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FIJI: Christian Mission Fellowship International (CMFI) is a rapidly growing church headquartered in Suva, Fiji. Established in 1990, its 30,000 members and missionaries serve in 120 countries across 5,000 churches worldwide.

CMFI is headquartered in Suva at The World Harvest Centre (WHC), where an impressive, round church building hosts over 3,500 worshippers, a full band, production, and a 100-member choir.

Since its construction in 1990, the centre has installed numerous sound systems; however, none have been able to overcome the challenges of the large reverberant space and the sound quality requirements of the growing church.

Enter Head Pastor Suliasi Kurulo, who finally decided that the time had arrived to call in the professionals and deliver the dream to its members. After many proposals and CAD models, Suliasi, his production crew and the committee awarded the project to Carey Leghorn from CVAV Australia, based on a Martin Audio solution.

Carey, together with Anthony Russo from Technical Audio Group, Martin Audio’s Australian representative, made several visits to WHC to evaluate the scale of the project and create a design that would meet the brief’s requirements.

From Carey’s viewpoint, “This project was one of the most difficult I had ever worked on. We faced several challenges, from working at 15m heights for PA rigging to custom steel fabrication on site. Additionally, we had to install several kilometres of cables through a complex roof structure. Also, much of the fabrication had to be done in Australia with no room for error once the project was containerised and sea freighted.”

Choosing the final speaker design involved hundreds of hours of modelling, with the final decision to use a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision line array system.

Once I saw it hang together in place, it was a dream moment for me.

The services are major concert events with 3,000-plus people singing, supported by a full band and choir. Therefore, the system had to achieve SPLs generally associated with an international touring act. “I believe every seat needs to be the best seat, all while trying to keep an eye on a budget. There is a fine line where you can’t compromise,” says Anthony.

Martin Audio’s DISPLAY prediction software was used to design a 56-cabinet WPM system, which proved the optimal solution. The main hang consists of a 32-cabinet left and right system in two-box resolution, along with a 10-a-side WPM operating in one-box resolution mode.

The system is underpinned with two stacks of six Martin Audio SX218 subwoofers per side—each individually processed.

Despite the challenges posed by the rigging and structural steelwork, the CVAV crew achieved the seemingly impossible feat of hanging a centre cluster and allowing beam steering of the sub-cluster, thereby implementing a textbook solution.

“Once I saw it hang together in place, it was a dream moment for me,” commented Anthony. “It’s extremely rare to get subs in that position in churches, where projectors, sightlines and roof weight loadings often constrain you. This results in compromised split left and right subs and the inevitable power alley and off-axis cancellations.”

The choir stalls are covered with eight individually amplified and processed CDD12 two-way cabinets from Martin’s coaxial CDD range, ensuring maximum coverage and performance. The main console provides a tailored mix send depending on the choir’s requirements.

An eight-cabinet Blackline X12 delay system was installed to complement the main PA. This enhances the overall experience for the rear congregation and optimises the coverage of the main arrays to the main seating area.

Three CDD10 speakers across the stage apron supplement the front rows to complete the main system. The stage is covered by a foldback system comprising six LE100 wedge monitors.

The tech team were able to report wholly successful results after completing the objective measurements and carrying out a subjective analysis.

Anthony Russo points out that only experienced ears could make the final decision on system balance. Pure measurements alone will never suffice. “A half dB here or there, or a fine ratio adjustment on a compressor, can make all the difference. Well-engineered systems, if aligned correctly, respond to even the slightest changes. Even then, you need to keep checking what you think you hear vs what the measurement mic shows you.”

D-Day arrived and culminated in one of the biggest moments for not only the church but also for Fiji, with many island dignitaries in attendance and streaming to thousands online.

Anthony Russo personally addressed thousands on stage and, in an emotional speech, praised the church’s vision. Importantly, he stressed that this project was not about cutting-edge technology and outstanding quality, but the congregation could now truly appreciate the sound of their musicians, choir, and preachers.

