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Performances of Pergolesi’s 1735 three-act opera L’Olimpiade were experienced as never before by audiences in the grounds of The Vache, a Grade II*-listed estate in Chalfont St. Giles, recently.

A cast of seven members of operatic companyVacheBaroque (plus narrator) delivered Pergolesi’s arias under the sensitive direction of Laura Attridge, while the 17-piece orchestra, led by Jonathan Darbourne, helped deliver a playful interpretation of this Olympics-style story, from authentic early music instruments.

However, the real breakthrough was the immersive soundscape created for audiences of up to 200 per performance, seatedal frescounder a stretch canopy, which simulated a purpose-built concert hall. This was achieved by judicious use of reverb and delay. Tricking the senses was the TiMax SoundHub spatial reinforcement, artfully guided by TiMax TrackerD4 stage trackers worn by the performers, and played out through a series of discreet Martin Audio point source loudspeakers. This enabled visitors to forget that they were seated outdoors in the rain, or even experiencing any sound reinforcement at all.

The challenge had been to provide sound reinforcement without any evidence of amplification. The fact that this was all deliverable within the portfolios of a single pro audio consortium—namely the Focusrite Group—along with their rental partners 22live, is all the more remarkable.

Dom Harter (Managing Director of the Focusrite Group’s live and installed sound brands) had initially been approached for assistance by a distant relative (and patron of the company), bemoaning the lack of adequate sound. “The fact thatVacheBaroque is a charity, and the money they raise enables them to undertake valuable outreach work for schools in the area, was reason to get involved. We were delighted that with 22live we could ensure high production values.”

Already involved in the process was Dom’s 15-year-old son, Elijah (who has been mixing local musicals and shows), and the journey began. Harter’s first port of call was to experienced operatic and classical sound designer Simon Honywill, who has enjoyed a long relationship with Focusrite’s premier loudspeaker brand, Martin Audio, latterly merging their technology with that of TiMax’sspatialaudio, show control and stage-tracking technology. It is this that takes audience engagement to a new level.

Honywill drew up a specification. His audio visualisation ‘model’ was constructed in Martin Audio’s DISPLAY (3D) predictive software, before the TiMax PanSpace entered the workflow (effectively making the spatialisation visible in the mind’s eye). The loudspeaker locations were then immediately ‘recognised’ by TiMax. Honywill then instructed TiMax to automatically render the space with Image Definition spatial objects to define where he would want audio source objects to emanate from, both on-stage and in surround for upmixed ‘virtual room’ reverbs.

This was one of the best sounding concerts I’ve ever been involved with.

Sensing the purity of Baroque opera, and the integrity of the traditional instruments, Honywill rationalised that “with TiMax, we could develop a sound system that would basically ‘disappear’. It would simply ‘lift’ everything and the imaging would remain true to life to what was taking place onstage. No-one would know it was there.”

The sound engineer allayed any fears among the ensemble by ensuring that the most obtrusive loudspeaker would be the discreet pair of Martin Audio TORUS 8, mounted on poles either side of the pros arch (the pair of designated SXCF118 subs were already recessed out of sight). This formed a foundation from where the sound from the orchestra would emanate. However, the bulk of the heavy lifting was done by Martin Audio’s compact FlexPoint FP6 and FP4, distributed across the multi-layered staging areas.

FP4s provided front fills, further forward, a row of four FP6 primarily handled vocal image reinforcement, while an additional 24 FP4s on poles were arranged in an audience surround delay system; some were towards the stage as a dedicated reverb system for artistic and spatial distribution. This helped deliver a lift in level towards the back row of around 6dB.

Said TiMax director, Robin Whittaker, “We were basically playing audio dominos with the various wavefronts through the space, getting them organised within a time window which was constantly being modified as people moved around.” TiMax ensured everyone heard the loudspeakers a tad later than any voice or instrument, thus perceptually localising to the performance. TiMax TrackerD4 constantly maintained this imaging as performers moved around the stage.

The speakers were powered by six multichannel iKON iK81 DSP amplifiers and controlled from a Yamaha DM7 digital console, supplied along with the DPA mics, Shure Axient radios and control racks by 22live.It was in the DM7 that the reverbs were generated. “We used the X-Verb reverb and onboard Rupert Neve compressors … a bit of multiband compression as well,” he said.

But it was in the TiMax environment that the magic truly took place. “The trackers were crucial to maintain the illusion of the sound system not being there,” said Honywill. “And they worked brilliantly. Both musicians and singers absolutely loved it.” The imaging and spatially upmixed reverbs created the impression that the opera was taking place in an impressive auditorium rather than a back garden.

The show had required delicate balancing at the mix position throughout—not only in levels, but in killing the reverb during dialogue and reintroducing it in during the singing. “Subtle adjustment of reverbs can make a huge difference in how convincing the sound system is,” he explained. “And at no point did I even stop to consider that we had to EQ the PA; because it just didn’t need it.”

