Veteran tour engineer Jason Raboin has mixed shows for an eclectic range of
artists, from Modest Mouse and Cowboy Junkies to Catie Curtis, Erin McKeown,
Luna, and Ben Lee. As the owner of Camden Sound, he also engineers for a variety
of regional clients in Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley. But Raboin is best known for his
13 years of engineering concerts for legendary folk singer Joan Baez.
Clean, pure sound is essential when mixing Baez’s distinctive voice and acoustic
instrumentation. Raboin’s search for loudspeakers that could deliver these qualities
led him to Fulcrum Acoustic. “I had everything I needed to cover the tours and start
a sound company-except speakers,” Raboin recalls. “I had heard of Fulcrum, so I
checked them out. Their speakers sounded so good, I started doing shows with
them, then started taking them out as Joan’s monitor system. Now I use them for a
wide variety of shows.”
Fulcrum’s commitment to purity and linearity gives their speakers finesse and
clarity, Raboin insists. “With the Fulcrum system, Joan’s amplified music sounds
exactly like Joan, only louder. It’s so transparent, it’s as if the system disappears.”
Musicians consistently notice the difference. “Every time I’ve used the Fulcrum
system for monitors, at least one musician says it’s the best monitor sound they’ve
ever had,” he reports, “and I didn’t have to try hard! I recently mixed six or seven
bands in a day, and I didn’t have to touch a graphic EQ on monitors all day. What
you put into the Fulcrums is what comes out of them.”
For Baez’ monitor system, Raboin chose Fulcrum Acoustic FA12ac loudspeakers,
from the company’s FA Portable series. The FA12ac is 2-way and employs a single
12-inch coaxial loudspeaker with a rotatable horn, 90° x 45° dispersion, an onboard
Powersoft Class D amplifier, and 40° and 55° rear angles for stage-monitor use.
Back-panel selectable presets tailor the response, while Powersoft’s Armonia Pro
Audio Suite™ control software provides access to a full complement of input filters
and delays, signal levels, and amplifier status.
Although Roboin uses his Fulcrum Acoustic speakers for monitors with Joan Baez,
for other artists he often employs Fulcrum Acoustic FA12ac or FA22ac loudspeakers
(or both) for front-of-house, as well. The FA22ac is a 3-way system with two 12-
inch coaxial loudspeakers but otherwise offers the same features as the FA12ac.
For sub-bass, Raboin favors Fulcrum’s TS215 passive, dual 15-inch, direct-radiating
subwoofers. The TS215 can handle up to 3,000W at 4 ohms and generate up to 140
dB SPL, rivaling the output of many conventional dual 18-inch subwoofers, yet it is
compact and portable.
In Raboin’s view, Fulcrum Acoustic is about to become much better known. “Fulcrum
Acoustic is not a household name yet,” he opines, “but once touring engineers hear
the speakers, they’re convinced.”