Categories
Martin Audio

TRAMP HEALTH REINVIGORATES LONDON’S MAYFAIR WITH PREMIUM MARTIN AUDIO SOUND

UK – Tramp Health, a longevity-focused members club created by the owners of the iconic UK nightclub Tramp, opened in London’s Mayfair this May. Seeking to deliver uncompromised audio fidelity throughout the high-end wellness space, integrator Evolve Install designed and installed a comprehensive, multizone sound system utilising Martin Audio solutions.

Elliot Patterson of Evolve Install was first introduced to the site last year. “I’ve been working with owner Luca Maggiora on audio projects for easily 20 years,” recalls Patterson. “He showed me the space, and we immediately started putting the plans together.”

The premium multiroom venue required discrete, high-quality audio coverage tailored specifically to each area’s physical and acoustic demands. To meet these requirements, the communal walkways, lounge, and changing rooms were outfitted with Martin Audio’s ADORN ACS-40T shallow ceiling speakers, while the main corridor transitions to the larger, more powerful ADORN ACS-55T models.

[THE A80] IS AN INCREDIBLY VERSATILE CABINET.

Elliot Patterson, Evolve Install

In the high-intensity workout zones – specifically the Megaformer Pilates space and the dedicated HIIT room known as Form – high-output ADORN A80 cabinet speakers were specified and installed.

“While the ceiling speakers are perfect for handling the low-profile background music in communal areas, the high-energy classes in the Megaformer and Form rooms naturally demanded more output,” explains Patterson. “The instructors and members need audio with a bit more kick, and the A80 cabinet works exceptionally well for that.”

Patterson has been highly impressed by the performance and versatility of the A80 speakers. “It’s an incredibly versatile cabinet,” he says. “With its eight-inch driver, it delivers excellent power and gives us the flexibility to run low-impedance or 100-volt lines depending on the zone’s configuration. This was my first time deploying them, and they have performed incredibly well.”

To deliver coverage in the main gym floor, Evolve Install installed a further six ADORN A80T cabinets running on a 100V line. “The gym area has a beautifully warm and rich sound,” Patterson notes. “Even with a significant amount of reflective glass throughout the layout, the acoustic treatment on the walls and the heavy sponge flooring help to control the room, resulting in a fantastic acoustic response.”

The installation is set to expand in the near future, with an additional personal training suite currently scheduled to open, which will feature Martin Audio’s Q26 loudspeakers.

“As an installer, I know Martin Audio solutions can be relied upon for any project, and that was certainly the case here,” concludes Patterson. “Tramp Health has a sound system it can be proud of, combining high performance and a discrete aesthetic that perfectly matches its premium identity.”

Photo Credit: 

Thanks to

Integration/Installation Partner: Evolve Install

Click here for original article.

Categories
LEA Professional

LEA amps are game changer for Cincinnati Open campus expansion

As the Cincinnati Open undertook one of the largest venue expansions in professional tennis, the audio system needed to evolve alongside it. Working with ICS, the tournament deployed a campus-wide audio platform designed to support fans, players, staff, and broadcasters across one of the sport’s most ambitious facility upgrades.

The Spec

🏢Venue: Cincinnati Open campus | Cincinnati, Ohio

👷Integrator: Carl Heck | Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS)

🎶Audio Spaces: World-class professional sports campus  including courts, hospitality spaces, public common areas, indoor facilities, event spaces

🦈Products Used: CS84D, CS164D, CS168D, CS352D, CS354D, CS702D, CS704D, CS1504D

Held annually since 1899, the Cincinnati Open is the longest-running professional tennis tournament in the United States. Facing increasing global competition and rising expectations for professional sports facilities, it recently launched a massive $250 million campus transformation to establish the venue as a world-class benchmark for the tennis industry. The expansion more than doubled the facility’s footprint, adding new courts, hospitality spaces, public gathering areas, indoor facilities, and year-round attractions designed to secure the tournament’s future in Cincinnati for decades to come.

