Justin Moore’s Hell On A Highway tour hit more than 40 cities across the USA in 2017, alongside audio contractor Winston-Salem based Special Event Services, which deployed part of its large Outline inventory.
The main PA comprised left-right hangs of 12 Outline GTO C-12 modules with a single, wide-dispersion GTO-DF down-fill cabinet flown at the base of the array. Six Outline LAB 21 HS subwoofers per side providedthe low-frequencies, while a further 6 Outline LIPF-082 dedicated stage lip-fill enclosures covered the seats immediately in front of the stage.
Moore’s ‘long-standing’ engineer Jeff Oliver manned the FOH console with SES’s Outline system. “When it comes to mixing Justin Moore every night, I want a system that faithfully represents what I’m sending to it and it’s no surprise that Outline’s GTO C-12 never disappoints,” Oliver said.
“Our show is very dynamic in design, as it ebbs and flows from slower ballads to straight out heavy rock & roll country. These dynamics require a PA system that is precise during the quiet, intimate songs as well as in the hardest hitting moments. With over 700 shows under my belt mixing Justin, I’ve never come across another system that has the sonic accuracy and headroom of Outline’s GTO C-12 – I know that when I step up to the console every night, even without a sound check, I can push up my VCAs and be right back where I was the night before.”
Oliver continued: “Not only do I enjoy the creative side of mixing, but the science of audio engineering has always piqued my interest. Line array technology has come a long way in the past 20 years, with Outline at the forefront of the industry. Like its big brother GTO, which we’ve carried before on over 80 dates, C-12 has many superb features of which my favorite is Outline’s HF horn and waveguide. Phase response is linear right across the frequency range of the system and over the entire venue. Every seat in the house can experience the same sound quality as I do at FOH. Even fans in the back of the venue over 300 feet away can feel like they’re right in front of the stage.
“Another great characteristic is the interaction between the left and right channels, as you can be far off of centre and still hear a great stereo mix. I’m also a big fan of Outline’s GTO-DF down-fill cabinet – attached to the bottom of the main array and with 120-degree horizontal dispersion, it’s the perfect complement to cover the entire front section of our audience. We chose Outline GTO C-12 over the larger GTO for this tour due to weight and height restrictions in some of our theatre venues, but GTO C-12 has ample headroom to handle our larger arenas as well. The system is easily deployed, and also so well designed for trucks – the entire rig fits in 22 feet (7 meters) of truck space!,” Oliver continued.
“Mixing a concert for me is about conveying a feeling to the audience. Whether it’s a grooving bass and kick drum rhythm that has people jumping up and down and dancing in their seats, or a singer belting out a sustained high note at the pinnacle of a song, we as engineers help move people. Outline GTO C-12 helps me achieve that goal without compromise.”
Andrew Steelman of SES, the tours Systems Engineer stated: “The Outline C-12 has quickly become one of my favorite systems to work with. Upon first spending time with it I was quite surprised at how similarly it behaved to its bigger brother, the 15” GTO. The voicing of the 2 boxes is extremely close and many times I forgot that I was not listening to the C-12’s bigger brother. On a daily basis I very rarely had to do any system equalisation above 1kHz – the top end response was smooth, natural and very pleasing to the ear.”
Steelman concluded: “The low frequency output of the 12” drivers in the C-12 is quite potent and at first I was a little concerned about the jump from a 12” driver to the 21” driver in the LAB 21 HS sub. After several shows of seeing and hearing the C-12 easily reach down to 40 Hz, my doubts were no more. The C-12 is a very strong and powerful PA that is extremely transparent. You get out what you put into it, and that is the ultimate goal.”
