Brad Paisley's Weekend Warrior Tour Hits the Road with HARMAN Professional Solutions

Brad Paisley's Weekend Warrior Tour Hits the Road with HARMAN Professional Solutions posted: 10/11/2017

Sound Image supplies a JBL VTX Series audio system for Paisley's top-grossing amphitheater tour

For his 35-show Weekend Warrior tour, country singer and guitarist extraordinaire Brad Paisley is traveling with a complete JBL by HARMAN VTX V25-II audio system supplied by Sound Image.

The tour, which started May and ran through September, covers amphitheaters from coast to coast and included a quick jaunt to Sweden and Norway for three shows in July. Kevin Freeman, Paisley's FOH engineer for the last 18 years, has been using JBL gear for a long time and was an early adopter of the VTX V25 system.

We were the first national act to use JBL VTX, and we used VerTec before that, said Freeman. The VTX V25 system delivers the clarity and punch that Brad's music needs, and has all the ingredients that Im looking for. The high end throws a long way and is totally clear, the hanging boxes go down to 40 Hz and we only use the subs to supplement the mix. The VTX V25 is definitely a full-range PA-Im very impressed with it.

For this tour, Sound Image, one of the industry's most respected audio production companies, put together a complete JBL system consisting of 24 VTX V25-II loudspeakers and 16 G28 subwoofers deployed on the ground. The entire system is powered by Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers.

For an artist like Paisley, you want a PA that can deliver powerful output and transparent sound to let the music shine through, said Dave Shadoan, President of Sound Image. The JBL system meets those needs perfectly, and offers the versatility to handle all the varied musical elements. It's also rock-solid and reliable, which is critical for an artist that's on the road as much as Brad.

In addition to Paisley, the band features keyboards, bass, drums, and rhythm guitar. Country-specific instruments like pedal steel, banjo, mandolin and fiddle are a big part of the sound, and the clean high end of the VTX V25 system is perfectly suited for reproducing them. But the element in the mix that gets the most attention is Paisley's guitar.

Brad and I approach the mix like the guitars number one, said Freeman. He writes clever songs and it's very well thought out, but at the end of the day hes a guitar player and wants everybody to know it. The guitar is always in the center of the mix. The drums, bass, and all the peripheral instruments have to be in there, but Brads guitar is primary.

Freeman could not be happier with the overall performance of the VTX system on the tour. It's depth, punch and clarity give him what he needs to create a memorable mix of Paisley's show.

The last thing in the world I want it to sound like is a record-that defeats the purpose of going to a concert, Freeman said. I want it to sound big, not necessarily loud, but very present and in your face. The VTX V25 system makes that possible. I want it to move you around because thats why youre there. Youre going to experience a live show-you can listen to the record at home.

ABOUT HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG , Harman Kardon , Infinity , JBL , Lexicon , Mark Levinson and Revel , HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

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