The expanded campus required a fully integrated network-based audio platform spanning 10 match courts, 21 practice courts, five new buildings, multiple renovated facilities, and several common areas. The system needed to support match court audio, site-wide paging, indoor and outdoor background music, broadcast audio distribution, Hawk-Eye officiating system integration, emergency paging, pre-recorded messaging, zoned and all-call communications, and centralized system-wide control. Beyond monitoring the system from a single location, the venue’s AV team required complete control over volume and routing for each zone across the property.

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Venue staff contacted Carl Heck, Business Development Specialist at Industrial Communication & Sound (ICS), to design the new audio system. Compounding the challenge was the compressed timeline. The ICS integration team effectively had approximately five months to complete installation, testing, balancing, programming, and troubleshooting before the start of the tournament. To achieve all the client’s requirements, Heck recommended a Dante-based audio ecosystem powered by LEA Professional amplifiers.

“We started using LEA amplifiers about five years ago, and we haven’t looked back,” said Heck. “We knew they’d be an ideal platform for a world-class tournament environment, given their product catalog, combined with their competitive pricing and robust long-term reliability.”

To support the 54 zones across the expanded tennis complex, ICS deployed a range of Dante-enabled LEA Connect Series amplifiers, including the CS84D, CS164D, CS168D, CS352D, CS354D, CS702D, CS704D, and CS1504D. The variety of models allowed the team to match amplifier horsepower to the needs of each area throughout the venue, from match courts and public spaces to hospitality areas and back-of-house locations.

The scale of the project required an efficient deployment strategy. ICS’s team used LEA’s free SharkWare software to configure a base profile and push it to all pre-staged LEA amplifiers, reducing commissioning time while simplifying monitoring, diagnostics, and streamlining future system management even further with LEA Cloud remote amplifier control.

LEA’s compact single-rack-space designs also helped maximize available infrastructure by allowing amplifiers to be integrated directly into existing switch racks rather than requiring large dedicated amplifier racks. Combined with LEA’s per-channel Hi-Z and Lo-Z selectability, the system remained flexible enough to support a wide variety of speaker applications across the campus while reducing the amount of hardware required.

The resulting infrastructure allowed virtually any audio source to be routed to any zone throughout the facility. Multiple locations were also equipped to integrate live music directly into the Dante network for localized or zoned distribution as needed.

With year-round programming and a significantly enhanced fan experience, the facility has evolved into a multi-purpose sports and entertainment destination designed to maximize long-term return on investment while reinforcing Cincinnati’s role on the global tennis stage.

“By all accounts from the attendee experience, the player experience, and media response, the Cincinnati Open is now widely considered one of the premier tennis facilities in the world,” said Heck. “That’s definitely in part thanks to LEA amplifiers. We can’t say enough good things about them.”

The Conclusion

With its expanded campus now fully operational, the Cincinnati Open has established a new benchmark for tournament infrastructure. Backed by LEA amps and a unified networked audio platform, the venue is prepared to support players, fans, and future growth for years to come.

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Categories
Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO FLEXPOINT PROVIDES A PERFECT FIT FOR WINDMARK BEACH CHURCH

USA – Windmark Beach Church, set in the coastal community in Port St. Joe, Florida, is a campus plant of Hiland Park Baptist Church, a major Southern Baptist congregation based in nearby Panama City. Originally established as a portable “church in a box” setup, the congregation has transitioned into a dedicated, permanent facility within the WindMark Village Center following an extensive design, fundraising, and build process. To deliver high-performance sound reinforcement for its modern worship services, the new sanctuary has been equipped with a complete Martin Audio system, designed, supplied, and installed by S&L Integration.

The sanctuary itself presented unique acoustic and physical constraints, most notably low ceilings, structural columns, and tight sightlines that required a compact yet powerful point-source approach rather than line arrays.

As Reece Antley, Technical Director at Windmark Beach Church describes: “My biggest concern was during the design phase. With the space we had – lower ceilings, an odd-shaped sanctuary with columns in the middle – I was worried about how it was going to work and how it was going to sound when we finished.”

