Bensen Ong has joined Generation AV as a Regional Sales Director, responsible for the AV integration brands including LEA, Sonance, and NST Audio. Reporting to Dave McKinney, MD of Generation AV, Bensen is based in Singapore, and will manage and support the distributors and partners across the Asia region. Bensen has strong experience in the AV integration sector, working both as a system integrator, and also for leading brands like Christie Digital and Shure. “With both a technical and sales background, and a track record of growing sales, Bensen is the perfect fit for Generation AV and the AV integration brands we work with. We are exciting to have Bensen join the Generation AV team.”
Bensen stated “I am thrilled to be part of the dynamic team in Generation AV! I am eager to contribute and grow alongside a team of experienced professionals, driving the company to greater heights.”
From left to right: Jeremiah Joseph Vijaiyasheghar and Bensen Ong
In addition, Generation AV has announced the promotion of Jeremiah Joseph to the position of Technical Manager. Jeremiah (JJ) joined Generation AV at the end of 2023 as a Business Development Engineer, and quickly gained success in managing the Singapore Experience Centre, product training, and consultant relations. McKinney comments “When the opportunity arose, it was an obvious move to expand Jeremiah’s role and have him run everything technical at Generation AV. His strong technical background and experience in both rental and install markets are exactly what we needed.”
Generation AV is now recruiting application engineers to expand the team under Jeremiah to raise the level of support provided across the region, in line with the growth in sales. Jeremiah commented “Since joining the GENAV Team, it’s been a blast. With the announcement of my promotion, I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities ahead. I look forward to working with our customers to deliver the best possible support in my new role.”
TiMax and BranchAV deliver first-of-its-kind immersive VIP suite installation at ScotiaBank Arena
Ontario’s Scotiabank Arena, home to the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors, is hailed as one of Canada’s premier sports and entertainment venue. The commitment to providing a best-in-class fan experience with top rated technology is a central component of the stadium’s multi-award-winning value.
A testament to this commitment is the recent refit and audio redesign of the arena’s original 68 open-fronted executive suites by creating 43 engaging multi-channel rooms driven by the powerful spatial audio capabilities of TiMax SoundHub. The vision to bring directional sound from the court, ice and other high energy areas of the arena into the suites was fostered by MLSE’s Venue Technology leadership team, led by their Head of Sound, Courtney Ross. The project saw significant design and integration contributions from BranchAV’s Steve Svensson and WJHW’s Scott Bray. Fans in these suites, distributed around the full perimeter of the arena just above the 100-level seating, now benefit from an immersive audio sound field that delivers a similar level of excitement and connection with the action in the arena as enjoyed by those in the seats outside the suites. The versatile TiMax SoundHub spatialisation platform is configured to capture and reproduce an accurate and detailed encapsulation of a complete soundscape for each suite which matches its specific location and orientation relative to the playing surface; essentially delivering the ability to hear in context what is seen, not only in terms of left to right panorama but also near to far depth.
Recreating the multiple unique but shared sound perspectives to be experienced by all of the 43 suites, plus a large lounge area, presented a significant challenge which nevertheless was able to be solved with the powerful spatial audio capabilities of TiMax SoundHub. An initial fundamental TiMax spatial design concept was proposed by Dave Haydon of TiMax UK developers OutBoard, who subsequently visited the site during early commissioning to support integrator BranchAV’s specialist Steve Svensson with implementing and refining of the concept, based on his long standing involvement and experience with Scotiabank Arena and its audio systems.
Steve commented “The time it would take to manually program this in any other product would cost more than the price of the TiMax SoundHub and leave you with none of the operational features that have been optimised over the products 20-plus year development. It’s the only device on the planet that can accomplish the real technical requirement.” Output from the strategically placed, digitally steerable microphone arrays are fed to TiMax where different spatialisation configurations are rendered to create selective immersive setups to match hockey and basketball, which could then be quickly swapped to cater for changeovers between the varied event programming in Scotiabank Arena’s busy roster.
Scotiabank Arena’s spatial rendering within the highly adaptable TiMax PanSpace workflow environment uniquely enables live audio captured from the multiple play zones to be recreated as an accurately localised soundscape within each suite, regardless of its position around the bowl perimeter. Additional effects sources are combined and/or discretely delivered to TiMax SoundHub via Dante, which then spatially matrixes them across strategic suite groupings with independent amplifiers. Mounted 4m/13ft in front of each suite, just under the balcony overhang, is a single high-powered passive Renkus-Heinz dual 6″ CX62 enclosure that provides a main centre channel for the suite immersive system as well as delay reinforcement of the main bowl PA system’s audio playback content and announcements.
