(14/07/2014) Before American blues-rock titan Joe Bonamassa hit the road this spring for the initial North American leg of his latest world tour, the production team at Special Event Services (SES) knew they needed a highly versatile loudspeaker rig that could handle anything they could throw at it over most of a year and three continents. To ensure that they were well prepared for everything acoustic sets, electric sets, large theaters, small arenas, the U.S., Europe, and Australia SES chose to specify L-ACOUSTICS' brand new K2 system for its first official tour as a main PA.
Jason Farah of SES says that the venues on this tour made K2 the right rig for the gig and that there are zero sonic compromises due to the K2's smaller size compared to the vaunted K1. The K1 with its 15s can feel a bit deeper, but there is no shortage of low end in the K2. In fact, the 12s in the K2 are so potent that they can easily outrun the system, so we usually end up backing down the lows a little bit. As far as the mids and the highs go, I have heard K1 and K2 side by side, and while they are similarly voiced, I give the nod to the K2 in terms of smoothness and just sounding pleasant right out of the box.
That smoothness in the mids and highs but with plenty of low end as well is crucial for this tour. Bonamassa is actually opening for himself with the band first playing an all-acoustic set before cranking things up with an electric set heavy on his British blues influences.
FOH Engineer Scott Ragsdale is on his first Bonamassa tour and, in a major switch from the norm, moved from a 12-year House of Worship gig at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago to the touring world. Bonamassa's acoustic set followed by a rocking electric set is a welcome challenge. I love mixing the acoustic set, he says. I love for things to sound natural and detailed, and the K2 does that very well. But unlike some other 12-inch systems I have mixed on, it does not run out of gas when we start to push it in the electric set.
We have acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos so many cool acoustic voices that I am trying to make sound as natural as possible and the K2 really delivers. And the mix tracks really well between the lower volume acoustic stuff and the loud and it can get loud rock set. On other 12-inch systems I have always felt that as I pushed it, I had to start doing surgery on the mix because things changed. That's not the case with K2. I make very few adjustments as the SPL goes up.
The rig on the tour's initial North American spring leg consisted of two dozen K2 boxes flown 12 per side, eight K1-SB flown four per side, and eight SB28 subs deployed four per side in a cardioid configuration. The K1-SBs are running in L-ACOUSTICS' Contour mode, which has them flown behind the main array. This allows for both low-end extension and, depending on where the Contour boxes are hung along the length of the array, can even help steer the low-end lobe off the stage making for a much cleaner on-stage mix for bands on traditional wedges. In addition to the advantages of smaller size, lighter weight and the Contour mode, the availability of a 10-degree inter-box angle means that no separate downfills are needed. Consequently there are also no adapters or extra bumpers to hang downfills, which reduces overall system weight and makes for a better truck pack.
System Tech Alex Ritter does a lot of Broadway work in addition to having been a PA tech for Zac Brown Band. He has worked with every PA in the book and says he would put the K2 up against any of them, crediting K2's ease of deployment and flexibility. It flies fantastically smoothly, he says. I get into the venue at 8:30 a.m., take about 30 minutes to make my measurements and calculations, and we have everything up, trimmed, and ready to play by no later than 11 a.m. It is by far the easiest and simplest system I have put up in a long time. Plus it sounds better than anything I have ever used right out of the box.
While the tour is carrying full production in terms of gear, they are using local labor to do things like fly the rig. This is a very new rig and we are the first tour with it out, Ritter says. So most of the local hands have never seen it. But with just a few minutes of instruction, they get it right away and the system goes up smoothly each and every day. In terms of the load out, Ritter reports being able to get the rig down and on the truck in as little as 45 minutes.
Because they stack four high and the rigging is so simple, we are only pulling 12 pins per side. It goes very quickly. We wheel them out four at a time, cover them, and they only go on the truck one way. Truck pack and flying are so simple and smooth. The K2 has been a dream to work with.
In 2013, at the Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt, L-ACOUSTICS was quietly talking about the plans for the K2 as it did not actually exist yet, SES' Farah recalls. When L-ACOUSTICS' Director of Business Development Jochen Frohn told me what it was going to do and, even more interestingly, how little it was going to weigh, I told him, Jochen, if this does everything you say, you will have an absolute home run.' It does all of that and more, and even came in a few pounds lighter than planned. SES is thrilled with the K2. We have already placed our order for our second and third K2 systems.
About L-ACOUSTICS
Founded in 1984 by Dr Christian Heil, L-ACOUSTICS is a leading innovator and manufacturer of high-performance loudspeakers, amplifiers and signal processing devices for touring and installed sound markets. Known around the globe for pioneering and championing the modern line array loudspeaker concept with V-DOSC, the company has received numerous accolades for its K1, K2, KUDO, KARA, KIVA, ARCS, XT coaxial loudspeaker systems and SB l
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
(14/07/2014) Before American blues-rock titan Joe Bonamassa hit the road this spring for the initial North American leg of his latest world tour, the production team at Special Event Services (SES) knew they needed a highly versatile loudspeaker rig that could handle anything they could throw at it over most of a year and three continents. To ensure that they were well prepared for everything acoustic sets, electric sets, large theaters, small arenas, the U.S., Europe, and Australia SES chose to specify L-ACOUSTICS' brand new K2 system for its first official tour as a main PA.