THE FLEXPOINT FP12 WAS A PERFECT FIT FOR THE SPACE, BOTH IN TERMS OF SIZE AND PERFORMANCE

Gage Helton, Director of Operations

Gage Helton, Director of Operations at S&L Integration confirms, “The ceiling was a little lower than we would have liked! But this just meant we couldn’t install large boxes, instead requiring speakers that could tuck up high to keep sightlines in check.”

The solution came in the form of Martin Audio’s FlexPoint Series, a premium point source loudspeaker delivering exceptional coverage and sonic performance in a compact, low-profile enclosure. S&L Integration used Martin Audio’s 3D prediction software, DISPLAY3, to model the room, designing an acoustic environment capable of generating a maximum average SPL of up to 100 dBA with even coverage of +/- 2.5 dB throughout the seating area.

The final sanctuary installation comprises a front left/right pair of FlexPoint FP12 cabinets, supplemented by a further pair of FP12s positioned approximately halfway back into the room acting as delays. Low-frequency extension is provided by a pair of flown Martin Audio SXC215 cardioid subwoofers, arranged in an end-fire configuration to steer low-end energy downward and distribute bass evenly throughout the space while keeping unwanted spill off the platform.

“The FlexPoint FP12 was a perfect fit for the space, both in terms of size and performance,” confirms Helton.

The installation has received high praise from church leadership, both for the quality of the sound field and the close collaboration throughout the project.

“I had experience working with S&L years ago in a corporate environment,” says Danny Hatchell, Executive Pastor at Windmark Beach Church. “They had the credentials and the resume to reassure our staff and decision-makers, demonstrating where they’ve successfully done this before. They brought their talent, shared their background experience, and walked us through the entire process. They helped us make wise choices early on that continue to pay dividends today.”

Antley is equally impressed with both the technical outcome and collaboration between integrator and manufacturer: “Originally, I came in thinking about line arrays. That’s where S&L was fantastic – we sat down and discussed what line arrays would actually look like in a room of this size. We couldn’t be happier with the installed Martin Audio FlexPoint solution. Martin Audio came in and tuned the room, offering great ideas that we hadn’t considered. The collaboration between S&L and Martin Audio in delivering the success of this project for our congregation made this my favourite aspect of the entire build process.”

Photo Credit: 

Thanks to

Integration/Installation Partner: S&L Integration

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Categories
Optimal Audio

Optimal Audio makes complexity disappear with Venue Wizard

Optimal Audio has launched Venue Wizard, a free online tool that gives venue owners and integrators a system recommendation in under five minutes, with no sign-up required. Six short steps of questions about the space and how it is used are all it takes for Venue Wizard to draw on the full Optimal Audio ecosystem and suggest a combination of multi-zone control, amplification and loudspeakers.

Anyone who starts looking into commercial audio for a venue soon runs into the same obstacle. The market is broad, the products look alike on the page, and the descriptions are written for audio professionals rather than the people who will use the system every day. Venue Wizard starts from the other end: the venue and what happens in it, not the product.

The questions are written in the language of running a venue, not the language of a datasheet. Venue Wizard asks whether the venue shows live sport rather than whether HDMI connectivity is required, and that answer steers the recommendation towards the Zone family. The final choice within the range is then shaped by the number of zones the venue needs and whether a powered variant suits the way the loudspeakers will be deployed. Live bands, background music and the other ways a venue is used are handled the same way.

Practical questions shape the outline specification too, such as whether loudspeakers will be mounted on the wall, in the ceiling or outdoors. An “I don’t know” option is offered throughout, and any uncertainty is carried forward to the local distributor, who is better placed to resolve it. Venue Wizard also asks what matters most – lowest possible cost or room to grow – and weights its recommendation accordingly.

Each recommendation begins with control, followed by amplification and loudspeakers. Loudspeaker selection is driven by content, so a room built around background music is treated differently from one that hosts live bands. Every product or product grouping comes with an explanation of why it has been recommended, so buyers understand the reasoning as well as the result.

