The A Team recently received a nomination for ... THIS AUTUMN, SINGER-
SONGWRITER ED SHEERAN PLAYED THREE SOLO SHOWS AT NEW YORK ...
EVENT FOCUS: Ed Sheeran
ED SHEERAN THIS AUTUMN, SINGER-SONGWRITER ED SHEERAN PLAYED THREE SOLO SHOWS AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. PERFORMING TO NEARLY 20,000 SCREAMING FANS, SHEERAN AND HIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR WERE SUPPORTED BY A POWERFUL AND TRANSPARENT MEYER SOUND LEO LINEAR LARGE-SCALE SOUND REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM THAT KEPT THE SHOWS CLOSE, DESPITE THE ARENA’S SIZE. According to Chris Marsh, Sheeran’s FOH Engineer and Production Manager, it was important to maintain a personal connection between the artist and his legion of adoring fans. “That feeling of immediate presence is crucial,” he said. “It helps everybody feel that Ed is up close playing an intimate show, despite that fact that he may be 80-metres away. With Meyer Sound’s LEO, we’ve managed to make the transition from clubs and small theatres into arenas without losing that atmosphere.” Raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, Sheeran moved to London in 2008 to pursue music full-time. There, he independently released his first EP entitled No. 5 Collaborations Project, which featured appearances from local grime artists, including the proclaimed godfather of the genre, Wiley. Since then, Sheeran has been steadily building his reputation as a varied live performer. In April 2010 he bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles, US, where he performed at open mic nights all over the city and caught the attention of actor and musician Jamie Foxx. Foxx was so impressed by Sheeran’s songwriting skills he allowed him exclusive use of his Hollywood recording studio. 2011 saw the release of his debut album 20
entitled ‘+,’ which reached the Top 10 in seven different countries and included hit singles The A Team and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You. The A Team recently received a nomination for song of the year at the 2013 Grammy Awards and has sold over 57,000 copies. Having just finished 64 dates at arenas and stadiums across North America as the opening act for Taylor Swift’s Red Tour, Sheeran’s no stranger to an American audience or a high capacity venue. So he should be up for the challenge of Madison Square’s huge 18,200 capacity. Provided by UK-based Major Tom, the Meyer Sound LEO system was built around dual line array hangs, 12 LEO-Ms and four MICAs. Side hangs comprised a 16 per-side MILO line array, while six UPA-1Ps provided fill. A total of 10 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements were flown in cardioid arrays using MAS-1100 array spacers, with an additional six 1100-LFC loudspeakers stacked on the ground. The onstage mix was fed to Sheeran with six MJF-212A stage monitors and four 600-HP subwoofers. A Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system featuring two Galileo Callisto 616 array processors and two Galileo 616 processors supplied drive and optimisation for both FOH and stage systems. “LEO is an incredibly open-sounding rig,”
said Marsh. “Although Ed performs solo with acoustic guitar, the harmonies he builds with his loop pedal can be deep and complex, and no other system has handled them as well. I hear every part in the harmonies with superb separation, and the vocal sits effortlessly on top of the mix.” LEO was chosen for the New York shows based on prior experience in Ireland. “We had done five arena shows with LEO in Dublin and Belfast,” Marsh recalled. “In a production meeting with Ed and his management, we all agreed those were the best-sounding shows we’d done in two years. Basically, Ed said he wanted the sound system from Ireland for New York.” Marsh mixed the New York shows with a DiGiCo SD11 console, while a Sennheiser 2000 Series wireless system with an 865 capsule was used for Sheeran’s vocal. The pickup in his Martin LXE1 acoustic guitar was connected via an Avalon U5 direct box. Sheeran’s New York run featured special guests Snow Patrol for the first show and Taylor Swift for the second. TPi www.edsheeran.com www.meyersound.com
