Rigging the Ryman
Natural Acoustics and Unexplained Phenomena
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Mark Knopfler’s “Sailing To Philadelphia” tour required a collaboration between US based db Sound and UK based ML Exec’s Ltd. using EV X-Array and dueling XL4’s in the house and monitor land respectively. After talking to Assistant Engineer Jim Homan (see Photo #2) by cell phone, I told him that Pollstar.com produced one possible date that we could make. We agreed to the last US tour date of May 27, 2001 in Nashville, TN and met two weeks later. |
VINTAGE VENUES
Knopfler chose mostly historic small theaters and venues for this leg
of the 2001 tour. These old palaces like the Orpheum (Boston) the Fox
Theatre (Detroit) and the Beacon (New York) were a world away from the
20,000 plus arena shows of the heady Dire Straits days.
Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium (see Photo #1) has been a creative pulpit
for the preachers, actors and musicians since 1892. Built before electronic
amplification, the Ryman holds it’s humble ambiance like a mother clinging
to her newborn child.
Although renovation and restoration have taken place over the decades,
the acoustic properties have stayed constant since the flamboyant Reverend
Samuel Porter Jones roared his first sermon in 1892. The Ryman has presented
such names as W.C. Fields, Ethel Barrymore and Orson Welles, among countless
others.
In 1943, it became home to the Grand Old Opry and opened an era of American
musical history that we will never see again. The greatest country music
performers sang, played and performed their way into the hearts of millions
of Americans every Saturday night via 50,000-Watt, clear channel, WSM-AM
radio, live from the Ryman.
The Grand Old Opry claimed the Ryman as home until 1974. After twenty
years dormant, except for an occasional show, restoration and rebirth
was completed in 1994. Since then, The Ryman has hosted numerous motion
picture shoots and major musical artists.
SHOW DAY
On the morning of the Knopfler show we walked from our hotel to the magnificent
red brick building that was originally designed and built to be a house
of worship. Sightseeing tour busses were lined up against the building
and we made our way past ticket takers at the new entrance on the side.
We were told to take the elevator to the second floor. The doors of the
elevator opened up to the second floor lobby illuminated from sunlight
pouring through stained glass windows.
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After opening the door to the confederate gallery (the balcony), there was a strange and inspirational feeling. The historical nature of this magnificent landmark became very evident. The crew had already started erecting Robbie McGrath’s FOH position. The Ryman house FOH was centered, but McGrath and company had to work from center stage right in close quarters. Jim Homan warned about the tourists and tour guides walking by, gawking and stumbling through Mark Knopfler’s house position which, by then, had taken significant aisle space near the top of the auditorium. This continued for a good part of the morning and afternoon. |
Three and a half blocks of EV X-Array were ground stacked on the stage
and the crew was busy tying into the proprietary JBL house system for
upstairs coverage. They had also positioned four EV 1083 8inX1in passive
micro fills, two at center stage and one each at stage left and stage
right for front fill.
We next met Les Banks, the Ryman’s house sound engineer, to chat about
the acoustical properties of Nashville’s Mother Church. “Empty, this is
such a live room because of the wooden pews and the curved surfaces. It
was built for Sam Jones to preach the word of God so they designed it
with curved surfaces and a lot of wood so he could be heard.
“If you mix it with a band like some normally would without any respect
or consideration for the room you can box yourself into a corner real
fast. The best shows in this building have been with bands that are sensitive
to volume. It’s so easy to excite the room that it’s very easy to lose
intelligibility.”
Banks continued, “the greatest show I’ve seen here in five years was the
people that did the soundtrack for the movie Brother, Oh Art Thou. They
came in and with just three classic mid 50’s $10,000 Neumann studio microphones
with no monitors, and they were mixing so you didn’t even know the PA
was on.
“They mixed it using the speakers for distribution rather than for amplification.
It sounded like a million dollars. The spirit of the Ryman came alive
that day.”
CATTERING, BEFORE CHAT
Lunch followed a brief chat with Rory Madden (Knopfler’s monitor engineer).
We then arrived back at 13:00 to connect with McGrath (see Photo #3).
A hello, a handshake and upstairs to the FOH to watch him ring out the
system before the band arrived.
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All the while tourists kept filing past the FOH and McGrath was joking and cordially initiated in conversation with the bewildered onlookers. One older senior citizen reflected on how he once worked for a radio station in Nashville and with his hands gestured that his sound mixer was about the size of an old wooden peach crate. After McGrath worked with some pink noise, he brought everything down and popped in a CD and asked me if I would run down to the edge of the balcony and relay messages back to Homan who was behind the XL4 while he went down onto the main floor. |
As soon as McGrath got downstairs, he immediately started moving the EV
1083s. He walked the room and listened and started shouting out instructions
to me to relay to Homan but I didn’t have to say a word.
Homan heard him loud and clear all the way at the top of the auditorium.
The reflection was unbelievable.
