Adlib supplies CODA Audio for Enter Shikari's quad sound success story
“The AiRAY really is the perfect system. It not only sounds absolutely phenomenal, it’s also lightweight, which takes away any rigging concerns and the boxes are so small we can fit a surround sound rig into the same truck space that a traditional stereo arena rig would occupy. And again, it’s staggering just how much better the AiRAY sounds compared to other top end PA systems. It’s not often you have a PA system that is so far superior to what’s come before, that it looks like it will be a game-changer for the entire industry.”
Hertfordshire’s finest, Enter Shikari took CODA AiRAY out on tour in the UK last year and whilst this unique and brilliant band deservedly won plaudits for the sheer quality of their performance, AiRAY also once again found itself the subject of enthusiastic praise — and not just from the technical community — concert reviewers and fans joined the chorus of acclaim for the success of this particular sonic journey.
Enter Shikari wished, in trademark creative fashion, to push the audio envelope and connect the band’s huge energy to their fans, in the most direct way possible. In fact, audio envelope is a term that might be quite literally applied to describe the quad approach taken by the production. The band wished to immerse the audience in sound and create the effect of shrinking the vast arena spaces and delivering the vibe of the sweaty underground clubs where they began their career.
CODA Audio’s AiRAY was the perfect choice for this ambitious plan. Enter Shikari employ a huge dynamic range of effects to complement their raw, powerful yet detailed sound and the system needed to be able to cope with the widest frequency range. The typical system comprised, at the front, 12 x AiRAY per side (with 4 ViRAY as downfill) and 6 x SC2 LF extensions per side flown behind. 20 SCP-F dual 18” subs were placed in a horizontal one on the floor. 3 x APS and 4 x HOPS (per side) provided further infill and the rear hangs comprised 8 x ViRAY in each corner.
As the UK dates drew to a close, front of house engineer Andy Russell summed up the system in one sentence:
“I can now honestly say that CODA is the best PA I have ever mixed on.»
That simple and unequivocal verdict speaks volumes and system tech George Puttock added a similarly effusive endorsement:
“The entire CODA package provided for this tour was a complete dream to use. Audio quality was the prime concern for the Enter Shikari tour and the CODA System far outperformed all expectations. The added bonus that these speakers are also incredibly lightweight, easy to rig & efficient on amplifier resources was a massive plus… but completely incidental to the actual decision of quality first”.
Production Manager Edd Slaney commented:
“The AiRAY really is the perfect system. It not only sounds absolutely phenomenal, it’s also lightweight, which takes away any rigging concerns and the boxes are so small we can fit a surround sound rig into the same truck space that a traditional stereo arena rig would occupy. And again, it’s staggering just how much better the AiRAY sounds compared to other top end PA systems. It’s not often you have a PA system that is so far superior to what’s come before, that it looks like it will be a game-changer for the entire industry.”
A regular feature of the tour reported by the team was the frequency with which fans came to offer their praise for the sound quality, clearly demonstrating that the brief to achieve intimacy and personal connection had succeeded in spades. Virtually every review of the tour also remarked on the superb audio, demonstrating that the system delivered on every level. By virtue of their exceptional talents and the power of CODA Audio, Enter Shikari succeeded in delivering exactly what they were aiming for, every night of the tour.