“Commercial audio has always expected the customer to do the homework before they can even ask the question,” explained Jamie Gomez, Global Demand Manager at Optimal Audio. “Venue Wizard takes that away. After a few questions about their venue, a buyer comes away with a clear picture of what they could achieve. If they want to go further, they’re a few details away from a conversation with an expert in their own market.”

Venue Wizard is deliberately a starting point rather than a full system design tool. Buyers who would like their recommendation emailed to them, or followed up, can submit a few details. The recommendation is then forwarded to the Optimal Audio distributor in their country, where an expert can refine the specification around the venue.

Venue Wizard is available now at https://optimal-audio.co.uk/resources/venue-wizard/

Click here for original article.

Categories
Martin Audio

REA SOUND EQUIPS RICHHILL METHODIST CHURCH WITH MARTIN AUDIO CDD

UK – Richhill Methodist Church in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, has recently undergone a major extension, complete with a comprehensive AV upgrade featuring a new Martin Audio sound system supplied and installed by Rea Sound.

The project began in the summer of 2025 following a conversation with Rea Sound Director, Roger McMullan, a contact established through the integrator’s extensive previous work with houses of worship. “They were planning to extend the church and wanted to coincide with a complete audio-visual fit-out, both for the new extension and the church itself,” he recalls.

While the main body of the church remained unchanged, the new extension added a kitchen, a foyer area, and upstairs meeting rooms. With the existing audio equipment around 15 years old, and the church becoming more active with events and a live praise band, the timing was perfect for a unified upgrade.

Following on-site visits and careful development of design proposals, Rea Sound put forward a comprehensive solution centred on the Martin Audio portfolio.

MARTIN AUDIO IS A GO-TO FOR CHURCHES

Gage Helton, S and L Integration

“Martin Audio is a go-to for churches,” states McMullan. “In a church environment speech intelligibility is the key – the minister, the announcements, the sermon. Martin Audio is great at that. And once you get into live praise with a live band, Martin Audio just handles it all so easily.”

The elegant and simple solution in the church comprises a pair of Martin Audio CDD15 15” Coaxial Differential Dispersion loudspeakers mounted left and right. They are supplemented by a pair of SX210 subwoofers, whose compact design and high output provided the perfect solution for the specific layout of the space.

Aesthetics and visual integration were considered alongside audio performance throughout. “I worked very closely with the architect,” McMullan says. “He loved the design and look of the CDD, and that slimline profile worked well with his plan for aesthetics in that space. Crucially, the sound quality is there right from the front to the back of the church.”

Martin Audio’s DISPLAY software was used to verify the coverage. “I knew the solution would work, it was more of a reassurance,” McMullan notes.

Amplification is provided by Linea Research, a Martin Audio sister brand. Taking advantage of the factory presets supplied for all Martin Audio speaker models, McMullan confirms that “it just works.”

The new foyer also benefits from a Martin Audio solution, comprising ACS-40TS ceiling speakers. The new infrastructure facilitates the seamless relay of main services from the church to different areas around the site, providing the technical team far greater control over the entire building.

“We can relay sound from the church, and they also can conduct meetings independently in the foyer, plus we’ve added Bluetooth connectivity for background music in there,” he explains.

Summing up the successful installation, McMullan concludes: “Everybody loves it. Martin Audio provided a perfect audio solution and it’s a project that has delivered exactly what the church needs now and into the future.”

Photo Credit: 

Thanks to

Integration/Installation Partner: Rea Sound

Click here for original article.

Categories
Martin Audio

S AND L INTEGRATED TRANSFORMS APEX BAPTIST CHURCH WITH MARTIN AUDIO WPS

US – To support dynamic, full-production modern worship services and ensure absolute clarity for spoken-word sermons, Apex Baptist Church in North Carolina has recently undertaken a huge audio upgrade. Thanks to AV integrators, S&L Integrated, the sanctuary has been completely transformed by a Martin Audio WPS Wavefront Precision line array system, delivering a “night and day” upgrade in both audio fidelity and coverage.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Shawn Walden, the Worship Pastor at Apex Baptist,” says Gage Helton, Director of Operations at S&L Integrated. “When they realised their previous audio infrastructure was holding back their worship experience, he reached out to us to design a complete, top-to-bottom system redesign.”