Left and right audio is delivered through a pair of compact coaxial speakers mounted just inside the front walls of each suite. A pair of ceiling speakers at the rear of each suite acts as a rear channel to complete the spatialisation. To rationalise channel count and TiMax spatial rendering, adjacent suites in groups of three receive parallels of their location’s four TiMax stem feeds, which works due to their spatial and temporal relationships to the arena being closely matched.
To help further emulate the crowd immersion experienced outside the suite, various microphones located around the bowl pick up different crowd ambience zones, which are then selectively spatially aligned in the object-based TIMax Panspace to create a subtle immersive crowd sound field using all four speaker channels in each suite. EQ tuning was fairly common to all suites due to their identical sound systems and similar dimensions, however the critical multiple spatial time-alignments specific to their varied locations were programmed quickly within the TiMax SoundHub Panspace object-based workflow. TiMax delay matrix Image Definition objects were automatically and instantly calculated to feed all suites simultaneously, even including applying tactical negative delay offsets to compensate for the approximately 40-50ms sonic time-of-flight from the playing surface lobe zones to the mic arrays hanging in the central scoreboard.
MLSE recognises that they’ve only scratched the surface of possibilities for automated performance localisation, and are excited to push the limits of this technology. Scott Bray of WJHW concluded:. “The absolute science behind what has been created here is a ‘first in the world’ innovative solution that to our knowledge no other sports venue in the world has matched. It has wowed everyone that’s experienced the suites since the season’s commenced, and it is now planned as a central facet of similar future WJHW arena projects. “
No fewer than 260 Martin Audio loudspeakers were on duty for a series of concerts at the Puskas Arena in Budapest recently. Spread across three weekends, with three sets of artists, BG Event staged one of their biggest productions ever in the 67,000-cap multi-purpose stadium.
The first weekend saw 22-year-old singer songwriter Azahriah, the latest Hungarian sensation, playing three shows, such was the demand for tickets, to a total of 120,000 people. This was followed by long-serving band Hungaria with their 1950s rock and roll style, and the final band was Halott Penz (Dead Money), celebrating their 20th anniversary with this show.
It was the first time the production company had worked at this venue. Closed from 2002-2019 for a complete rebuild, according to BG Event’s Gabor ‘Mazsi’ Bacskay, “The team of architects failed to take into account the acoustic requirements of a concert and focused solely on sports events.” He described the new manifestation as being “like a large chimney with loads of reverb and echoes. We experienced a 6-8-second reverb at any position, and no curtains or any attenuation were built in.”
Faced with such a large box count, BG Event turned to their alliance partners Solotech, with whom they have worked many times at the predominant Sziget Festival main stage. “But as an independent company these [latest] shows were the largest full-service audio jobs we have done.”
The planning phase began back in November 2023, and the demands were quickly defined. Mazsi was determined to use Martin Audio “rather than just any gear that was available”. Knowing they would need to be deployed for between four to five weeks they needed to make hard decisions, not only about sourcing further MLA enclosures “but also not many production companies would have 50m chain length for hoists or looms for 70-plus metres.”
Fortunately, earlier in the year they had boosted their MLA stock in readiness for the season. “Therefore we almost possessed everything we needed. However we rented a few MLA Compact cabinets for the ring delays from our long-term partner Szatyi Stage Team. For the rest we had a large number of Merlin processors and distros so that we could prepare the complete optical chain in our warehouse, enabling just a quick setup at the venue.”
Nevertheless, on site BG’s tech team needed to work closely with the light designers and the next challenge was identifying hang positions without interfering with the LED screens and lighting trusses. “Finally, there were obvious acoustic disadvantages due to the basic properties of the building and we had to do our best to counterbalance them and provide the audience with the best coverage possible.“
The main PA hangs comprised 17 MLA (plus an MLD Downfill) on each wing and an identical configuration for the outhangs. The MLX subs were unable to be flown due to the design structure and so were arranged in 14 stacks—three MLX per stack, with the bottom one reversed—and this cardioid principle produced a successful result.
