Red Hot Chili Peppers live „UnlimitedLove“ Tour 2022 - Sound, stage and lighting design

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0:59 - The sound system
7:08 - Backup and more: Midas Heritage-D HD96
7:50 - PA System: d&b audiotechnik SL-Series
8:48 - Stage & lighting design
11:54 - Robe RoboSpot Followspot
12:44 - Signal distribution
15:20 - grandMA3 at FoH
Backstage insghts into the sound design, stage design and lighting design of the Red Hot Chili Peppers „Unlimited Love“ Tour 2022.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers on their first stadium tour - How does set and lighting designer Scott Holthaus manage to get the guys out of the miserable peepshow stage? For his wife, the matter is clear: A wave must be made.
And so it came to pass - the old surf spirit that has always surrounded the band now carries their vibes into the audience. A lot of things are different at this show, as one has already become accustomed to fat beams everywhere, plus some gobos - ready is the stadium look, that's supposedly the recipe.
Not so with Scott Holthaus, he likes it rather washy and carries for this purpose a row of Elation Proteus Maximus, several SGM P10 and a whopping 10 Ayrton Magic Panels. Lighting crew chief Pete "Pepper" Schofield is visibly pleased with so much equipment in the video. He has worked closely with Production Manager Narciso Martinez and production company Premier Global Production for many years.
Although Nook Schoenfeld showed him impressive fire and water effects with Cyberlights and a Hog 1 many years ago - Holthaus doesn't care much for gobo looks, even though colleagues like Dan Hadley have made very successful careers with them, as he notes with a wink.
LED screens with pixel frames
The LED screens are framed in a frame of COLORado PXL Bar 8 from Chauvet Professional, which, like the screens, can also be controlled by pixel mapping - again, the wave spills over, just as it did with Ayrton's Magic Panels.
The Magic Panels are flanked by the "Wings," as the lighting crew calls them, equipped with SGM Q8s, more Chauvet PXL Bar 8s and some Elation Proteus Maximus. And both panels and wings can be moved kinetically, making for a variety of possible stage looks.
The outer screens are also framed with Chauvet PXL 8 and 16, and at the feet of the screens are more Proteus Maximus and SGM Q8. Traditional blinders are nowhere to be found in this production, but the Q8s more than do their job.
Pepper's favorite, however, is the IP65-rated Chauvet Professional Color Strike M, dubbed "Screamers" by the crew, which act as sidelights in small numbers.
Robe RoboSpot tracking systems
Several Robe RoboSpot are used as chasers, the operators are positioned stage right, the advantages of such systems have in a short time made chasers hanging in the rig above the stage a thing of the past. Two spotlights are available for each of the four musicians. Scott Holthaus controls the intensity from the FoH via a fader on the grandMA3.
Signal distribution via ProPlex
The signal distribution for light and video is done by means of an EZ-LAN from tmb / ProPlex: Each signal can be output at each of the four dimmer locations by means of ProPlex IQ TWO 1616 Ethernet Nodes, up to nine different networks are possible. And there are so many signals that the parameters of the three grandMA3 from MA Lighting are by far not sufficient. They are supported by eight MPUs, also from MA Lighting.
d&b audiotechnik SL Series: Peace on stage
As much as the Red Hot Chili Peppers would like to whip the crowds into ecstasy during their first-ever stadium tour in Europe: On stage, they like to have their peace and quiet and the sound under control.
A requirement as if made for the cardioid designed SL series from d&b audiotechnik. GSL modules in the Main Hang, complemented by the more compact KSL series on the sides. At the time of the interview, d&b's tried and tested L modules were still being flown on the delay lines, but these too were replaced by the KSL series as the tour progressed.
Yamaha and Midas at the FoH
FoH soundman Toby Francis has worked with many bands, but now he's in charge of conjuring a homogeneous mix from the still pulsating energy of the Los Angeles band night after night with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band's specification was for an analog system at FoH. FoH technician Andrew Kastrinels explains the FoH setup, from the Dante preamps and signal distribution for main console, the Midas HD96 as backup console, and the broadcast console. The signals are transmitted via Focusrite RedNet.
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[@djjazzyjeff1232]

12:38 the snare hit in the overlaid music matches perfect with Chad on the screen lol. Nice one.

