With a Jonas Brothers history that dates back to Joe Jonas’ early tours with the group DNCE, Touring Monitor Engineer Andy Hernandez knows what it takes to keep the brothers’ concerts running. For nearly a decade, Hernandez has been devoted to providing members of the renowned pop band with unrivaled sound quality and communications at every stop around the globe. When the trio’s team came calling again for the current “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour” (also known simply as “The Tour”), Hernandez jumped at the chance to get back on the road.
Hernandez says the planning for this tour was coordinated quickly and that the RF setup is very ambitious. “The group is performing in large sporting arenas, with multiple stages in each. At times when there are guests, there can be as many as 20+ people performing. So, we need a solution that is robust, provides great performance and also works around the world. Wisycom checks all those boxes.”
Included among the Wisycom solutions that Hernandez currently deploys on the tour are 32 stereo channels of the brand’s MTK982 Dual-wideband IEM Transmitter, and CSI16T Smart Passive Wideband Transmit Combiner, along with the MAT288 Diversity Wideband Programmable Matrix Combiner for microphone receive, in conjunction with a DiGiCo SD7 Quantum Desk.
“Choosing this system was a no-brainer for us; the RF performance has not only been unmatched, but the usability of it in various countries around the world has been extremely beneficial,” he says. “To have something that is completely full spectrum just makes life a lot easier. We can adjust our position in the spectrum depending on the RF scans of the city we are in that day.”
In addition to RF performance, Hernandez adds, “This is a true diversity system, which means that we never have to worry about signal dropout during our shows. I have three artists who are performing at the same time, and I know that no matter where they are in the stadium or arena, the Wisycom system is going to work — it’s such a relief. It is a true diversity system, which lends itself to why Wisycom is unmatched in comparison to other manufacturers. The brand stays current in the industry and can handle the future, keeping up with the changing needs of its technology.”
With the Wisycom system, Hernandez has also found the setup process to run quickly and smoothly, which is favorable not only to him, but the entire technical team. “My RF tech, Corey Harris, is able to program, sync and get it fully ready within an hour, which is typically unheard of,” he explains. “I have used other products in the past, but the Wisycom system is like a Ferrari of IEMs. It has every feature you can think of and, if you need to dig deep and do a lot, you can — there is a lot of customization that can happen under the hood. On the other hand, if you want to simplify things you also can, but it’s always nice to know you have the options for any adjustments needed.”
Hernandez praises various features of the Wisycom MAT288 and CSI16T. “Some things that stand out to me are the way that the combiner is built,” he adds. “The combiners are awesome — they are durable and the flexibility of the matrix, which has been designed to grant maximum flexibility, is especially great.”
Hernandez got his start running audio in churches, which led to touring in 2011 and eventually a role at Clair Global where he had the opportunity to work with a variety of artists. After touring with DNCE in 2017, Hernandez hit the road as monitor engineer for the tail-end of The Jonas Brothers’ 2021 “Remember This” tour cycle and has been with the group ever since.
“Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour” is the Jonas Brothers’ 12th concert tour, in promotion of their sixth studio album, “The Album” (2023) and features songs from the band’s 2007 to 2023 studio albums. It kicked off on August 12, 2023, in New York City and is set to wrap on October 16, 2024, in Krakow, Poland.
