One person’s music is another person’s noise, and that dynamic has been playing out ever since guitars were plugged into amplifiers. However, as more venues in densely populated urban settings embrace live music, the conversation around balancing live events and community has become increasingly important – and increasingly rewarding when done thoughtfully.
Leading this charge is the venerable Forest Hills Stadium in NYC’s Queens borough. The venue is regularly home to the US Tennis Open but has also long been a major stop for music during the touring season – including when it hosted The Monkees with opening act Jimi Hendrix back in 1967. Like many urban venues, it has navigated the ongoing conversation with local residents about balancing powerful live sound with neighborhood comfort. However, the music is a lot sweeter this year now that Forest Hills Stadium has installed, on a semi-permanent basis, an L-Acoustics L Series sound system.
Provided and managed by Firehouse Productions, the longtime AV vendor for the venue, the new system comprises main arrays of two L2 over a single L2D per side, each flanked by an out-fill hang of one L2D. Fill sound is supplied by 20 Kara II loudspeakers, with plenty of controlled low end from 16 KS28 subs, and the entire setup is powered by four LA7.16 and three LA12X amplified controllers.
The results are clear: off-site sound levels are measuring 10 to 15dB lower than last year’s system. Tim Fraleigh, Firehouse Productions’ system engineer onsite for the season, credits the dramatic improvement to a recommendation from legendary live-sound guru Dave Rat. Rat suggested the L Series would offer the same sonic quality as the K2 system deployed in past years, but in a more compact form factor with even greater sound control. “It was a good call and quite an accomplishment,” says Fraleigh, referring to the off-site measurement improvement. “Great sound makes for good neighbors.”
He attributes the improvement to the L2’s innate cardioid design, as well as L-Acoustics Soundvision software, which predicted the sonic boundaries with great accuracy. And L2 achieved the main goal of mitigating sound leakage while also improving sight lines, thanks to its compact size. “It’s one of those things where when you first put it up in the air and you step back from it, you’re kind of like, ‘wow, is this really going to do it?’” he says. “And then you turn it on and it’s pretty amazing.”
Steve Gordon, Account Manager at Firehouse Productions, comes to his role after years on the road as a touring production manager, and he says what Forest Hills Stadium and its neighbors had been experiencing is a universal problem for touring music. “We always used to ask, ‘why are we trying to do a rock show in a place where you can’t make noise?’” he muses. “But that’s the nature of the issue. It’s challenging for everyone: the engineers, the audience, and the artists because the whole experience changes. And I’ve run into it all over the world. Gordon points out, though, that the L2’s “cohesiveness” is key to making it the right solution for Forest Hills Stadium’s situation. “One of the great things about L Series is that it doesn’t have to be run loud to be impactful. That really helps keep the levels under control.”
Fraleigh confirms that, adding, “As an FOH mixer, you don’t feel the same need to turn it up to get impact. That’s really helped make it more manageable this season.” That certainly applied to EDM-influenced indie rockers Bloc Party, the first show in a five-month-long season that will also include performances by Shawn Mendes, the Black Keys, Phish, Mumford & Sons, and Alabama Shakes. “Even the low end stays comfortably within the guidelines,” he says.
That’s exactly what Bryan Berge, Production Manager for Function of Gravity, the production management company for the venue, discovered when standing out in the street during the season’s first show. “People were saying, ‘that’s all there is?’” He recalls happily. Brought on to consult on the noise-mitigation issue, Berge says the L2 made a huge difference, with a distinct lowering of measured sound levels without any attenuation of perceived impact, even with the tightened metrics in place this season. In addition, he says, the L2 offers a more encompassing, less directional listening experience, one that deepens fan engagement with the music. “When you see production elements like speakers, it tends to subconsciously take you out of the moment,” he explains. “But there’s something about the L Series – their smaller size, their engineering – that makes you feel they’re not there, that you’re connecting directly with the music. That’s a very satisfying experience.”
After initially being denied a permit for this year’s shows, concertgoers are celebrating now that the city cleared the way for the show to go on at the storied venue after an agreement between stakeholders let the permits go through. Much of that is a result of the implementation of the new L-Acoustics L Series sound system, which will assure that the music will stay exactly where it needs to be.
“Our goal at Forest Hills Stadium has always been to create unforgettable moments for our fans, and with the L-Acoustics L Series system, we’re doing just that,” confirms Jason Brandt, General Manager for the iconic outdoor venue, which is operated by The Bowery Presents. “This cutting-edge sound technology ensures the music remains immersive within the venue, allowing our audiences to connect with the music on a deeper level, all while being the best possible neighbors to the surrounding community. We’re excited for many more seasons of incredible music.”
