L-Acoustics L2 deployed for Radiohead’s record-breaking return

Britannia Row and Simon Hodge deployed L-Acoustics’ lightweight L Series system to achieve 360-degree coverage at Radiohead’s first tour in seven years.

Radiohead chose to perform on a small, circular stage at the centre of each arena. L-Acoustics Certified Partner Britannia Row Productions and FOH engineer Simon Hodge deployed an L-Acoustics L Series system in order to meet the requirements of this in-the-round configuration.

Hodge has worked with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood since 2020 on their project ,The Smile. He was among the first engineers to take L-Acoustics’ L2 on tour during The Smile’s 2024 tour.

"I was struck by the directionality of L2 and how controlled the low mid is due to the continuous baffle," Hodge explained. "But equally important was efficiency. It's a relatively small number of lightweight boxes, which makes it incredibly efficient in terms of production resources and easy to load in and out."

The arrays were installed in the very centre of each venue, requiring careful rigging considerations. The tight timelines, with cable bridges running from FOH to the centre of the arena and PA load-in typically starting at 6:00 am, required a system that could be deployed quickly.

"The geometry for audio coverage was particularly demanding,” said Hodge. “We needed a system that could deliver consistent coverage while minimising interference with the visual production and accommodating audiences on all sides of the stage at various elevations."

Working alongside production designer Josh Loyd, Hodge’s final design consisted of eight hangs of three L2 and one L2D positioned at the corners of a square containing the circular stage, providing 360-degree coverage. The low-frequency system involved 32 KS28 subwoofers flown centrally on a custom-made cart that handled all cable management, amplified controllers, and rigging, supplemented by 24 ground-stacked KS21 subwoofers.

The system was powered by 37 LA7.16 and 13 LA12X amplified controllers. All L2 arrays were deployed in supercardioid mode, with Panflex horizontal coverage angles carefully adjusted to avoid exciting reflective surfaces in each room. For larger venues, small Kara II delays were used to bring high frequency to the top rows.

L-Acoustics Soundvision software was used during the design phase. "With the latest updates modelling the TM array, dispersion became extremely easy and fast," said Hodge. "We were able to evaluate the need for delays, correctly aim arrays based on seating geometry, and align front-fills and delays beforehand—saving precious time on-site."

Loyd's design placed the amplified controller carts behind the arrays and in front of the cable bridges, allowing the audio team to be largely independent from other departments. The team used Milan-AVB as the main audio protocol and a P1 was used for backup and to tune the system through the M1 platform.

Radiohead performed four sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena in November, breaking the venue’s attendance record multiple times. The final show drew 22,355 people, setting an all time attendance record.

"These historic shows were as successful as they were because of the sound,” said Hodge. “Both the artist and monitor engineer were astonished by how quiet the stage was, and everyone involved in the production was remarkably impressed by how well the system performed.”