The primary driver for the upgrade was to enhance overall intelligibility and worship engagement. “While the church had grown significantly, the old system just couldn’t keep up,” Helton continues. “Speech clarity was lost due to a lack of coverage, particularly in and under the balcony sections. The upgrade was also designed to remove previous technical barriers to elevate their Sunday morning experience, building a scalable platform that could support future growth and higher-production events.”

Sunday morning worship is the heartbeat of the space, but outside of these services, the sanctuary also hosts special musical events, holiday productions, youth gatherings, and conferences.

“They needed a system that could seamlessly transition between subtle, high-intelligibility spoken word and high-energy, full-spectrum concert-level reinforcement without distortion or fatigue,” notes Helton.

IT IS ONE OF THE EASIEST PA MODELLING PRODUCTS I HAVE USED.

Gage Helton, S and L Integration

The sanctuary features a large main floor with a deep balcony and highly reflective side walls. “Acoustically, it was a classic house-of-worship puzzle,” Helton describes. “High RT60 reverb times, flutter echo off the side walls and balcony face, and severe acoustic shadowing under and above the balcony.”

S&L Integrated addressed this by combining physical acoustic treatment on the walls and balcony face with the precision directional array control of a Martin Audio WPS system.

The newly installed system comprises flown hangs of 10 Martin Audio WPS elements per side, driven in single-box resolution for the ultimate precision. A flown centre array comprising three SXHF218 subwoofers delivers extended low-end, deployed in a cardioid configuration to help keep energy off the stage.

Additionally, six Martin Audio FlexPoint FP6 loudspeakers act as front fills, while six FlexPoint FP4 enclosures provide upper-balcony fill. “I look for a fill to get out of the way and do what it’s supposed to,” Helton notes. “Martin Audio’s FlexPoint models are small and sound great.”

The entire system is powered by three Martin Audio iKON iK81 and three iK42 amplifiers. Martin Audio’s DISPLAY software was used to model the space and define trim heights, pick points, and x/y dimensions. “It is one of the easiest PA modelling products I have used,” he says. “We also use it as a sales tool to show the client what coverage is going to look like in their space.”

Helton confirms the transformation is night and day. “The room sounds open, warm, and exceptionally clear. Vocals sit effortlessly on top of the mix without ever feeling harsh or pushed, and the low-end coupling from the flown cardioid sub array gives worship music a visceral, high-fidelity impact without room boominess.”

Helton praises the support provided by Martin Audio throughout the project. “Martin Audio is a joy to work with,” he says. “I trust the sales and design team to point us in the right direction as we work through projects.”

The result has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from church leadership, the worship staff, and the congregation: “Gat,” Helton concludes. “They’ve told us it has elevated their entire Sunday morning worship environment, which is the ultimate compliment for us at S&L Integrated.”

Photo Credit: Ed Ricker

Thanks to

Integration/Installation Partner: S&L Integrated

Click here for original article.

Categories
Martin Audio

EVOLVE INSTALL SPECIFIES MARTIN AUDIO FOR CHELSEA’S EXCLUSIVE THE REX ROOMS AT 151

UK – The Rex Rooms at 151 on King’s Road marks the return of a legendary nightlife destination in London’s Chelsea. Set on the site of the famous 151 club – celebrated as an exclusive celebrity haunt throughout the 1990s and 2000s – the reimagined venue is the creation of designer and nightlife innovator Marc Jacques Burton.

To complement the venue’s refined avant-garde aesthetic with uncompromising audio performance, specialist integrator Evolve Install designed and installed a premium Martin Audio distributed system.