At the rear of the stadium they rigged four delay towers, comprising 12 MLA (and MLD Downfill) on the outers (LL-RR), 11+1 MLA/MLD on the inners (L-R).
They also fielded eight ring delays to cover the third tier. “Although the house has installed a lot of speakers since the direction of those cannot be changed, we preferred to have four delay hangs of eight MLA-C MLA each, and another four delays with 10 MLA-C, giving a total of 72 boxes.
A further 24 MLA-Cs were used for front fills across the stage lip, depending on show set up. A large auxiliary (17mx17m) ‘B’ stage formed part of the week one design (removed for later shows).
Mazsi admits that the B stage performance had provided a challenge for Azahriah’s sound engineer due to the artist’s quiet vocal. “But we were able to assist with the main hang zones—making a second zone from the last four boxes, and preparing a separate EQ to kill any feedback.”
Overall, he was delighted with the sound containment. “Having the subs in cardioid stacks worked well, and we achieved good response at the rear seating as well. With DISPLAY 3 [software] it is easy to calculate the delay times. We didn’t need to use Hard Avoid, but everyone was surprised how consistent the coverage was throughout the whole arena.”
BG Event provided full FOH system support. First week for Azahriah, Zoltan Osztheimer was at FOH, second week for Hungaria, Daniel Toth and Zsolt Gyulai were on duty, and the final week Zalan Osz was at FOH. They report that all visiting sound engineers really enjoyed working with the PA, remarking on its consistent coverage and straightforward transfer.
At pre-config stage BG also consulted with Marci Mezei, as often in the past, and for the professional set-up the entire BG tech team can be applauded. This was all coordinated by Gabor ‘Mazsi’ Bácskay himself.
Finally, Mazsi credits BG Event owner Gergely Szentivanyi for his foresight in investing further in the MLA fleet. “The company actually owns more than 120 MLA—an outstanding quantity in a region of this size!”
UNC Charlotte’s Division I FCS football team debuted in 2013 at Jerry Richardson Stadium, a venue with a base capacity of 15,000, expandable to 40,000. The need for a sound system upgrade became evident as the team prepared to join the American Athletic Conference. To elevate the crowd experience, the university turned to LEA Professional’s award-winning amplifiers.
Jerry Richardson Stadium is home to the University of Charlotte 49ers football program, which began its inaugural season in 2013. The Football Stadium Complex encompasses the Jerry Richardson Stadium, the Judy W. Rose Football Center, McColl-Richardson Field, and two practice fields. The stadium features a 6,636 square-foot press box with media seating, a university box, and television and radio booths on the west sideline at the concourse level. The field house includes coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, locker rooms, weight and training rooms, a 1,920 square-foot Academic Center, a 2,757 square-foot tiered classroom, and a 5,947 square-foot Hospitality Deck.
THE INSTALL
The athletic staff contacted Stephen Morris, President of C.V. Lloyde AudioVisual, to help revitalize the audio system. The university wanted a more reliable and robust system that could energize the crowd with the actions down on the field.
“The old sound system was designed for a small FCS-style stadium, and UNC Charlotte needed a system that reflected the current status of their program in FBS football,” said Morris. “While top-notch sound quality was of critical importance to UNC Charlotte, they also wanted amplifiers that were reliable and easy to use, and LEA amplifiers fit the bill perfectly.”
Morris’s team installed multiple Connect Series 354D amplifiers to power the immersive audio experience in the stadium’s fieldhouse. With 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options, the IoT-enabled 4-channel 354D provides 350 watts per channel, supports Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and features two Smart Power Bridge channels. With three ways to connect, the university can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the stadium’s Wi-Fi, or connect to the local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable.
The Connect Series delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor the amplifiers regardless of the location or time of day. Whether from within the sphere or a different continent, controlling the Connect Series amplifiers from afar helps teams work more efficiently, reducing travel and saving time and money.
CS354D
THE CONCLUSION
The impact of a powerful sound system on the game-day atmosphere at Jerry Richardson Stadium has not gone unnoticed. Matt Messina, Associate Athletic Director for Broadcast, Video, and Technology at UNC Charlotte, shared his enthusiasm, stating:
“The new sound system is great—it really gets our crowd going. It’s great to see the excitement when we play that intro video, and the fact that the stadium sound system can now get those fans engaged and get them hyped for a game in the stadium is very gratifying to us.”
