Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Pitbull, Team Up for the Trilogy Tour Powered by JBL VTX Line Array Speakers
FOH Mix Engineers Brad Divens, Will Madera and Jorge Frontera select JBL VTX A12 loudspeakers for its detailed sound quality and consistent performance
North America—The Trilogy Tour recently selected a complete JBL VTX A Series arena sound reinforcement solution provided by Sound Image / Clair Global to power headline performances by Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull in arenas across North America.
In 2023, three iconic artists Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull teamed up for the North American Trilogy Tour, with three distinct headline performances each evening. The 2023 leg of the tour kicked off on October 14 in D.C. and included stops in New York, Miami, Houston, Las Vegas and more and wrapped up December 16 in Vancouver. The 2024 leg kicks off on January 30 in Fresno and includes stops in Denver, Austin, Toronto, Nashville, Atlanta and more before wrapping up on March 10 in Tampa.
In order to deliver arena-ready mixes with balanced coverage, detailed clarity and maximum impact, Enrique Iglesias’s FOH Mix Engineer Brad Divens collaborated with Pitbull’s FOH Mix Engineer Will Madera and Ricky Martin’s FOH Mix Engineer Jorge Frontera to specify a complete JBL VTX tour sound reinforcement system.
“I was introduced to VTX on a previous tour with Brad and Enrique Iglesias, and for the last 6 or 7 years VTX has been on our rider,” said Will Madera, FOH Mix Engineer, Pitbull. “The first time I listened to it I fell in love with it. It translates my mix very well. I love the low end and the definition of the mids and highs. It has that pop rock sound that I like very much. It was a unanimous decision to go with JBL VTX on this tour, and it was definitely the right choice.”
The Trilogy Tour’s JBL VTX sound system features a total of 96 VTX A12 with a main hang of 20 boxes per side and side hangs of 16 boxes per side, and auxiliary hangs of 14 speakers. To deliver a strong and controlled bass presence, the team specified 42 VTX B28 subwoofers, with 24 subs flown with the main array, and 16 subs on the ground in front of the stage. The crew also included 12 VTX A8 speakers stacked on top of the ground subs to deliver front fill coverage.
“The coverage and impact from that system is incredible,” said Brad Divens, FOH Mix Engineer, Enrique Iglesias. “I like the punch, the clarity, I especially like the top end, it’s so smooth and airy and very present. The vocal quality is great coming out of it. Everything seems to sit right where you expect it to be. It’s right in your face but not aggressive. There’s no downside to the VTX system. It goes up quickly, it’s efficient, and powerful. The system is at 100% and it can do anything. I’ve mixed on every single possible rig. JBL VTX is the rig I choose. I’d put it up against any other rig.”
Both Madera and Divens praised the quality of work by Bill Chase, the tour’s Systems Engineer, and expressed that they had total faith in the JBL VTX sound system’s ability to translate their mixes consistently night in night out in different arenas on tour.
“Bill Chase is our system tech, and he’s really good at making it sound the exact same every day in every different room—which is the hardest thing to do,” said Madera. “The JBL system performed consistently on this tour, which makes our jobs easier. It’s been one of my best experiences touring yet, no complaints whatsoever. It’s great to be able to hang out with incredible engineers like Jorgito and Brad. I look up to their mixes, they’re incredible at what they do. It was a great learning experience.”
“This crew we have is exceptional,” said Divens. “That’s really made it painless when it comes to the audio portion. To have consistency night after night from the audio department is the biggest thing I can ask for as a mixer. There’s not one night on this tour when I felt that something wasn’t right—it’s been perfect. Every arena is different, but you put 15,000 screaming fans in there, and it all comes together. The shows have been going great, and that’s partly because of what the PA delivers, and the crew that sets it up.”
STORY LINKS:
Ricky Martin: https://www.rickymartinmusic.com/
Enrique Iglesias: https://www.enriqueiglesias.com/
Pitbull: https://pitbullmusic.com/
JBL VTX 12 line array speakers: https://jblpro.com/en-US/products/vtx-a12
Personnel:
Sound Company – Sound Image / Clair Global
Jorge Frontera – FOH Mix Engineer, Ricky Martin
Brad Divens – FOH Mix Engineer, Enrique Iglesias
Will Madera – FOH Mix Engineer, Pitbull
Bill Chase – Systems Engineer
Tucker Arbuthnot – FOH Tech / SR PA Tech
Justin McIntyre – Lead PA Tech
Carson Chambliss – MON Tech, Ricky Martin
Ben Gordon – MON Tech, Enrique Iglesias
Alex Martinez – MON Tech, Pitbull
Stephanie van Ravensway – RF Coordinator / Audio Crew Chief
ABOUT HARMAN PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONS
HARMAN Professional Solutions (pro.harman.com) engineers and manufactures audio, video, lighting and control products for entertainment and enterprise markets, including live performance, audio production, large venue, cinema, retail, corporate, education, government, hospitality, broadcast and more. With leading brands including JBL Professional®, AKG®, Martin®, AMX®, Soundcraft®, BSS Audio®, Crown®, dbx Professional®, and Lexicon Pro®, HARMAN Professional delivers powerful, innovative and reliable solutions that are designed for world-class performance. HARMAN Professional Solutions is a Strategic Business Unit of HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
HARMAN Professional Solutions on Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
ABOUT HARMAN
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
HARMAN on Instagram | LinkedIn
Contact
David Glaubke
Director, Global Corporate Communications
HARMAN Professional Solutions, Luxury Audio Group, Embedded Audio
+1 (818) 895-3464 O
JBL Professional®, AKG Acoustics®, AMX®, BSS Audio®, Crown International®, dbx Professional®, Lexicon Pro®, Martin® and Soundcraft®