Dom Harter was equally positive. “Effectively there were only 12 reverb-only loudspeakers; you don’t want to completely simulate the acoustics of a church because you’re in a tent, but if you don’t do something then it just sounds ridiculously dry. When the reverb speakers were pointed upwards it was almost impossible to hear them generating reverb … it was just washing over you from above which is exactly what it would do if you were in a building.

“This was one of the best sounding concerts I’ve ever been involved with. It all starts on stage—and the musicians themselves are phenomenal.”

The opera critics agreed. One wrote, “The sound design was excellent and there was little sense that we were not listening to a natural acoustic.”

According to Simon Honywill TiMax is the spatial device he has found most convincing. “It is the next step in producing what I would call ‘true audio’.”

And Jonathan Darbourne,VacheBaroque Artistic Director & Co-Founder, stated, “Outdoor performance of traditionally acoustic music comes with many considerations, not least when Baroque-era instruments are being used. The sound team were extremely sensitive to balancing amplification with authentic effect which was very impressive.”

But the final word came from Dom Harter himself. “This was a great opportunity to show all our brands … and on top of that we recorded the show through Focusrite gear as well!”

As the popular saying goes, ‘teamwork makes the dream work’.

Photography by the Photography Shed.

The burgeoning Maltese bar hotspot of St. Julian’s, overlooking St. George’s Bay, is where you will find both Hugo’s Lounge and Hugo’s Terrace & Rooftop. Established by the late leisure entrepreneur Hugo Chetcuti, the operation is today run by his son, Luke who is CEO of the Hugo’s Group.

It is more than a decade since Stefan Farrugia, MD of Martin Audio distributor Futuretech, installed CDD5 in the former venue. While CDD5 remains a firm favourite with the installer, when he was called in to upgrade the sound system that he originally installed at the Terrace many years ago, he only had one series in mind: Martin Audio’s potent BlacklineX.

“The venue needed a more powerful sound system, because although in the beginning the style had more of a lounge feel, with a DJ and live music they now needed something more powerful to retain customers through until 4am.

“I knew exactly what was needed,” said Farrugia, “more power and better coverage. I already knew the place very well and chose Blackline because it’s extremely good value for money.”

The music is relayed through two zones—indoor and outdoor. Four Blackline X12 and a pair of Blackline X218 subs have been installed around the indoor dancefloor, with a further pair of X12 as DJ monitors. Broadcasting sound on the outdoor terrace have been added six Blackline X10 and a pair of X118 subwoofers.

To this Futuretech have added industry standard amplification, matrix control, FOH mixer and Pioneer CDJ’s.

Luke Chetcuti is delighted with the quality of the new system. He said, “The improvement to the sound is remarkable, and a number of our customers have commented, as well as our bands and DJs. The Martin Audio Blackline series will see us well into the future.”

SA: Jared Geyser has been behind many successful businesses in Namibia, including festivals and bars, for a number of years. But it was when his son, Guy left university in Cape Town, and wanted to get involved in a New Year’s Eve festival a couple of years back that they first forged a relationship with Martin Audio loudspeakers. Shortly after, their company Plug & Play Event Solutions was set up in the capital of Windhoek to further develop their interest in PA and backline.

A friend in South Africa had tested Martin Audio products and recommended them. “So we bought Blackline XP12 and XP118 active subs, and eventually ended up owning 20,” said Jared. “While they are great speakers, they obviously couldn’t do the bigger work … so we then bought a TORUS system.” But the latest prize is the acquisition of a flagship WPC line array—24 boxes with 12 SXH218 subs—all systems supplied by Audiosure, Martin Audio’s South African distributor.

While Namibia also has a vibrant dance music component it’s the festival, carnival and band work that has proven to be the more sustainable part of Plug & Play’s activities. “Hence the reason we have now invested in WPC and a lot of additional backline.”

Guy Geyser meanwhile traced the journey leading up to this point, recalling fondly their first experience with Martin Audio, when their original XP rig provided coverage “for around 1000 people without even pushing that system to the max,” he explains. “We were really impressed and decided to invest in more, building up to 20 XP12 and 16 XP118 subs.

“We noticed that the active subs were really good for our small events, and could be split into multiple systems—but for bigger events we needed to increase the PA. So we bought 12 TORUS boxes—eight T1215 and four T1230 with two iKON iK42 amps.” These were used at Camp Rock at the beginning of the year, deploying all 12 TORUS boxes along with four SX218 subs. I was really impressed with how just 12 of those boxes operated and so were the two engineers who came in to mix the bands,” said Guy. The Martin Audio brand suddenly started to get noticed.