A special thanks to the teams at UNC Charlotte and C.V. Lloyde AudioVisual for choosing our amps for this incredible installation. We’re thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate with you and ensure unparalleled sound quality for many years ahead.
Linea Research, high power amplification and DSP solutions specialist, has announced a new distribution channel for Portugal, taking audiovisual event production company, Sons do Marquês, as network partner in the region to extend the reach of Linea Research into that territory.
Based in Pombal, Sons do Marquês has supplied the highest quality audio products to the Portuguese rental and installation markets for over 20 years. Audio installers and rental companies across Portugal will benefit from Linea’s full range of products with market-leading feature- and performance combinations, the company says.
Linea Research focuses on high performance and cost efficiency in each product across the company’s entire catalogue, the company says. The high-performance levels rely on the design of each part operating together in synergy. To achieve this, every product, from switched-mode power supplies and high-power Class D amplifiers to networked Digital Signal Processing and control software, is developed in-house.
Sons do Marquês MD, Rogerio Lopes, says, “The Linea Research range of amplifiers will be a popular choice in Portugal and already there is interest from larger rental companies and for multi-zone installation project, in the 8-channel M- and C- series models. Linea Research enhances our offering to existing clients seeking an extensive preset library combined with a powerful range of amplification and DSP technology.
Linea Research sales manager, Martin Hildred, adds, “We are delighted to partner with Sons do Marquês in Portugal and the company is the ideal partner to strengthen our distribution in the territory. Rogerio and his team have extensive industry knowledge and an established network through Portugal where the products offered by Linea will add value to the existing offering.”
UK: Although only a small, 220-cap venue, the Half Moon in Putney has hosted some of the biggest names in show business over the last 60-plus years. It was the venue for U2’s first ever sell-out show, the place where Kate Bush first performed publicly, hosted KD Lang’s debut, and has had the likes of Bo Diddley, The Who, and The Rolling Stones gracing its stage.
But its sound system had been installed almost a decade previously and was nearing end of life.
The venue’s head engineer James Beck has been working at the venue all of that time and more. It was when Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason came through back in 2018 carrying Martin Audio’s MLA Mini loudspeaker array that the vast improvement in sound quality arrested his attention.
“I was well aware of the Martin Audio brand, and when I heard this I was super-impressed. It had already been in our mind to upgrade, as I’d never been completely happy with the old system, and I felt this iconic venue deserved a proper system.” So he started looking seriously at Martin Audio.
THE NEW SYSTEM HAS BEEN LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.
“The first thing we bought was four LE200 wedge monitors—and that blew everyone away compared with what we had. So then we started talking to Martin Audio about upgrading FOH.”
Enter one of the manufacturer’s partner companies, Solotech. Their project manager Louis Williams was happy specifying the brand knowing that “around 60% of our venues” have been equipped with Martin Audio. “We removed an old flare rig and put in a pair of FlexPoint FP15s, left and right of the stage, and a pair of SX218 double 18” subs.
“We’re also using FP8 for the sidefill to give the door area a bit more coverage.” A further three more FP8 can be found outside “to give the smokers some nice sound as well”.
The main system is powered by a pair of Martin Audio VIA5002 amplifiers with all signal routing and EQ managed via a dedicated Martin Audio DX4.0 processor.
Williams is convinced that this was the correct specification. “FlexPoint loudspeakers are a perfect match for the venue,” he says. “They are the right size and at a great price point. It’s a massive improvement to what they had before.”
James Beck agrees. “The new system has been like night and day. Bands have noticed the improvement, customers and engineers have been super happy. The headroom in the system, the size of the boxes and clarity are all absolutely amazing.
“With acts starting out, touring acts, and the odd superstar like Ronnie Wood rolling in it was important for us to have a really good sound system. It also needed something that was durable because we have acts seven nights a week. When people come to a venue that’s been going for 60 years, they expect a good time which is why we needed something that would fulfil that, sound wise.
“FlexPoint sounded great straight out of the box, and fulfils all the criteria.”
Focusrite plc purchase Innovate Audio to support immersive sound strategy
Focusrite plc has announced the acquisition of UK-based Innovate Audio, the company behind the popular panLab spatial audio solutions. This follows the earlier acquisition of TiMax and builds upon Focusrite Group’s commitment to immersive sound.