[@frankalmanzar3492]

What I liked about the hard rock stadium in Miami is that even the further seats didn’t feel too far from the stage. The sound was great.

[@felice5149]

Phenomenal concept and realization! This documentary was shot in Cologne and on that very night I was there! 💕 Wonderful experience

[@ethannemeroff9538]

“If a beer flies in and nails our analog console” the way that was said, that’s definitely happened before 😂

[@jeffsmithvideos]

The sound was great at the London show and I was at the far end of the stadium in the upper seats where you would expect the sound to be not at its optimal quality, but it sounded great. The lighting was very creative and original. Compared to GnR at Tottenham whose sound was shocking, this blew them away

[@ecoRfan]

Several people got footage from the Philadelphia show and it was some of the best fan recordings of sound at a rock concert ever. I was at that show in the back and the sound wasn’t bad. It was even better closer to the stage. Overall a great sounding concert.

[@andymahasongkham9423]

Welcome to analog and Tobey Francis nailed the mix!

[@chadhindsley5431]

Wish they would record and release each show like in the past

[@JohnnyJJCoolC]

Brilliant vid. Thanks for posting

[@kanibaldre]

Love this content. I am always amazed of all the R&D, tech and specially thinking that goes behind a show.

[@alphaplus4162]

Amazing analog and digital setup.

[@mothergrid-magazine]

Indeed!

[@jonasmeistininkas4556]

Sound was amazing In San Diego ! Great job 👏

[@UnKsReD]

Awesome, I love this tech stuff even though I don't understand it all. I did ask Scott about the load in and out for a stadium

[@mrpaman_Kwon]

Brilliant!! Huge PA system! Digital + Analog super hybrid design.

[@yusufkurttr8140]

love it!

[@queenkylee37]

I was a staghand in denver working with rhino through MTS. I spent 8 hours helping Limey and them build that top screen trusses and panels, the stage supports and most of the stage panels. it was the first time they used the new spacers for the plexiglass panels. I came to the show, and had to leave a little early to help be able to tear down the show. dancing to snow in the rain is a core memory for me now

[@PascalStifani]

Amazing content !

[@oliviarosebeck]

Yesss! That’s me waving 10 seconds in

[@MariaAlmeida-mf3gy]

Linda estrutura, parabéns 🎉

[@MikeGregos]

Nice job Scott!

[@ahmedfarhat8853]

I've seen that has actually explained it to in a concise way!

[@Ozoingo2]

Gimme 5 years and I'll be in one of these videos

[@nicholassekulski3393]

I just started in the AV world this summer. I got that same goal. 4-5 year plan thing. We should do it together!

[@sos-saveourspectrum1736]

Great !!!!

[@khunopie9159]

Always fun learning how the sausage is made. Especially chilipepper sausage!

[@kaislivesoundchannel4706]

But I agree on the console. I always preferred the XL 4 or Heritage, but then again Yamaha was always more reliable.

[@jerryblueptyltd3607]

EPic

[@lugac]

uou!!!!

[@blahblahfaghrii3061]

🤟🤟

[@BrianSimmons]

"The only stipulation was that we had to mix in analog"....... goes on to say they used Dante digital preamps, Rednet converters, and UAD plugins........ Seems like they failed on the actual requirement (although I'm sure the Rupert Neve preamps were amazing). I'm sure the demand to mix in analog was in an effort to retain that "analog sound" , but they go on to say that there is no negligible difference between the analog desk and the digital backup console. "You can't hear a difference really." - so that is a fail as well. In other words, the requirement to mix in analog was simply a ploy to seem "old school" and "cool" (like a type of virtual signaling), yet provided no benefit to the show or audience and probably created nothing but headaches for the crew. Just moving the analog desk would have been a massive pain in the ass everyday as it weighs over 500 lbs.

[@joeden68]

It may have created fun for the FoH engineer to turn all this real physical knobs ☺️

[@LukeEsther]

Probably comes from the fact that Dave Rat used to mix for RHCP in analog (because it's what he was good at), and gave them such a good sound. So RHCP must be thinking 'that analog sound was soo good, you must mix in analog'. But really the sound was all in Dave's fingers, not the gear.