Eventually, at about 16:00, the auditorium doors were locked and Knopfler
and crew had the entire Ryman Auditorium to themselves.
ONE HAND CLAPPING
Soundcheck went well. I was able to walk around the entire auditorium.
Although mixing from upstairs, McGrath’s mix on the main floor was incredible.
The band dynamics helped immensely.
Twenty-four EV P3000 amplifiers powered the system with Midas XL4 consoles
controlling FOH and monitor speakers.
The X-Array sounded phenomenal and the EV 1083s were a great compliment
to the mains. There was not one part of that auditorium that did not sound
pristine.
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The sound design included six Xb speakers, two Xcb speakers, four Xcn speakers, eight Xf speakers, plus twelve Xn speakers, six X-subs and four Xi-1082 speakers. The proprietary JBL speakers that were flown in three clusters
over the stage reproduced well. McGrath’s SPL levels were consistent
and low. |
After one more song, there were “thumbs up” all around. As we were walked
downstairs, McGrath asked if we had heard the clap. By the time we hit
the backstage area, everyone was talking about the clapping and wanted
to know where it came from. It was a moving performance by Ms. Harris
and we had all just assumed that someone from the crew was downstairs
somewhere but that turned out not to be the case.
System tech Neil Wargolet was on stage and had a clear view of every inch
of the main floor, “Soon as Emmy Lou Harris finished her sound check,
we heard hand claps where nobody was sitting. There was no one out there
in the auditorium but you guys upstairs and we couldn’t see anybody anywhere.
“Then one of the stagehands came over and told us that the place was haunted.
That was kind of the coolest thing of the whole tour.”
Les Banks, the Ryman’s house engineer explained it this way. “Our stage
manager confirmed there was no one out there. He puts it in the category
of unexplained phenomenon. You can ask some of the seventy year old ushers
that we have here, they swear by doors closing, flashes of light when
they’ve been alone here. I’ve been here at three or four in the morning
and there’s something about it.”
DIFFERENT FLAVORS
Later, in the tour bus, we asked McGrath about the jump from the Rolling
Stones to Mark Knopfler. “It’s a bit like going from AC/DC to Simply Red.
I think the way I get away with it is because I still listen to the music
and I really don’t listen to PAs.
“I listen to the songs. (see Photo #4). I love all types of music. I’ve
got a record collection, a CD collection, and a tape collection that goes
into the thousands.
“My taste in music is very wide spread. I listen to everything, so to
me it’s not that difficult when you’re coming into something like this,
you know it’s got an ambient feel. It’s got acoustic guitars and it has
soft singing and a lot of the lyrics that make you want to join in.
“For instance, the song ‘Prairie Wedding” is about a guy who is living
on the prairies of America and he sends off for a wife from an ad. He
picks her up from the station and she’s beautiful and he spends his days
with this beautiful woman.”
“It’s a great love story, so anything done well and anything done from
the heart helps. It helps you get it. You can start working with an artist
and you might not be into their music, but once you get to know them,
their character and why the music is the way it is, then you get it.
“There are very few bands that I’ve worked with over the years that I
didn’t get. I’ve gone into a few bands and when I got into them I didn’t
know what I was getting into. But by the time I’ve come out, I’ve gotten
to love them and their type of music.
“I’m now getting into music that I should have gotten into years ago because
my ears are hearing things now that I wasn’t educated enough to hear before,
like for instance, Frank Sinatra’s breathing. When you tie into something
like that, it opens up a huge magical door that wasn’t there when I was
fifteen.”
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The conversation suddenly took a quick turn in an unexpected direction.
McGrath continues, “I want to tell you something I’ve learned! It’s
about the artist. It’s about music. It’s not about your favorite
microphone. It’s not about your favorite speaker system. It’s not
about you. You’re there, as a cognate piece in a great mechanism.
“The more you get to know, the more options, the more choices you have which can be quite frustrating if you’re in a hurry. Your well of knowledge is full of tricks. Twenty years ago, you had one trick, which was how to turn the PA on. Now you have to understand quite a bit about phasing, about EQ, about parametrics.” |
GEAR GALORE
Next, I asked McGrath about having the luxury of being able to snag virtually
any piece of gear that they want since some of our readers could only
do that in their dreams. “Obviously, you have to have the right tools
to do the job, but they are just tools to do the job with.
“The job at hand is where all that matters. It’s understanding the music,
and understanding what the music’s background is.”
So what’s his take on mixing Mark Knopfler? “They use a lot of different
and unusual instruments. It’s great. I love it. There’s a lot of strange
stuff going on onstage, but I come from a background of years ago mixing
a lot of Irish traditional bands that would just stand on stage with a
couple of mics and cause havoc with fiddles and squeeze boxes.
“The energy is in the music. So if you’ve got a bad mic or a bit of a
bad PA or you have to plug into something that’s not quite right, get
over it. Because it is the music. It was there before we were.”