With the acquisition it has been agreed that panLab solutions will join the TiMax brand, meaning TiMax can now offer the most comprehensive range of immersive sound solutions on the market, with everything from entry-level panning software through to full delay-matrix spatial processors and performer stagetracking. Innovate Audio founder, Dan Higgott, will also join TiMax as a Senior Product Developer.
Both panLab 3 and panLab Console have proved popular with sound designers the world over with over 10,000 downloads achieved and the solutions being used in iconic venues from Sydney Opera House to the National Theatre. With panLab 3 users enjoy a spatial audio mixing solution, built to work seamless with QLab that is typically up and running in 5 minutes. With panLab Console, users can achieve an object-based audio workflow, whilst utilising the console they already own. The macOS app adds spatial audio capabilities to a range of digital mixing consoles with mixer Input and Output Channels becoming objects on the panner.
By extending the Focusrite Group’s business into new products and markets, which complement its existing offerings within the Audio Reproduction business, the acquisition is strategically aligned with the Group’s previously communicated aims of growing the core customer base, expanding into new markets, and increasing lifetime value for customers.
Tim Carroll, CEO of Focusrite commented:
“The acquisition of Innovate Audio represents another strategic expansion within our Audio Reproduction business, enhancing our product range and building a customer journey into Immersive Audio. From cost effective simple panning to the most advanced TiMax solutions, we now have the most complete line up in the sector. We are an immersive sound powerhouse of comprehensive solutions, and this aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver exceptional audio experiences within live and installed environments. I’m also delighted to welcome Dan Higgott to the fold, who I know will make a significant contribution to the TiMax team moving forward.
Dan Higgott, founder of Innovate Audio, commented:
“I am absolutely thrilled that Innovate Audio is joining the Focusrite Group. This opportunity marks an exciting new chapter for both Innovate Audio and me personally. Our spatial audio products panLab and panLab Console now have an exciting new home, where they can thrive and integrate with world class brands. I am delighted to be joining the brilliant Dave Haydon and Robin Whittaker, as we deliver an extremely exciting roadmap of new products to the TiMax family.”
Focusrite plc is a global audio products group that develops and markets proprietary hardware and software products. Used by audio professionals and musicians, its solutions facilitate the high-quality production of recorded and live sound. The Focusrite Group trades under thirteen established brands: Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation, Ampify, ADAM Audio, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, Linea Research, Sequential, Oberheim, Sonnox, OutBoard and TiMax.
UK: With six gym locations across East Anglia, the New Revolution fitness chain offers members 24 hour access and a huge range of classes from spinning to Boxfit and yoga each week. The company’s newest facility in Lowestoft recently underwent a significant renovation and upgrade programme, extending to the gym’s audio system.
Responsible for the AV aspects of the project, Norwich-based Hughes Electrical were tasked with addressing specific concerns with the existing audio offering. Hughes ultimately specified an array of Optimal Audio products to significantly improve performance, as the company’s Karl Topley explains…
“We’ve been working with New Revolution for around five years and as part of our contract review, we asked for feedback on the previous audio system at the Lowestoft venue. With customer expectations growing as far as audio is concerned, New Revolution had regularly received comments that general clarity was poor and that bass levels in particular were lacking.
“With music playing an important role in creating the atmosphere of a fitness space, it was clear that these were critical issues that needed addressing with the new system.”
A total of 16 Optimal Audio Cuboid 5 full range, 5” loudspeakers were selected for the final audio solution, chosen for their combination of exceptional sound quality, remarkable bass response and diminutive form factor. Mountable in either landscape or portrait orientation the compact, two-way Cuboid 5 offers flexible, discreet installation options.
In addition to the sonic performance of the new system, ease-of-use and operational flexibility were also a prime consideration.
“The customer raised concerns that the existing system wasn’t particularly easy to use or integrate with other AV components,” Topley says, “so we needed to deliver a much more user-friendly, versatile solution.
“The Optimal Audio Zone 8P controller that sits at the heart of the new system fit the bill perfectly – it’s very flexible in terms of routing and programmability and the WebApp interface is great for simple configuration.”
The Zone 8P’s comprehensive connectivity – featuring mic, multiple stereo line and HDMI inputs for TV and video sound – allows audio content to be sent to eight configurable zones. To complement the Zone 8P’s eight channels of 100w power, Hughes also supplied a four-channel Optimal Audio SmartAmp 30 amplifier with 250w per channel to drive the raft of Cuboid 5 speakers around the facility.
