Aaron Zuber is the Front of House Audio Engineer and Lead Systems Engineer for Zipper Touring LLC. Back in January 2024, Aaron added a TruPulse L2 laser to his toolkit. Typically, the TruPulse L2 is thought of as a tool mostly found in forestry and electric utilities. Aaron’s warranty registration inspired us to learn more about how a rangefinder works for audio engineers.
We reached out to see if he might participate in a quick Q & A on the matter. He agreed but asked to check back in after spending some time with his L2 out in the field. A few months later, after a busy season working with PK sound systems for companies like BNE Productions and OnStage Systems, we heard back. To our delight, Aaron shared that his rangefinder had become “a critical time saver” on the job.
Aaron Zuber, audio engineer, uses a TruPulse L2 rangefinder to gather angle measurements from afar.
As an audio engineer, it is my job to deploy and operate sound systems for concerts and music festivals. Properly hanging line arrays has a lot to do with getting the angles right. I use the TruPulse L2 to do so. I take measurements in each new venue and analyze the spaces where I’m going to deploy sound systems. With the rangefinder at my side, I can accurately determine the ideal positioning of speakers pretty quickly. This saves time while ensuring that my work helps bring a precise and clean sound performance to the show.
Once my speakers are in the air and hanging on chain motors, and I’ve figured out the height they can live at, the next task is deciding how far away I want them to point. If I don’t have any delay hangs, I’ll walk to the very back of the crowd space. There, I will shoot the top cabinet of a line array with my TruPulse L2, to get an angle measurement. The result I get will tell me if any angle adjustments are needed for the top box to be pointed directly at me. For example, if I take a measurement and get +3.0 degrees, I know the top box needs to be adjusted -3.0 degrees. Then I can make the actual adjustments and use my L2 to check again until everything lines up the way I want it to.
I spend a decent amount of my off time at the shooting range. I’ll bring my L2 out there with me too! At its core, shooting is about distance and angles, and I’ve found that the TruPulse L2’s accuracy and range outperform many of the rangefinders marketed toward the hunting and shooting crowd.
My favorite feature about the TruPulse is the inclinometer. With that built-in sensor, the rangefinder gives me easy answers to complex distance questions by simply pointing and shooting. The number one thing I consistently get the most use out of is capturing the critical speaker angle measurements mentioned earlier.
Working the festival circuit means that you’ll spend a lot of time either getting cooked in the sun, rained on, or trudging through mud. There is even some snow here and there. With this in mind, IP ratings are one of the first things I look for when researching new devices. I appreciate the ability to continue my work despite weather conditions. Not having to worry about the durability of tools I’ve invested in is a huge relief. The L2’s IP67 rating gives me that confidence, making it another favorite feature.
Saving time is important on any job site. In my case, this is especially true since my deadlines are tied to the arrival of many thousands of people who will be hearing the results of my work. Knowing that all these people have been looking forward to the event is extra motivation for me to get things done right and on time.
Aaron Zuber calls his TruPulse rangefinder “a critical time saver for any audio serious system engineer”
As mentioned, when I’m planning a deployment before a show, a major task is deciding where to aim the boxes. You can use prediction software to help, but like everyone who’s dealt with show advancing will tell you, what you see when you show up isn’t always the same as what you’ve been led to expect. Some distance references aren’t accurate enough, the max trim height of your line arrays might have changed, hang points might be further apart from each other than anticipated, crowd space might be longer, shorter, or wider than expected, and so on. My L2 rangefinder makes it easy to check these measurements. I quickly walk around and confirm all distances and angles that I need, then update my showfile, and get to work.
I initially just bought the L2 rangefinder to give me angles for the top boxes of my hangs. Now, I find myself taking all sorts of measurements with it. A laser tape comes in handy for short-distance measurements that require the utmost precision. But for anything over 100 feet, it’s much easier to grab the L2. Anyone who has used a laser tape tool knows that the dot can be difficult to see in sunlight. It’s also challenging when the object you’re trying to hit is far away. Meanwhile, looking through the L2’s eyepiece with 5x magnification and aiming the crosshair directly at your target takes those struggles out of the whole process.
Yes! The TruPulse L2 is an excellent rangefinder for audio engineers. I would even call the rangefinder a critical time saver and a necessary tool for any serious audio system engineer. As a rangefinder and inclinometer, my TruPulse L2 easily gets me the information I need for a successful deployment. On top of that, the quality of life upgrade that it brings is something I won’t quickly forget. I’m reminded of this every time I pack my rangefinder for a work trip.
Check out the full specs and key features for Aaron's TruPulse L2 rangefinder, or request a quote.
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