As an ex-German colony Namibia stages a number of German festival carnivals during the year, most notably Windhoek Karneval (WIKA) where TORUS again impressed everyone.

However, Plug & Play’s engagement with WPC was almost stillborn, since they lost the event they had originally been quoting it on. “But we felt committed to Martin Audio, and although we naturally had reservations about moving ahead, we were persuaded to go for it … and we’re so happy we listened to that advice,” exclaims Jared. “It really moved us up a gear.”

The system debuted at TheDeep DiveSeafood & WineFestivalin Windhoek. “We had a lot of bands from South African and the guys who mixed them said the sound was phenomenal and fantastic … among the top three in the world.”

With the WPC came three iKON touring racks, each plugged with three iK42 process controlled amps. The full array—12-a-side—will be on regular duty during December, when they have several major seasonal events ranging from EDM to festivals, with up to 8,000 attending. The first, Sunset Groove on Long Beach, takes place on December 21st (with the Dunmore Brothers), followed by Sound of Summer, beach music festival a week later. This culminates in the grand Campout Dune New Year’s Eve Festival in Namibia’s National Park, featuring Kitty Amor among the headliners.

Plug & Play are certainly doing everything they can to promote the Martin Audio brand, even selling their speakers in their Groove Boutique retail store. Meanwhile, out on the road their workload frequently takes them beyond the borders of Namibia, and into surrounding Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

Martin Audio is making significant strides in reducing its environmental footprint through the strategic use of recycled materials, particularly post-consumer recycled plastics. This commitment is a critical part of their overall sustainability strategy, aimed at integrating recycled materials into their manufacturing processes and contributing to a circular economy.

Martin Audio’s approach involves using detailed data to make informed decisions about sourcing recycled materials. This ensures that the use of recycled plastics does not compromise the quality or performance of their products. “The focus is on extending the lifecycle of materials and products, thus minimising their environmental impact from the outset,” confirms marketing director James King.

So how will this work in practice? Over the coming months, Martin Audio will gradually introduce post-consumer recycled plastic into components for ten of its product lines. This includes using 65% and 85% recycled ABS plastic, depending on the specific flammability requirements for each product. The transition to these recycled materials will take place as existing stocks of components are used up.

By the end of this year, Martin Audio anticipates that recycled plastic will be incorporated into components such as the phase plug which features in TORUS constant curvature loudspeakers alongside other elements which feature in products from Wavefront Precision, CDD Live 8, XD and Blackline X series.

Martin Audio’s adoption of recycled plastics significantly reduces the carbon footprint of its products. By switching to 85% post-consumer recycled ABS plastic from standard ABS plastic, the carbon emissions per kilogram of material drop from 4.6 kg CO2e to just 0.8 kg CO2e. This substantial reduction underscores the environmental advantages of using recycled materials.

“As a global leader in the pro audio industry, this is a further opportunity for us to demonstrate climate leadership and values, defining good environmental practice,” said James King. “We have made strides within the efficiency practices at our HQ; we’ve planted over 60,000 trees through Ecologi, and we’re excited to see the adoption of recycled plastics come into fruition. There’s plenty more work to be done, but we’re making progress.”

UK: Long-term Martin Audio rental partner, W E Audio, recently underlined its commitment to the British manufacturer, by making a massive investment across the latest Wavefront Precision line array portfolio.

This not only reinforces its promise to deliver best-quality sound for its core event and festival markets, but broaden the scope when it comes to large scale international touring.

Founded by Wayne Barker, W E Audio’s upgraded inventory is headed by Martin Audio’s flagship WPL large format line array, and SXH218 subwoofers, as well as FlexPoint FP12s, TORUS, and XE500 wedge monitors. At the same time, in order to give them further scalability and flexibility, the company has also invested heavily in the smaller WPS and WPC line arrays—all delivered in recent months to its base in Oxfordshire.

Last month saw the production company’s highest profile deployment of the large-format WPL to date—on Seal’s European tour. The core PA design is based around 12 WPL cabinets per side, with six WPS units for front fills, TORUS T1230 speakers on outfill duties, and 16 SXH218 subwoofers—powered by iK42 amps in bridged mode.

WPL offers the flexibility and reliability we need.

System tech Ryan Bass, praised the speed and ease of getting the PA rigged and how he faced the unique challenge of sub placement due to the stage design (with a set of steps emerging down from the stage, allowing Seal to engage with the audience).

His careful attention to the subwoofer placement ensured uniform delivery across the venue, providing a seamless audio experience in keeping with Seal’s dynamic stage presence.

As for the artist’s experienced sound engineer Tim Weidner—an association that dates back three decades—he said the Martin Audio rig had made the transition from his more familiar studio habitat to the FOH position, a seamless one.