“The customer has been really pleased with the results of the project at New Revolution,” confirms Topley. “They now have a system that meets all their requirements in terms of audio performance and day-to-day usability – and one that Optimal Audio allowed us to deliver in line with their budget.
“The new system reflects New Revolutions’s brand values by delivering really high-quality audio for gym-goers and it’s been a great project to be part of.”
New Revolution’s Lowestoft Club Manager Dan Andrews commented that, “previously we’d really struggled to create the atmosphere we wanted for our members, the old system was just not working the way we wanted. Since having the Optimal Audio system things have completely changed!
“It’s easy to use and the sound quality of the speakers helps to create just the ambience we were looking for. We’re also looking to introduce the use of the Zone 4’s routines so the volume can be automatically changed over time, with the system quieter in the day and louder in the evening. And I have to say my favourite thing is WebApp – being able to change the volume from a device while walking around the gym makes everything really easy to control.”
UK: Having worked in professional audio for a while and attended a variety of festivals, gigs, and raves, I thought I had seen most things. However, stepping onto the grounds of Glastonbury for the first time was an experience like no other. I had the privilege of being there as part of the Martin Audio team, invited by our partners at RG Jones to capture behind the scenes moments and insights. The sheer size of the festival was intimidating – it was a sprawling city of music, art, and people, all buzzing with excitement and anticipation. There was an energy there that wasn’t quite explainable, something that resonated deep within you and added to the magic of the place.
Arriving on site Monday afternoon, I was amazed by the progress at the Pyramid Stage. The crew had already flown 10 of the 11 delay hangs showcasing a pace and efficiency that belied the challenges of working in an undulating field . By Tuesday, the main hangs were up, and Wednesday was dedicated to fine-tuning and adjustments before the propagation process. Over at West Holts, a similar story unfolded: load-in took place on Wednesday, with everything ready to go to trim for propagation by Thursday morning. The stages at IICON followed in a similar manner. My magic carpet failed me in getting to all the stages for load-in, but I understand for SWG Events’ stages; The Park, Woodsies, and BBC Introducing, set up was equally efficient.
Come Friday and amidst the hustle and bustle with Glastonbury festival now in full swing, I received word from the Production team that the Sugababes were scheduled to perform at the West Holts Stage, and it was anticipated to draw an insanely large crowd. Recognising this as a perfect chance to capture photos and videos for social media, I made my way there early to secure a prime vantage point at front of house. As someone who typically listens to drum and bass and techno, I wasn’t sure what to expect from their set. In my mind, I was there for the content.
As the Sugababes took the stage, I found myself smiling ear to ear. I wasn’t a sudden convert to their repertoire but it was the palpable joy and energy radiating from the crowd. Seeing how happy everyone was gave me goosebumps and made me realise just how lucky I was to work in the industry that could help bring such joy and magical moments.
That feeling was further imbued during Coldplay’s headline slot. The overwhelming energy of the crowd created a magical atmosphere that reminded me why live music is so powerful and why we should do everything we can to ensure it continues, especially from a grass roots level. I know that some industry veterans, whether they are rental companies or press, have already realised this, but it took a festival such as Glastonbury to really bring this to the forefront of my mind. The impact of this experience will influence the rest of my career in ways that I can’t put into words.
Reflecting on my first Glastonbury, I am filled with a sense of pride. It reinforced why I love what I do and how important it is to bring exceptional audio experiences to life. While I went to Glastonbury expecting to be immersed in music of all kinds, it was experiencing the joy that the Sugababes and Coldplay’s performances gave to the crowds that truly became my festival highlight.
US: One of the premier roots festivals in the US, DelFest has steadily evolved the technical infrastructure at its Allegany County Fairgrounds site in Cumberland, MD, since the event was originally established 17 years ago.
Supporting the multi-stage event with sound reinforcement from the very beginning has been Martin Audio partner Southard Audio. This year they fielded three Wavefront Precision systems—a WPL rig and two WPS hangs.
“We only switched to WPL and other Martin Audio systems at DelFest post-Covid (from 2022) and it really shines for these applications,” notes Southard managing partner, Jason Misterka.
