Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc.

At a recent Lee Brice concert at the University of Oregon, George Relles Sound of Eugene, Ore. showcased its brand new Meyer Sound LYON linear sound reinforcement system. LYON gave a convincing performance that left an impression on Brice's FOH engineer, Wayne Pauley, and affirmed owner George Relles's investment decision.

"The LYON system was a real eye-opening experience," says Pauley, who mixed Brice on a LYON system at the University of Oregon's Matthew Knight Arena. "It has remarkable clarity and projection, and it seemed like everything was jumping out of the arrays right at you."

Pauley also noticed how the linear performance of LYON changed his mixing approach. "I found I could get a well-defined mix that sounded louder than its true SPL. Everything came together so well that I was surprised when I looked over at the SPL meter."

Relles's purchase includes 14 LYON-M main and six LYON-W wide-coverage line array loudspeakers, adding to an arsenal that includes six 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements and a Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system.

One of the traits that first drew George Relles to LYON was its evenness of front-to-back coverage. "With some line arrays, as you get into the near field it doesn't sound as good, so you have to cover it with front fills," says Relles. "But with LYON, I was struck by how smooth it sounded when you got close. It was a marked difference from what I've heard from other systems."

In addition to LYON's sonic qualities, Relles adds that the system's cost- and time-saving logistical benefits also contributed to his investment decision. "With LYON I can squeeze a lot more power into my limited truck space," says Relles. "And when I get to the gig, flying is a breeze. I can put the LYONs in place in groups of four, lift them up, and they expand out to the preset angles, ready to lock into place. Everything goes up so quickly, it's amazing."