The venue is split into two distinct spaces: a vibrant main lounge and, concealed behind a secret door, The King’s 1942 Room private venue. Martin Audio’s CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) Series loudspeakers were specified throughout to provide an upmarket, discrete sound solution that delivers exceptional coverage.

THE CDD ENCLOSURES ARE COMPACT YET REMARKABLY POWERFUL

Elliot Patterson, Evolve Install

“The CDD enclosures are compact yet remarkably powerful,” explains Elliot Patterson of Evolve Install. “It’s a club environment where guests on the perimeter of the lounge often want the same energy and impact as those on the dancefloor. With the loudspeakers properly time-aligned, the CDD series delivers consistent audio quality, punch, and clarity across the entire space.”

In the main lounge, the primary dancefloor area is served by four Martin Audio CDD8 loudspeakers, supplemented by a pair of Martin Audio SX210 subwoofers to provide tight, powerful low-frequency extension. The DJ booth is equipped with CDD6 models as monitors, while the perimeter seating is covered by a combination of CDD5 compact loudspeakers and ADORN A55 models.

Behind its secret entrance, The King’s 1942 Room features a dedicated system comprising six CDD6s paired with an SX210 subwoofer, with additional CDD5 models providing seamless coverage for the perimeter seating.

The venue operates across two separate audio zones, allowing independent DJ programming in each room.

“The combination of Martin Audio loudspeakers delivers a beautifully balanced, warm audio quality throughout both spaces – it’s high impact, but never intrusive,” Patterson notes. “With careful tuning and speaker placement, The Rex Rooms at 151 has a sound system that caters effortlessly to every guest, every night, and Martin Audio was the perfect solution for this project.”

Photo Credit:

Thanks to

Integration/Installation Partner: Evolve Install

Click here for original article.

Categories
LEA Professional

LEA Amplifiers Support Texas A&M’s Mobile Event Racks

Texas A&M University is one of the largest universities in the United States, with a vibrant campus community and a calendar packed with activities year-round. From academic events and student programs to donor receptions, banquets, and commencement celebrations, supporting thousands of events requires audio systems that can deliver reliable performance in a variety of environments

The Spec

🏢Venue: College Station,  Texas

👷Integrator: Texas A&M University

🎶Audio Spaces: Mobile rack for variety of event spaces

🦈Product Used: CS354, CS702

Thirsty lion gastropub

Texas A&M serves more than 70,000 students across its sprawling College Station campus known for its rich traditions, world-class academics, and vibrant student life. Throughout the year, the university hosts thousands of events, including lectures, commencement activities, donor receptions, performances, banquets, and student celebrations. Managing audio for such a wide range of events requires equipment that can easily adapt to different venues, audiences, and production requirements.

Rather than relying exclusively on installed sound systems, Texas A&M’s University Center & Special Events team deploys portable audio racks across campus, often sending equipment directly from one event to the next, making flexibility and reliability essential. 

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Texas A&M’s University Center & Special Events team needed an amplifier platform that could handle constant transportation, simplify deployment, and scale to different event requirements without adding complexity. LEA Connect Series amplifiers provided a compact solution, allowing the team to take advantage of onboard DSP and reduce the need for additional processing equipment.

“We’re deploying them on a near-daily basis during the busy months,” said Corey Klinger, Event Technician at Texas A&M University. “As soon as one event ends, the equipment is being shipped to the next one. There are times when some of our amps don’t come back home for more than a week because they’re constantly moving from event to event.” 

Connect Series 354 amplifiers have become the team’s go-to solution for most events, while Connect Series 702 amplifiers provide dedicated power for subwoofers when additional low-frequency reinforcement is needed. Together, they give the university a scalable system that can support a wide range of event types using the same portable racks. 

Reliability and portability have proven just as valuable as performance. After years of constant use in demanding indoor and outdoor environments, the amplifiers continue to support the university’s busy event schedule while significantly reducing rack weight and simplifying transport between venues. 

CS 354
CS 704

“In the five years we’ve used them, I think we’ve only had one instance where an amp acted a little strange,” Klinger said. “LEA helped us troubleshoot it, and we haven’t had a problem since.”

