Meyer Sound provides flexibility in Sicilian amphitheatre

“Every time we go to the magical Teatro Greco, we are awed by the magnificence of this venue,” reports Roberto Rosu, FOH engineer for Gigi D’Alessio. “And thanks to the quality of the MICA system, the end result was amazing.”

Flown loudspeaker arrays in the historic arena were not an option, according to Freddy Dagata, audio project manager for Light and Shade di Alessandro Finocchiaro, the Aci Catena-based production provider. “We really had a chance to appreciate the versatility of a Meyer Sound system,” says Dagata. “MICA worked very well when ground-stacked, and we had amazing coverage throughout the arena. We were able to satisfy all requests of the artists and their FOH engineers, as the system perfectly handled a wide variety of pop and rock styles.”

Flanking the stage were twin stacks of eight-each MICA loudspeakers, aided by additional left and right outfill arrays of seven-each M’elodie line array loudspeakers. Four UPM-1P loudspeakers provided front fill, while two UPA-1P loudspeakers anchored a centre image on the wide stage. A Galileo loudspeaker management system with one Galileo 616 processor supplied system drive and optimisation.

Other artists heard through the Meyer Sound system during the 2014 season included Emma, Giorgia, Il Volo, and Negramaro.

Located on a mountaintop with breathtaking ocean views, the Teatro Greco of Taormina was built in the early seventh century BC, although most of the remaining stonework is from a later Roman era reconstruction. With a diameter of 120 meters, it is the second largest Greek amphitheatre in Sicily.