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LightViper Handles FOH Audio for Primerica’s Atlanta 2007 Convention

The FiberPlex LightViper audio transport system was recently deployed for the live stage production of Primerica's 2007 Convention, which drew 60,000 participants to Atlanta's Georgia Dome

LightViper Handles FOH Audio for Primerica’s Atlanta 2007 Convention

Sep 27, 2007 8:00 AM

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FiberPlex has announced that its LightViper audio transport system was recently deployed for the live stage production of Primerica’s 2007 Convention in Atlanta. The corporate event drew 60,000 participants and was held Aug. 3 and 4 in Atlanta’s largest venue, the Georgia Dome, home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. The plug-and-play LightViper fiber-optic audio system was deployed by Syntonic Design Group, a Milan, N.Y.-based production equipment and services company that provides audio and communications systems to corporate clients.

Tom Clark, Syntonic’s managing director and project manager for the Primerica show, says, “We used the LightViper for the first time. I wanted to specifically replace the unwieldy copper snakes we usually take to big shows like this one. Not only did the system save us significant labor costs, setup time, and shipping expense—it performed perfectly. It really is a plug-and-play copper snake replacement solution. For the Primerica show we used it as a drive snake to handle the audio outputs from the FOH mixing console to the amp stacks located behind the large stage. We used most of the LightViper’s 32 inputs for a critical house audio run of about 750ft. Normally, a copper snake run this long would have taken four men and about an hour to get just this part of the system hooked up. With the fiber-optic LightViper, two of our crew had the main console-to-house audio ready in less than a half hour.”

For the two-day production, Syntonic teamed with Florida-based Gerber Acoustic Systems, which provided the show’s audio production personnel as well as wireless mics, monitor consoles, stage effects racks, and a Soundcraft Series 5 FOH console. Chas Gerber was also the client’s sound designer and main mixer.

In addition to the LightViper drive snake, subcontractor Syntonic Design Group provided the racks and stacks—Crown iTech 6000 amps and a formidable, 86-cabinet JBL 4889 Vertec flying monitor array.

Gerber says, “In addition to the LightViper, we used another company’s fiber optic system for the stage-to-FOH audio, the video, and a smaller copper snake for intercom. Unfortunately, the audio fiber system didn’t have the headroom we needed; we had to keep devising clunky analog pads to keep the signals under control. This was certainly disappointing and needless to say, a hassle.

“However, everything worked perfectly with the LightViper drive snake. There were no headroom issues whatsoever. When I was designing for this gig, I knew that I wanted a fiber-optic link from the FOH console to the stacks that was as reliable as copper, didn’t require a dedicated guy with a computer to operate, and would sound great. At no time whatsoever did we have any hum or buzzes, signal losses, or distortion with the LightViper.”

Clark says, “The entire LightViper system went up very quickly, and this was a great road test for us. Fiber-optic audio really is the way to go—whether as a drive system or an all-digital stage to FOH system. We were all very impressed with the performance and ease of setup with the LightViper. Chas and I will be recommending it to all our live production clients without any reservation.”

For more information, visit www.lightviper.com.

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