“The first thing that stood out was how light they were compared to the older amplifiers,” said Benjamin Leonido, Event Manager at Texas A&M University. “The old racks often required two or three people to move. Now a single person can roll a rack into place without worrying about injuries or finding enough people to help.”

The Conclusion

From small campus gatherings to events hosting hundreds of attendees, LEA amplifiers have become a trusted part of Texas A&M University’s event production workflow. By combining reliability, portability, and onboard DSP in a compact platform, LEA helps the team move faster, deploy with confidence, and stay ready for whatever event comes next.

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Categories
Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO WPS WITH TIMAX PROCESSING POWERS MAJOR MONTREAL FESTIVALS

CAN – This June and July, two of Montreal’s flagship festivals took place back-to-back in the heart of the Canadian city: Les Francos de Montréal, celebrating French-language artists, and the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, renowned for its diverse jazz-focused programme. As a partner of both festivals, L’Équipe Spectra equipped the outdoor stage at each event this year with a Martin Audio WPS Wavefront Precision sound system, optimized by TiMax spatial audio processing.

The popular free-admission stage, which regularly attracts audiences of thousands of people, is known as the Desjardins Stage during Les Francos de Montréal and the Loto-Quebec Club Montréal Stage during the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. It is located at Terrain 66 in the Quartier des Spectacles, at the centre of downtown Montreal.

Given the stage’s proximity to residential and commercial buildings, along with the corresponding strict noise regulations governing the site, Martin Audio’s renowned optimisation capabilities have proven essential.

“One of the key reasons the production team for the festivals were keen on the Wavefront Precision system is because the stages are right in downtown Montreal,” explained Claus Frostell of Canadian distributor, Erikson Pro. “With the optimisation that WPS provides, and also particularly with Martin Audio subwoofers, we’re able to localise the sound very specifically to the audience area.”

“One of the big concerns we have is noise management,” confirms Dan Meier, Senior Technical Coordinator for both festivals. “The city rules are very strict, and we need to keep good relationships with our neighbours. Good coverage, clarity and punch at medium to low volumes is crucial. The Martin Audio PA delivered very well, maximising the audience’s experience within the noise control constraints.”

I REALLY ENJOYED THE TONE OF THE WPS SYSTEM. I FOUND IT VERY MUSICAL COMPARED TO OTHER SYSTEMS.

Hugues Bourque, Head FoH Engineer

The deployed PA comprised eight Martin Audio WPS line array elements per side, supplemented with four TORUS T820 constant curvature arrays as front fills and two TORUS T1230 models serving as delays. Low-frequency reinforcement was provided by three SX218 dual 18in subwoofers and six SX118 single 18in subwoofers, all powered by Martin Audio iKON amplifiers.

“We had the three dual 18” subs positioned across the front of the stage in cardioid mode, with one facing backwards and two facing forwards, while three of the single 18” cardioid subs positioned on each side,” Frostell explains. “With this cardioid set-up we were able to reduce SPL to the rear of the stage by around 30dB, and were also able to narrow the coverage so that it is focused primarily on the audience area.”

The entire system was modelled and optimised using Martin Audio DISPLAY 3 software. “For the WPS arrays, we used the Hard Avoid feature for the stage area and optimised the system to concentrate coverage on the audience,” he notes.

Frostell also highlights the consistent sonic performance across the system: “Both WPS and TORUS are extremely clear and well defined, and we’re able to maintain consistent frequency response and level from the front of the audience area right through to the back.”

For the first time, the festivals’ audiences will also experience the benefits of TiMax spatial audio processing, extending the stereo image across a much larger listening area.

“This is the first use of spatial audio at the festivals, but with the reputation of Martin Audio and our own experience, the organisers were happy to explore it,” says Frostell. “Their main concern was that, because they host a lot of guest engineers, they didn’t want excessive spatial movement or localisation that could detract from the engineers’ mixes. We explained that we’re simply enhancing the stereo image across the audience area, and once they understood that, they became very excited about the possibilities.