In conclusion, he said, “This location had become a place of learning inspired by a team, welcomed like family by its people and, in turn, willing to share their knowledge for future generations. Simply put, The World Harvest Centre ‘University’ had arrived.”

Martin Audio, with sister brands, Optimal Audio, TiMax, Linea Research and OutBoard, are joining forces once again for their successful Open Day programme over three days at their facility in High Wycombe.

Sessions run from September 3-5, from 9.30am-5.30pm on the Tuesday and Wednesday with a half-day programme on Thursday. All brands will feature with either audio demonstrations or presentations and as part of a series of educational modules.

Martin Audio will be running a separate point source demonstration, constant curvature and line array demonstration, as well as a stage monitor demonstration, and will also have in-depth training on DISPLAY 3 prediction software.

TiMax will showcase immersive audio solutions and will also be offering introductory software training, while Optimal Audio will be demonstrating multi-zone commercial audio as well as offering comprehensive training opportunities. Linea Researchwill be presenting an overview of their amplifiers and electronics as well as offering training on their System Engineer 8 control software. Finally, OutBoard will present an overview of their motor control and rigging solutions.

Free parking is on site and refreshments are served throughout the day.

There will also be plenty of opportunity to interact with staff and undertake tours of the factory, while refreshments will be available throughout the day and lunch is available on demand.

Visitors who have not already registered should do so without delay at:https://martin-audio.com/events/september2024opendays

US: All-female Mexican vocal groups, Pandora and Flans recently undertook a 17-city theatre and arena tour of the US, mostly visiting the Southern States.

The Inesperado (‘Unexpected’) tour, as it was known, was supported by a large inventory of Martin Audio WPL line array, provided by New Mexico-based rental partner, High End-RG Productions.

The high energy show itself, which combined the two legendary groups in one spectacular event, had never previously been presented, and it picked up 5-star reviews wherever it played.

We used the ‘Hard Avoid’ whenever it was needed, and I must say what a beautiful tool this is.

Martin Audio’s market leading Wavefront Precision PA was deployed, 12 boxes per side for the group’s FOH sound engineer, Luis Quiñones. High End-RG Productions president, Enrique Ortiz, confirmed that the PA set-up had been designed in collaboration with system engineer, Orlando Calzada, with the 12 SXH218 subwoofers set in an L/R cardioid configuration, six enclosures per side, providing the LF extension.

Responsible for outfill dispersion were eight W8LC on each wing, with eight Martin Audio FlexPoint FP8 acting as front fills, with eight WPS on top of a pair of SX218 subs providing sidefill coverage. This was all powered in 2-box resolution by a combination of four Martin Audio iKON iK42 four-channel amp racks, while a pair of Linea Research M48-20 racks, from their Focusrite Group partner, powered the W8LC outfill hangs. With just two exceptions, the full complement of speakers was deployed at all venues.

From a sound perspective, the tour was split into two, with Orlando Calzada taking on system tech duties for the first half, to be replaced by Enrique Ortiz for the latter part. “Between us, we made the design and prediction in DISPLAY 3, and Luis Quiñones then optimised the alignment of the PA,” explained Enrique. He added, “We used the ‘Hard Avoid’ [function] whenever it was needed, and I must say what a beautiful tool this is.”

His production team had worked closely with Martin Audio tech support to achieve the optimum result, and win the satisfaction of both Miriam Rodriguez, the group’s production manager, and Felix Ovalles production manager of the promoters. Enrique confirmed, “Martin Audio were extremely supportive. Jim Sage provided some additional equipment to ensure we achieved the best outcome, and we received excellent tech support at the start of the tour, when it was especially important, from Will Harris.

“This created a great impression with the artists’ production and the promoters. They loved the idea that we were not just another supply company, but one with active support from a leading brand behind us.”

UK: Fabric London has extended its relationship with Martin Audio dating back nearly quarter of a century, by announcing a substantial upgrade to its flagship Room One.

