Challenge

A$AP Rocky had a vision that his show would feature stage-shaking output without sacrificing any coverage—even at the edges of the 200-level of each arena—and he wanted the sound of the show to feel as though it came from the center of his unique stage design, which featured a long thrust, a mosh pit, and multiple helicopters. The PA needed to fly high enough to accommodate other production elements while preserving precious real estate on the floor and in truck pack. It also had to fly quickly and, ultimately, sound exceptional for the Grammy-nominated rapper and actor.

Solution

A collaboration among Sound Image, Eighth Day Systems, and Clair Global deployed a specially designed 360° Cohesion rig to satisfy the requirements of the tour. Eight hangs of sixteen CO12 with 80° horizontal dispersion horn inserts provided coverage to the farthest reaches of every venue, and flown and ground-stack subwoofers created the low end extension that left people astounded at the power of the system—riding at 108 dBA without limiters and never maxing out headroom. CO10, as pit fill, covered the floor ably even in arenas where scoreboards pushed out the PA by up to fifty feet. Novel amplification and aerial amplifier technologies not only crafted a smooth-sounding show, it also permitted the full PA to run on a single 200A disconnect.

Result

Fans, members of the artist’s entourage, and A$AP Rocky himself—incognito, after enjoying the supporting artists perform—celebrated the quality of the audio, particularly the power and the presence that it commanded with the in-the-round deployment. The low end brought forward the vocals without boosting, and because Cohesion can throw hundreds of feet with fewer needed enclosures, the PA met production needs, including a smaller and lighter truck pack. The much-praised crew flew and took down the system expediently each night.