“Traditionally, a left-right loudspeaker configuration creates a relatively small stereo sweet spot in the centre of the audience,” Frostell continues. “Using TiMax with the WPS system and TORUS front fills, we’re able to expand that stereo image significantly, allowing more of the audience to experience the mix as it was intended. The engineer doesn’t need to do anything differently – they mix as normal, and we simply extend what they are already doing.”

Hugues Bourque is the head Front of House engineer for the Martin Audio-equipped stage at both the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and Francos de Montréal.

“I really enjoyed the tone of the WPS system,” Bourque comments. “I found it very musical compared to other systems. This year the stage featured a wide variety of bands, from standard jazz ensembles requiring a more intricate mix with a grand piano, to really loud and bassy hip-hop artists, all of which sounded great on the Martin Audio system.”

The engineer particularly praises the vocal tone and sub performance, noting the positive feedback from guest engineers. “The mid-range is rich and makes mixing vocals easy,” he says. “That was actually the first comment I had from other engineers: ‘Vocals sounded really great in the Martin Audio PA’. I also found the subs to be articulate and precise – I loved them – and they received plenty of favourable comments from guest engineers.”

Bourque concludes, “We have had bad weather with lots of rain followed by scorching heat, but I never felt it affected the PA. It was a tricky area, but the system provided great coverage and performed very well for the duration of the two festivals.”

Photo Credit:

Thanks to

Distribution Partner: Erikson Pro

Click here for original article.

Categories
Company News Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO DISTRIBUTOR GENERATION AV UNVEILS EXPANDED EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING CENTRE IN SINGAPORE

Martin Audio’s Asia-Pacific distributor, Generation AV, has officially opened the doors to its new Experience Centre in Ubi, Singapore. Designed to serve as both a regional training facility and an integrated demonstration space, the centre showcases the latest audio solutions from Martin Audio as well as sister brands TiMax, Optimal Audio and Linea Research.

“Our goal was to build an environment where clients can get up-close and fully experience Martin Audio systems in person,” explains David McKinney, Managing Director at Generation AV. “Together with showcasing the products, the vision for the facility is to be a natural gathering place where clients and partners alike can learn, network, and collaborate.”

Generation AV views Singapore as the ideal hub for the Asia-Pacific territory. “Singapore is the central location in Asia; it’s very easy to get to for a lot of our clients,” McKinney said. “Many partners and customers can stop by on short trips, even whilst they are transiting around the region.”

OUR GOAL WAS TO BUILD AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CLIENTS CAN GET UP-CLOSE AND FULLY EXPERIENCE MARTIN AUDIO SYSTEMS IN PERSON.

David McKinney, Generation AV

The new Experience Centre is roughly double the size of the company’s previous space, providing greater flexibility in its demonstration space, together with dedicated offices to facilitate private customer meetings. In addition to the Martin Audio product showcase, visitors can experience a TiMax spatial audio demonstration built around Martin Audio FlexPoint loudspeakers.

“Our initial experience centre concept proved very successful, drawing strong engagement and feedback from across the region,” says McKinney. “The new centre takes this to the next level, with market-focused solutions and a strong emphasis on education and training.”

For McKinney, this educational emphasis reflects a broader shift in customer demand. “I think there’s a big hunger for learning right now in the industry,” he observes. “We expect to host a lot more education initiatives here, such as training programmes, alongside our standard product demonstrations.”

The opening of the Experience Centre represents the next major step in the company’s rapid evolution. Originally starting with just a single employee, Generation AV has expanded to include offices in Singapore and Mumbai, and now boasts a team of 14 staff members. Alongside this physical growth, the company has heavily increased its focus on technical support and applications, responding directly to the rising market demand for system expertise.

For McKinney, the investment in the new Ubi facility represents a long-term commitment to their brands and customers rather than a short-term gain. “If we can show off our products and brands in the best way, that definitely makes it much easier to do business,” he concludes. “This is a natural next step.”

Photo Credit: C

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