He explained, “As far as setting up the system I leave this to the team. All I know is at the end of the day whether the PA sounds good or not … and this particular PA sounds fantastic, probably one of the best I’ve heard. I’m very impressed with how punchy and clear it is.”

Being from a studio background, he says he could simply relax into the mix—knowing that it had been set up properly—and just enjoy the whole mixing process. “These guys really make it easy, so it’s been good fun.

“In fact it reminds me of sitting in between the speakers in a control room—[the Martin Audio PA] is just not harsh, whereas other systems that we’ve used have been a little bit harsh, especially in the high mids. This was very smooth, and the low end is very tight, so I love it. In fact I want this one all the time!”

The behaviour of WPL had fully justified the investment, which had been the outcome of a rigorous evaluation process. As Wayne Barker explained, W E Audio had explored multiple options before choosing to maintain their relationship with Martin Audio—a move that reflects the strength of the partnership.

“WPL offers the flexibility and reliability we need,” stated Barker. “Our clients expect quick, seamless deployment and exceptional sound quality, and WPL delivers just that. It’s the ideal choice for our evolving needs.” This positions them as a key player in the UK market.

This was echoed by Martin Audio Sales Director, Brad Watson: “W E Audio’s investment is a great example of the synergy between our two companies. Their ability to quickly deploy high-quality sound solutions aligns perfectly with our mission to provide best-in-class audio technology.”

NETHERLANDS: One of the more unusual venues that has recently been installed with a Martin Audio CDD sound solutions, is a hybrid wedding venue and town hall council chamber, situated in the Dutch municipality of Borsele.

Martin Audio partners and audio-visual specialists, FvL Audio, carried out the installation at the venue, known as ‘De Boerderij’—a traditional style, 100-year-old farmhouse.

Over the years, FvL owner Frank van Loenhout says his company has carried out multiple touchscreen installations in Borsele, which is located on a central location in the province of Zeeland. He has also undertaken numerous other upgrades in the neighbouring municipalities in the region “although mostly the audio systems were not as old as here!”

At De Boerderij, FvL Audio were tasked with replacing a 20-year-old ancient 100V line system. “Although the system still worked, it sounded terrible,” he says. “We were asked to install a system suitable for weddings in the Wedding Hall, Council Meetings in the Council Chamber, as well as other events.”

Frank van Loenhout had fallen in love with Martin Audio’s coaxial technology after acquiring FlexPoint FP8 for their rental fleet (*) And so when it came to the De Boerderij installation, he approached Martijn de Jong at Ampco Flashlight Group, Martin Audio’s Dutch distributor, for advice, and promptly received a pair of the hugely popular CDD6, using similar coaxial differential dispersion technology, for testing. “The sound quality was great, and so we decided to use them in our design for De Boerderij,” he explained. “It was a great match for this venue—placement was easy, and coverage fits the venue very well.”

The mayor can speak wirelessly to every room in the building, and be assured of great sound quality,

At the main entrance, a pair of CDD 6 are set in the roof and delayed—tapped to the distance between the entrance and the Wedding Hall (to the left) and the Council Chamber (to the right) so that walking through the various rooms no annoying delay is audible.

The Council Chamber is served by a conference system. Here FvL have installed four CDD6 overhead, and a further pair above the audience (at balcony level). Meanwhile, under the balcony is a Martin Audio ADORN A55 fill speaker in white, appropriately delayed.

In the Wedding Hall, upgraded sound reinforcement was required for speeches and music playback from USB or computer. In this location are four further CDD 6 speakers, with a pair of CDD 5 speakers as infill, and a concealed SX112 (1 x 12in) subwoofer for the low frequencies. “It was forbidden to have the subwoofer visible,” notes van Loenhout.

The entire system is on a digital routing matrix, so that for other meetings, they can send any source to any room, he explains. “In other words, the mayor can speak wirelessly to every room in the building, and be assured of great sound quality.”

The client is also delighted with the upgraded sound—which ensures both council proceedings and wedding celebrations can be heard with greater clarity and intelligibility. Administrators at the venue described the sound upgrade as “a major step forward”.

(*) Footnote: FvL Audio’s move into the Martin Audio family had begun when, in December last year, they were looking to replace some of their hire system speakers. They auditioned several brands “but the clear winner was the [FlexPoint] FP8,” said the FvL owner. “So we immediately bought eight of them.

“Dcase provided nice flight cases, K&M the round-base speaker stands, and it’s powered by a Martin Audio iK42. And so we are not only providing superb sound quality but also great looks.”

These have rarely been in the warehouse, he says. “We use them for all our corporate events, mostly at Van Der Valk Hotel Middelburg, but also recently in the VIP area at our local football club and in October at the Oyster Festival in Yerseke.

“So you can say that first test drive started our love affair with Martin Audio. In fact we’ve just received our newly ordered FP4 for use as frontfills and as a mini-sound system.“