- Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lorde's sold-out show on March 8 at the 3,119-seat Tower Theater in Philadelphia was the fifth stop on the artist's month-long first tour of the U.S. It was also the debut performance of the first L-ACOUSTICS K2 line array system in the City of Brotherly Love.
Lorde performing her first-ever Philly concert on March 8; Photo credit - Ryan FarberThe system, which was recently purchased by Rick Bauder of Horsham-based Bauder Audio Systems, Inc., consisted of 24 K2 line source array modules flown 12 per side, a dozen SB28 subwoofers placed end up and positioned evenly across the face of the stage, and six KARA for front fill. Fifteen LA8 amplified controllers housed in five LA-RAK touring racks delivered the power and loudspeaker processing.
With the acquisition of its new K2 system, Bauder Audio becomes Philadelphia's first L-ACOUSTICS sound system provider. With four more SB18 subs, a sixth LA-RAK and 18 more KARA enclosures (for a total of 30 KARA) on the way, Bauder has achieved L-ACOUSTICS' K-Standard and officially been designated a "Certified Provider" (CP) within the manufacturer's Rental Network.
Bauder Audio Production Manager, Brian Naab, of the performance at the Tower Theater, a Live Nation venue says: "Lorde's front-of-house mixer, Philip Harvey, was thrilled with the rig. Everyone also commented on the power and the coverage of the SB28 subs; they reached the rear of the main floor and upper-balcony seating without any problem.
To ensure the best possible performance from the new system, several L-ACOUSTICS team members joined Bauder Audio's crew onsite three days prior to the show. During that time, the manufacturer helped set up and tune the rig as well as provided training for a dozen of Bauder's employees on fundamentals, theory and practical applications for K2 and KARA.
Naab explains the strategy behind Bauder's recent purchase. "We were looking for a large-format line source array system to expand our client base, to be able to service larger venues up to sheds and arenas," he says. "We chose several manufacturers' systems to compare and in every aspect--performance, sound, weight and simplicity of rigging--the K2 came out ahead. It offered a number of operational advantages.We expect a very good return on investment from K2."
