1Live Krone 2006 brought a new concept to a new venue. A set consisting of four interconnected stages was built in Bochum's Jahrhunderthalle. The idea was for the sound on each stage to be clearly location-specific – the sound design made use of a large range of systems in order to be able to provide optimum directional reference in every given position where someone would be listening.
As in previous years, a Yamaha PM1D and a 02R96 were used as the FOH mixers, with a PM5D filling the monitor position. In order to create the location references and at the same provide time flexible routing of individual signals to the sound systems, TON-ART AG decided to use a DME64N. The plan envisaged performing all signal management through the DME64N and supplying the individual stages centrally from the DME64N. In so doing, the PM1D served as the mixing desk for the performances by the artists and the 02R96 for the MCs’ microphones and MAZs. Signal routing was performed via matrices and specially developed user modules within the DME in order to make it possible to provide the correct speaker combination and individually tailored runtimes for each sound situation that arose. The entire system was set up to play all four stages simultaneously, allowing the FOH mixer to control the movement of individual signal sources acoustically through the room. The DME64N’s DSP capacity was large enough to also handle equalization of the 28 aux sends. Continuous access to all the relevant parameters was provided by a Notebook with DME Designer software which was online during set-up, testing and the show. All signal distribution was managed digitally via spare fibre-optic cables, with copper multicores being used for shorter distances. The availability of a stable wordclock proved essential and was provided for all the mixing consoles (PM1D + 02R96 + PM5D), all the converters (AD8HR + AD824 + DA824), the Optocore and the DME64N via external wordclock generators. In order to ensure operational reliability, all mixing consoles, converters and the DME were backed up via online UPSs. With its flexibility and stability, the high sound quality that the overall system provided did not go unnoticed. The guest mixers from the bands taking part made it clear just how pleased they were with the ability of the facilities provided to cater for their every wish, be it of a technical or an acoustic nature, immediately and effectively.
