Clair Global handled demanding audio, communications and networking requirements for British singer Adele’s month-long, record-breaking Munich residency, bringing together multiple providers including Riedel Communications and L-Acoustics.
A record-breaking concert series
The multiple Grammy winner fronted the Live Nation-backed concert production held during August at the purpose-built, 80,000 capacity Open Air Arena in Munich, Germany. The show hit the headlines earlier this month in Inavate for making history with a Guinness World Record for the Largest Continuous Outdoor LED Screen (temporary).
Production manager Paul English and the account executive Andy Walker of live touring production partner Clair Global partnered to manage logistics for the event.
English said: “A great thing that Andy did was get the IT team on board, supplying fantastic internet across the site. It made our lives easy throughout the entire backstage area, which is an immense space - over 600m long.
“This was linked to the Comms system, which meant we could go everywhere with a Bolero pack, and it worked perfectly, giving us exactly what we asked for.
"When it came to audio, the shows in Munich sounded phenomenal; in the stadium, it was absolutely amazing from one side to the other, front to back. It's such a pleasure to work with Adele’s audio team and have Clair as our supplier of choice.
We use Clair for Internet, Comms, PA and Control in Las Vegas too, and I have to say, they're a one stop shop when it comes to supplying multi-service such as this."
Clair Global deployed DiGiCo Quantum 7 consoles at front of house and monitor positions for the star’s long-time mix engineers Dave Bracey and Joe Campbell, mirroring the Las Vegas control set up.
Walker said: "This compelling project has been a lengthy undertaking of Clair's global resources from our North America, UK and mainland Europe locations.
“It has enabled the production to use a singular supplier for multiple services; Audio, Comms, Radios and Production IT. This included 150 WiFi access points [managed by Clair IT Engineer Kevin Lehmann] and inter-departmental network for site-wide IT support and fiber distribution.
“I’m very proud of the global team’s efforts and strong knowledge of specific skillsets that allow us achieve huge feats as part of complex live events, such as this exceptional vision from Adele and her production team."
Covering a large urban site with clarity
To ensure the 800,000 fans heard optimal sound from every seat, systems engineer Johnny Keirle mapped out a 36-hang, 14-delay-tower L-Acoustics K1 / K2 / L2 design with careful consideration of amp positions and signal distribution.
Bracey said: "When the PA sounds this good, my job is easy. We’ve used the L2 which Clair purchased especially; the way they work with the rear rejection makes them the perfect delay speaker.
“To have a company like Clair supporting us is an important thing. It's an extremely comfortable place to find yourself. So, I'm very contented."
A high pressure undertaking
Keirle said: "The shows in Munich represent a completely different approach from a system design perspective. In Las Vegas, we work with an immersive L-ISA system, while in Munich used a traditional L-R/dual mono system.
"This PA design was a complex process. There was a huge emphasis on creating a visual experience that was as clean as possible, with stage design central to the show. This required finding solutions for high trim heights at the main stage end, and finding discreet, tidy audio solutions within the audience areas.
The main stage system was flown incredibly high to clear the video wall, with flown K1SB / K1, flown KS28 and adjacent K2 down fill hangs to achieve nearfield coverage without introducing destructive interferences or losing HF integrity in the main K1 system."
With the stage thrust extending 100m into the audience and a catwalk looping from stage R-L, the team had to place delays beyond the golden circle and rely heavily on the main stage K Series.
The main stage system comprised six positions: main L-R, side L-R and outer L-R. Two rings of L2 delay speakers pick up coverage outside the catwalk; the first ring has six positions, while the second has eight.
Keirle pointed out the external factors to consider: "Outdoor shows often present noise pollution challenges and moreover, with the summer weather being unpredictable, I designed a system that could handle extreme weather changes without assuming optimal conditions for HF propagation.
“The main goal being to achieve homogeneous coverage while maintaining consistent imagery and temporal integrity across as much of the audience area as possible.
"In a scenario where the audience is over 200m from the artist, it's crucial for those farthest from the stage to have an equally great sonic experience as those in the front rows. Particularly with an artist like Adele, where vocal intimacy and immediacy are key to her appeal - loudspeaker choice and placement are paramount.
"As always, everyone involved from Clair Global has been fantastic. The equipment is top-notch, and a huge amount of time and thought has gone into the infrastructure and packaging. With a show of this scale, there is considerable planning required on the back end, especially given the redundancies we need in place.
“Clair has been exceptional in fulfilling specific and extensive equipment requests and providing additional services that are not typically found under an audio provider's umbrella. A prime example is the design and manufacturing of bespoke wind-bracing solutions for all of our flown PA elements."
Live production and challenges to the monitor team
Monitor engineer Joe Campbell said: "A key difference working in this venue is the long distances over which we have to transmit and receive RF for the in-ear monitors and radio microphones.
"We're using RF over fibre for the first time with this artist and have opted for a Wisycom system, which has been superb."
Overseen by monitor and RF systems designer Thomas Chip Valentino, Clair deployed twenty Wisycom MFL RF antennae set up with four RF nodes in different positions around the catwalk; one at the B stage and one central to the thrust, stage left and stage right.
Campbell continued: "We had lots of RF antennae spaced around the main and B stages, and as the artist and backing vocalists move, different antenna systems are switched on and off for uninterrupted coverage as they walk freely around the stages for audience interaction.
“It was quite a challenge, but it worked out exactly as planned, and the results speak for themselves."
Hidden networking and connectivity
Clair event support engineer Laurie Fradley said: "We had to feed all our equipment positions for PA, Comms and IT - some situated in the middle of the large audience - ensuring there were no clear cable runs.
“We took the decision to deploy a multi-strand fibre network throughout the site for both our team and other departments that needed to service these areas.
“In total, we ran around 1,200 fibre cores throughout the entirety of the site."
Communications system designer Patrick Taghavi navigated a Riedel Communications Artist-128 digital intercom network on AES67 audio networks, enabling departmental communication for a 230-strong crew and correct cues from the show director.
Taghavi said: "A comms system such as the one we built allows for crystal clear communications in a busy live environment.
“We simply couldn't run a show of this size without a robust, clean system - it's critical to everyone’s safety."
A bespoke system for 42-person string section
The show's string section benefited from elevators built into the stage around the catwalk, supported by Clair Global’s bespoke cue light system conceptualised by designer Laurie Fradley and engineering programmer J Walton.
The comms system incorporated a Raspberry Pi computer and Stream Deck controller providing visual cues for the 42 elevators, allowing the classical musicians to rise from the stage while playing their instruments.
An ambitious and complex show
The production team rose to various weather conditions across Adele’s ten performances.
The star, who has sold over 100 million albums to date, told fans via her social media: "A one-off, bespoke pop-up stadium designed around whatever show I want to put on? I couldn't think of a more wonderful way to spend my summer.
“It was the best vibes all round. I’ve never seen anything like these shows, it was truly spectacular, and I am beyond honoured to have been asked to do them.”