Since the installation of Martin Audio W8C, Blacklines and WSX subwoofers at the start of the new millennium the club has never looked back, having gone through several generations of Martin Audio systems—maintaining its faith in the state-of-the-art sound systems, offered to its roster of world class DJs.

But when it came to the latest refresh, technical manager Matt Smith decided to follow a different path. Nervous at the prospect of losing what he describes as “that distinctive Room 1 sound” he asked Martin Audio if they would overhaul the existing 20-year-old W8L line array by fitting it with new drivers. And such is the close relationship that has endured between these two premier brands, the High Wycombe manufacturer was happy to oblige.

However, it was quite a journey before that decision was reached, and involved auditioning several different brands. “Although they all sounded amazing it was just going to change the character of what the room was about,” Smith acknowledges. He was also mindful that it had beenfabricfounder Keith Reilly who had countenanced the original switch to Martin Audio “and that there was a romanticism about this system.”

Finally, he consulted the club’s inner pool of promoters, DJs and sound engineers, along with his in-house team: “they were unanimous that we should renovate in order to retain the signature Martin Audio sound and preserve what is quite a historic installation.”

There was a romanticism about this system.

Where Matt Smith has been particularly clever is in supporting the re-energized mid-tops with an entirely end-to-end Martin Audio infrastructure, including SHX218 2 x 18” subs, iKON multi-channel DSP amplifiers, new FlexPoint speakers and XE300—at the same time repurposing the classic and utility Blackline F12s that have delivered DJs’ reference sound up in the booth.

The new Room 1 layout offers the familiar sight of the four newly powder-coated four W8L, two left and right on the stage, matched with repurposed W8C, two left and right at the back.

The eight SHX218 subwoofers, designed in a broadside array under the front of the stage, represent a piece of construction genius, once the club had decided to revert to a horn hybrid. Because these are much bigger, we had to take the wheels off and enlarge the cavities under the stage. Now you can barely get a Rizla between the bass bins and the wall!” quips Smith. Providing design support for time alignment of the sub arrays were Martin Audio’s technical support team of Dan Orton, Ben Tucker and Paul Connaughton.

But it’s “under the hood”, to use Matt Smith’s words, that the magic tales place—with 10 Martin Audio iKON amplifiers (9x iK42 running the bulk of the system, with a single iK81 driving the MF / HF for the main enclosures).

The club’s original DSP and networking had been entrusted to the Soundweb environment but the DSP for the sub array, along with delay times and all presets have now transferred to the process-controlled iKONs. “The amps are immensely powerful,” notes Smith, “and I think we would do some structural damage if we turned them up to their max.

“It’s nice because we are just ticking over with our outputs on the amps whereas before we would have physically needed to constantly check [our amps] just before peak. The beauty of the iKONs is that they self-monitor and with the processing now taking place in the iKONs, we can monitor them remotely via [Martin Audio’s] VU-NET software.”

Meanwhile, four of the recently launched FlexPoint FP12’s have replaced those original, custom-built Blackline F12s in the DJ booth, the latter redeployed to rear downfill duties “to make the size of the dancefloor a bit bigger.” New X15s distribute sound at mezzanine level along with two further repurposed Blackline F15s. Finally, four additional XE300 are available for nightsfeaturing live bands or MCs.”

Although the installation is taking place in phases, the verdict to date fromfabric’s technical manager is already 100% positive. “The new system delivers a lot more power, and with the power availability of the amps we are never going to get near peaking. It’s very clean, tight and punchy … but it’s not about volume for us, we want to keep it sounding good rather than loud.”

And, of course, aside from the romance associated with preserving Martin Audio’s legacy system, there is also the emotional attachment with the custom F12s. “The number of DJs they’ve seen in Room 1, those F12s … you just can’t get rid of them ,” concludes Matt Smith. “Fortunately, we’ve found a really good use for them, and they are doing a great job in their new place.”