[@profquad]

came here for this comment. can't understand how they could even pretend it's analog

[@blackwatch_TV]

no Dave RAT??

[@andymahasongkham9423]

Retired after The Getaway tour

[@talespinner4863]

@@andymahasongkham9423 Thx, didn't trust my eyes either...

[@bikezubehoer]

where is dave?

[@mothergrid-magazine]

They parted from the band several years ago, both the guitarist and the sound guy.

[@mitchbelectronics]

Exactly what I thought, would be interesting to see his opinion on the audio layout though.

[@morbidmanmusic]

What... no Dave rat?

[@mothergrid-magazine]

They parted a couple years ago

[@saroltatoth7248]

In Budapest at the Puskás Arena the sound was terrible. I don't think it's the fault of the orchestra's sound engineer, something wrong with the design of the arena acoustics.

[@jorjee9]

Why did they get rid of the floor screen?

[@mothergrid-magazine]

It's still there!

[@fabianbence5289]

There was nothing about the visuals :( i was waiting after audio and lighting was done they go into the deatils of the IMAG and live FX...

[@NHndrsn1234]

What about the Monitor Engineers rig?!?! Equally as important!! WTH?

[@mothergrid-magazine]

I totally agree! But when disturbing people at work, you have to take what you get.

[@morsikpl]

So... essentially digital sound is going back again to analog console?! This is so overkill!

[@Guikri]

Auf jeden Fall eine der aufwendigsten Produktionen, die live ihr Potential überhaupt nicht ausgenutzt hat. War selbst Gast bei dem Auftritt - war nichts...

[@mothergrid-magazine]

Ich hab tatsächlich auch überlegt, ob und warum das nicht „voll ausgefahren“ wurde. Bin aber für mich zu dem Schluß gekommen, dass dieses Understatement auch was hat und eigentlich gut zur Band passt.

[@Guikri]

@@mothergrid-magazine Im Zeichen der Nachhaltigkeit und Kosten durch Personal (nach Corona) ist das aber eine sehr sehr dumme Entscheidung :D dann doch direkt nur LED Wand bauen und nichts mit C1 basteln und feddisch... Naja

[@Jeff4014]

What about the terrible synchronization between the sound and the big screens?? Each rhcp concets I go there's that terrible delays between the sound and the bigscreen.. It doesnt happen WITH OTHER ARTIST CONCERTS...

[@Zillius_YT]

It all depends on where you stand. Sound travels at ~350m per second , so in a large stadium like in this video there will always be a small but noticeable delay between the visuals, which have no delay and the sound. Sometimes what bands will do is set up additional speakers further back to combat this problem , but that comes with its own issues , like cross bleed and phasing.

[@sombra1111]

@@Zillius_YT No, I've seen what he's talking about. The image comes after the sound and not the other way around, which is what would happen if the problem was just distance from the sound source

[@Zillius_YT]

@@sombra1111 I see, that’s weird. I was at the exact show in from this video in cologne and experienced it the other way around

[@sombra1111]

@@Zillius_YT I've only seen it in videos. I've been watching every show that people upload. A lot of times you can see the band and the big screen at the same time and they're not sincronized. Sometimes the delay is minimal, but it's noticeable in music. Maybe it's to compensate for the problem you were talking about and match the sound delay for the people in the back, but i don't know if it works

[@gabor.kovacs]

What was the real reason that the concert in Budapest sounded like an overdrived 50 years old, one speaker soviet radio? I cannot belived that, how bad was that... The band was extraordinary (which I only found out after the concert, because no one in particular could be interpreted on the spot, especially John), but the sound was awful.

[@davidcarnal4020]

I love the Chili Peppers to death. But the sound at this particular show in Cologne was utterly horrible. And the stage design, which is also addressed in this vid, is, by all due respect, just a box, nothing special at all compared to other legacy acts. But it‘s always been that way with the Chilis, they put the music center and that is fine.

[@ritzelschamane5513]

I was in cologne - the Sound was good imo.