, circling back around and reading up on technical details of the tour and show is very eye opening and somewhat unfathomable. Sitting in class today we were discussing the decibel, different measurements, power needed to produce certain decibels and minor discussions of amps. Looking back on today’s lecture in class and how all of that info would apply to something like the “360 Tour” helps me to see just how important this math can be.
If my understanding is correct the total number of speakers including subs, but not including delays, comes in at 376. U2 has had a long relationship with Clair and used the newer i-5 line source array system for this tour. Because the tour is done in the round the setup required rear hanging fills and side hanging fills were needed instead of just the typical speaker setup. There were also front fills needed on the stage level for those that were standing in the general admission section that was right next to the stage.
Typically where there are speakers amps are also required to power those speakers. The article says that for this tour Clair used the largest number of amplifiers that they have ever used for a tour. Over 180 Lab.gruppen amps were needed to power the large system.
Going back to my comment about the importance of math and calculations that such a tour would require, it turns out that Clair’s AlignArray software was used for this tour. This software was designed specifically for use with the “i-series” of speakers used on the 360 tour. The software handles everything from designing the system and how it will be flown to understanding the coverage that the system will produce. I’m sure using this kind of software is much easier than sitting down and working through math equations for hours at a time, however knowing the equations and what makes everything work the way it does would surely be helpful.
From beginning to end the U2 360 Tour was meticulously designed so that all parts of the production would work without a hitch and provide the concert-goer with the level of excellence that they would expect from a U2 show.
