JAPAN: The Expo Arena Matsuri outdoor venue at the Osaka Expo has been outfitted with Martin Audio sound systems, provided by Audiobrains and System Engineering. Serving as the largest outdoor hub at the Osaka site, the outdoor location has capacity for approximately 16,000 people and is hosting a variety of events, including international music shows, Yosakoi festivals and traditional Bon Odori dance performances.
System Engineering was responsible for designing and installing the system. Mr Goto, a member of the company’s sales team, said they had heard Martin Audio during various listening sessions, building trust with the brand. “For this expo, we needed to place importance on cost in addition to sound quality and performance, so we chose Martin Audio as our candidate because of its cost benefits,” he explained. “The acoustic simulation was also provided to us very quickly for when we proposed the system to the Expo Association.”
WPL-PU units from the Wavefront Precision line array (WPL) series serve as the main PA system for the vast arena space. These are complemented in the lower frequencies by 20 SXH218 subwoofers installed under the stage, with WPS-B-MAR cabinets deployed onstage for in fill. Side fills are covered by WPS-B-MAR units combined with SXCF118 cabinets installed on the wings of the stage. Monitoring is courtesy of XE300 loudspeakers and FP8 boxes for the FOH monitor. All speakers are powered by the iK42 DSP-equipped amplifier.
According to Mr Kawachi of System Engineering, the original sound design was based on the premise that the structure would be temporary, however, as the arena will be used for a variety of events, the system needed to be able to operate without trouble for six months. “We had to redraw the drawings and work hard to create a system that balanced the temporary and permanent aspects,” he noted.
As the installation is outdoors, a key challenge was trying to prevent the loudspeakers from shaking. “The venue is close to the sea and can face strong winds of up to 10m per second,” noted System Engineering’s Mr Hashimoto who managed the construction of the setup. “In the end, by making good use of the flying metal fittings and the speaker handles, we were able to create a sturdy anti-sway system that would not budge even in strong winds.”
Hashimoto cited the positive aspects of using the Martin Audio system: “In terms of functionality, the ability to finely adjust the directivity is a big plus – the sound really disappears from the area where the attenuation is set. Even though it is such a large-scale system, there were no major problems and after the opening ceremony, we received feedback that the sound was great. We are honoured to have Martin Audio selected for such an international exhibition and will provide full support until the end of the event.”
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