McGrath was using a BSS Varicurve with a custom built rolling tray that
he could easily slide from one side of the XL4 to the other. I had to
find out what his favorite application for this unit was. “The Varicurves
are fantastic. I’ve put them into subgroups, like over a drum kit.
“Your Klark Teknik will do the lion’s share of the EQing and that just
puts your personal feel on it. They’re very musical. There’s a lovely
feel off them. They’re nice and gentle. The Klark Teknik graphic is a
great machine, it definitely does a very direct hard job.”
During soundcheck I noticed that McGrath never went downstairs to walk
the main floor. He reflected on this. “Downstairs we are using the rig
we’ve been on tour with which is kind of tuned in for everything that
we’re doing. We’re using the house JBLs in the air. I kept turning on
and off the two systems during sound check so I could understand the upstairs
blend.”
Rory Madden, a veteran of Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, the Clash and Talking
Heads among others, talked about his role in the Knopfler camp. “This
job can be really rewarding, especially with Mark Knopfler. They know
dynamics. It mixes itself pretty much.
“This band are all brilliant musicians, very solid musically. I told our
system tech this is the first band ever that I’m mixing everything off
the VCAs, because I’ve got half in-ears and half monitors. (Editor’s Note:
The wedge foldback system was powered with Crest Audio P7301 purpose-designed
amplifiers. The system allows monitor Madden to provide sixteen mixes
to a combination of twenty of ML Executive’s ML-115s.) wedges. The earworn
musicians were wearing Sensaphonics earpieces and Shure wireless 700 and
600 systems.)
“It’s the first band I’ve ever mixed that everything is in post. So, if
Mark needs more vocal, I push it up for everyone because I know they all
want it. That’s how they were in tune with each other.
“I can mix everyone off the VCAs. It’s incredible. I also use a Varicurve
because I have four instruments coming down one channel. I use it as a
gate for the different gains. I’ve got it MIDI-ed to my desk.
“I also take out a little bit of low end on some of the more exotic instruments.
It gives it a little sparkle. I would much rather take it out as opposed
to push it.”
A BIG DEAL
When I asked Madden about the Ryman, he was quick to note, “It’s quite
a big deal to play here.” Madden was equally eager to point out what its
like to work with McGrath, “A lot of engineers don’t realize how the front
of the house and the monitor engineer have to work together, because one
can destroy the other very easily. This is probably the first time I’ve
worked with an engineer that thinks exactly the same way that I do.”
McGrath chimed in, “Were both basically doing the same job, that’s what
people have to realize. It’s all in the same room with the same band so
you have to have respect and understand what’s going on. Not just from
the house engineer’s point of view but from what’s happening on stage.
“Often, you can take care of a narrow band width of 125Hz that, from where
I work, you’d be hard pushed to even know it was going on, but over there
on stage you could clear up a very big problem.
“You really have to work with everybody. I know sometimes when you’re
out there at the FOH you feel a little lonely. I have to give a compliment
to Rory; he doesn’t make my day miserable and walk all over my stuff.
We talk to each other a lot and it’s great because it really is one job
that we’re both doing, not two separate ones.”
Madden added, “We have great fun together. I was saying to the manager
that we got to stop laughing every day so much. I’m about to start liking
this business again. They picked a great crew of people to come out here.
“I’m loving it, it’s a small little tour and everyone gets on. It’s really
nice. We all do our thing because Mark makes you concentrate to your utmost.
That’s a good thing.”
McGrath continued, “Mark’s ability to hear and understand what’s going
on is frightening…. really. One day we decided between the two of us,
we were going to change a bass drum mic. When Mark walked in for sound
check, the first thing he said was ‘did somebody change the bass drum
mic?’ He’s got incredible ears.”
LANDMARKS & EPILOGUE
As we left the bus, a man came up to us and pointed out where Hank Williams
use to retreat down the alley to heave. (see Photo #5) McGrath, Madden
and Assistant Tour Manager Peter McKay had to have their photos taken
at this monumental spot in the alleyway. That night the full house rocked
from the cornerstone to the planked wooden ceiling and beyond.
This was a special show. Knopfler had asked some guests to appear. Mostly
people who had contributed to his last album, “Sailing to Philadelphia.”
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were there for background vocals, Paul
Franklin on pedal steel, and his very special guest, Emmy Lou Harris with
whom Knopfler recently worked with on a Hank Williams tribute album.
The SPL meter saw 109dB only twice during the evening. It consistently
hovered between 95 and 102 for most of the performance. With 2000 plus
people in attendance, the Ryman was alive and well with the spirit, energy
and dynamics of Knopfler and crew. I’m sure, after all was said and done,
the spirits of the Ryman were left smiling and clapping possibly, even
after it was vacant and they locked the doors for the night.
Nort Johnson is a contributing editor and regular LSMAG! contributor for ten years. He can be contacted via e-mail address at nortkintc@aol.com
July/August 2001 Live Sound International