The Main Stage at the recent 45th edition of the Milwaukee Irish Fest, which attracted about 130,000 guests over the four-day event to the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park, was outfitted with main and monitor reinforcement systems headed by dBTechnologies USA loudspeakers, subwoofers and supporting components.
Specifically, the system incorporated nine VIO L212 line array modules per side with three L1610 down fills, with low frequencies reinforced by a cardioid digital arc of 18 VIO S218 subwoofers on the ground delivering controlled bass extension down to 28 Hz while reducing rear spill. Four L1610 front fills covered the near field, with X310 units deployed as ADA fills for accessible seating areas. On stage, artists relied on eight VIO W15 monitors, while X315 units over dual S118 subs per side provided full-range side fill support.
The system supported performances by Celtic rock band Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Cherish the Ladies, Hermitage Green, Maebh McGlinchey, The Howley Brothers, Elias Alexander, and The Bog Bodies. Deployment and optimization on the Main Stage was a collaborative effort between dBTechnologies USA’s Matthew Whitman, a veteran front-of-house and systems engineer now serving as National Sales Manager, and newly hired Scott Thompson alongside AudioBiz’s Shawn “Redbeard” McLoughlin and Brian Christ.
“Once we had the VIO system flown and powered on, everything pulled right up in AuroraNet,” McLoughlin explains. “We were then able to walk the local union stage operators and also touring engineers through the ins and outs of AuroraNet, as well as the granular per-box control and monitoring we have in the rig.”
“It was flawless with the deployment and execution of the large VIO system on the Ciderboys Rock Stage,” he continues. “Many returning engineers stopped by to hear the rig and reconnect with the dBTechnologies team, with several commenting that the VIO system was the best sounding rig on the festival grounds.”
Meanwhile, a Fifty Line System was deployed at the Celtic MKE Stage. Specifically, Fifty Tops were arrayed left and right on their respective Fifty Subwoofers, delivered optimized coverage with FIR-driven DSP for phase-coherent mixes.