Their three-stage Martin Audio deployment was headed by the large-format WPL line array. The Grandstand system used 24 WPL for main PA (12 a-side) with eight WPL outfill stage right (to cover the grandstands), four XD15 frontfills, two CDD15 for outfills at the VIP tents, SXH218 subs, iK42 amps, THS sidefills, LE200 wedges and Linea Research monitor amps.
The large, covered Grandstand, set at an odd angle along one side of the 750ft flat field, provided the real challenge. According to Misterka, “We need to rig to a tall stage in order to cover the field, and when we do, the Martin Audio rig really does an amazing job. We also use an 8-box outfill array to cover the Grandstand, hung on our Applied LA12-25 towers. That also does a surprisingly excellent job, sounding like nearfield monitors in a space 500-plus feet away and at an angle!”
Meanwhile, the Potomac stage was populated with 16 WPS (for main PA), four SXH218 subs, iK42 amps and a pair of CDD15 frontfills. This stage, in particular, has developed over the years into a full music stage (from little more than a band competition stage).
I’VE NEVER HEARD A PA SOUND AS FULL AT THE BACK OF THE LISTENING AREA.
Unlike the other two stages, The Music Hall was set indoors, featuring a main PA comprising 16 WPS (eight per side) on lifts, with eight SXC118 subwoofers, four Martin Audio FlexPoint FP12 as frontfills, driven by Martin Audio iK42 amps.
Being a roots festival, focused on Old Time, bluegrass and string band music, the McCoury family are one of the main partners. The Del McCoury Band themselves are led by the bluegrass legend, reappearing, and as the Travelin’ McCourys (along with guest musicians).
The quest for supreme sound control and optimisation took high priority. Southard Audio’s Matt Hudson spent considerable time on the prediction for the large field as well as the outfill prediction for the Grandstand itself. “When dealing with an audience area as large as that, part of the magic is making it sound great at 500ft, and not like an AM radio,” observes Misterka.
The ‘Hard Avoid’ function was used on the stages of all three venues to keep it as quiet as possible for the string bands, while the SXH218 at the Grandstand stage was used in a in a L/R cardioid configuration.
In the Music Hall, the tech team again activated ‘Hard Avoid’ for the stage but also put more emphasis on avoiding ‘Non-Audience’ areas and focusing the PA away from the back wall of the room given the reflection concerns. “We also used SXC118 and really enjoyed their inherent cardioid characteristics at Music Hall,” reported Jason Misterka.
But above all, it was about respecting the authenticity of the music. “Our company has had a long history with acoustic music,” he said, emphasising their credentials. “Mixing bluegrass and Old Time music in the traditional style typically involves a number of hot microphones used to amplify mostly fairly quiet acoustic instruments. The less bleed there is from the main PA system, the cleaner the microphones sound and the more gain-before-feedback you have to work with.
“It takes more experience and skill than most people understand to mix acoustic music without the instruments utilising pickup systems. We are still seen as one of the premier provider of production services for acoustic music festivals on the Eastern side of the US.”
This was endorsed by Key Chang, who mixed the Del McCoury Band and the Travelin’ McCourysamong others, “At DelFest we cater to lots of acoustic / string bands as well as large scale rock bands. Mixing a string band, throughmultiple large diaphragm condenser mics, at concert level, can be a daunting task; but the extremely focused WPL made this almost effortless and handled it all with ease.”
“I’ve never heard a PA sound as full at the back of the listening area (200+ feet).The low-mids in particular were very impressive.This frequency range can be especially challenging with miked string bands, and often needs to be cut out due to stage bleed. My main EQ was hardly touched.”
The event’s production manager, William Kesler, agreed that DelFest is a challenging setup for audio reinforcement, with music ranging from traditional bluegrass around a single condenser mic to full bands. “This year, with Martin Audio rigs deployed on all stages, I was impressed with the smooth and even coverage across the entire site.I received several positive reviews from touring engineers who had never mixed on the WPL system before.I look forward to using Southard and Martin Audio for this and other projects in the future.”
Southard Audio’s crew included Matthew Hudson, Chad Wyatt, Tim Reckley, David Pelikan, Bob McNichols, Phil Speiss, Michael Stover, Sven Giersmann, Tim Turner, Eric Shy, and Slim Prescott.
Venue: 
Integrator: 
Audio Spaces: Fieldhouse & Back of House
Product Used: Connect Series 
