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InterBEE 2022, Japan’s largest trade forum for broadcast media and entertainment, attracted many of the leading audio manufacturers and distributers.

Held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba over three days, it would be the first time in three years that Martin Audio Japan was able to show off its leading systems, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Many visitors gathered, filled with the confidence that business is now in recovery again.

Martin Audio Japan (MAJ) joined forces with prominent sound sales/distribution company, Audio Brains, and displayed hot products like TORUS and WPS, as well as wedge monitors and installation speakers—all of which attracted non-stop visitors to their stand.

“FOLLOWING THE DEMONSTRATION, WE RECEIVED MANY COMPLIMENTS FROM VISITORS WHO ATTENDED. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TROUBLE TO COME AND LISTEN”.

Speaking Spirit Ministries of Richmond, VA is a non-denominational Christian ministry, which in the space of nine years has expanded to three campuses, offering over 100,000 sq. ft of worship space.

Known as Glen Allen Campus, the Ministry’s latest facility opened recently, and again RTW Media were brought in by pastors, Fred and Inger Wyatt to provide a complete AVL technology infrastructure. Incorporating projection and control, the PA this time was based around a central hang of Martin Audio’s premium Wavefront Precision line array.

“We were fortunate to be able to start with a clean slate,” stated RTW operations manager, Zack Guida. “We knew what they had in their other facilities, so we wanted to match that end user experience, but with a little latitude to design the speaker we wanted. Our engineering team had the flexibility to design the ideal integrated system for the room.”

And he knew instinctively what that speaker would be, having previously experienced a WPS demo, courtesy of Martin Audio’s Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Martha Callaghan. “The demo consisted of a nine box hang with cardioid subs and it just sounded great. I was so impressed with how warm the boxes sounded. Everyone can produce a loud line array, but it was the warmth of the vocals here that really impressed.”

“The requirement here was to handle everything from the midweek bible studies and vocal presentation to high impact worship, with church bands.”

The client went with the recommendation of RTW who designed the system as a single mono central hang of five WPS elements, with an SX118 subwoofer set behind, and two further SX118 at stage level. The enclosures are finished in white to maintain the visual aesthetic of the new building.

Zack Guida explained the thinking. “The roof is an A-frame, so we have set the array as high as possible. The flexibility to have one sub in the air, to ensure even coverage, and then a further two to provide high impact from the stage where necessary is fantastic.

Further economies are achieved by being able to power the system from a single Martin Audio iKON iK42 4-channel process-controlled amplifier, configured in 2-box resolution.

Guida says as far as the client is concerned the system “checks all the boxes.” He explained, “The pastor was there with his audio lead when we tuned the system, and they were particularly impressed that a single array would provide the worship experience they were looking for.”

As for that tuning, they set up using SMAART and measurement mics and then did an EASE visualisation. “We let the software tell us what we needed, where—and the installation matched the model exactly.” Further tweaking was carried out in Martin Audio’s advanced DISPLAY optimisation and control software.

RTW Media has accomplished four impressive installations with Martin Audio systems in the past 12 months alone, specifying both their WPS and CDD series. Zack Guida is particularly delighted with this latest implementation. “The [listening] experience in the front row is exactly the same as in the back,” he exclaims. “It was very important to Pastor Fred for members in every seat of the audience to have the same worship experience. This was accomplished to precision with the WPS from Martin Audio.”

Slated as the largest indoor health and fitness club inDubai, offering world-class facilities over 75,000 sq. ft, the new Wellfit gym has been fitted out with a Martin Audio sound reinforcement solution.

Located in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), this latest mammoth facility, situated on level 2 of the Circle Mall, features no fewer than 200 of the British manufacturer’s loudspeakers, spanning several different ranges.

It is the second such state-of-the-art sports, health, and fitness centre in the UAE opened by operators Arada, following the successful community pilot in Sharjah last year.

The sound is broadcast through the main activity zones via Martin Audio’s popular CDD series. These coaxial differential dispersion loudspeakers were installed by local partners, PRO LAB, to a specification by Pulse Middle East, who were responsible for the design and build of the venue. They form part of a full audio, visual, lighting, and content management solution provided by the integrators.

“IT WAS THE COVERAGE PATTERN IN PARTICULAR THAT DREW US TO CDD.”

There is a school of thought that micro line arrays are only good for vocal applications. This misconception comes from the type of projects where such a sound reinforcement system usually excels. However, these small format cabinets can also deliver much more musicality than people expect.

When consultants are recommending micro line arrays, it is usually due to a combination of two common factors. First, the application requires a sound system that will not take away from the aesthetics of a space. And second, the venue requires tight control over the audio to ensure intelligibility.

This combination means that houses of worship are often the most common application for micro line array systems like Martin Audio’s O-Line. And the reaction of users in that setting is overwhelmingly positive. “We are extremely satisfied with the performance of O-Line,” said Zachary Ward, Director of Communications, First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. “With such a unique room, including 42ft-high ceilings and several stained-glass windows reaching more than 28ft tall, O-Line provides even coverage and clarity while accomplishing our main goal, preserving the overall aesthetic of the room.”

“THEY WERE ECSTATIC ABOUT THE SYSTEM AND BLOWN AWAY WITH THE INTELLIGIBILITY AND MUSICALITY OF THE O-LINE SYSTEM.”

When Martin Audio first released its CDD series, with all the benefits of coaxial differential dispersion technology, Kentucky-based JCA Media immediately jumped onboard. According to their project manager, Alex Peake, that’s when they became a convert to the British manufacturer’s signature sound.

With Houses of Worship as one of their core installation segments, he says, “We have since used CDD of all sizes, including the weatherised versions. With their asymmetric pattern, they sound awesome—smooth and warm.” JCA Media then discovered Martin Audio’s Blackline X8, and with it a perfect wedge monitor complement.

Then finally, along came TORUS, Martin Audio’s latest advanced constant curvature solution —and the series arrival caused the company to re-specify a HoW system that they had been asked to design for First United Methodist Church—situated an hour away from their base in the south-central Kentucky city of Somerset.

“The church first reached out in November 2019 after seeing our work on Facebook—but then COVID intervened,” reports Peake. “In fact I was quoting this installation six or eight months before TORUS came out and had a different brand specified.

“But with a throw distance of around 70ft the client was reluctant to have another delay system—they wanted the new system tucked in and tidy and didn’t want anything visible on the floor.” In demoing other single point source systems Alex Peake found he was losing volume at the back of the room. “But TORUS changed all that.”

He was already sufficiently conversant with constant curvature technology and the pedigree of Martin Audio to obviate the need for a demo—and so flew straight in and specified the system.

“I knew TORUS would be perfect for a medium throw application such as this and it was also minimally obtrusive.” The project manager’s design to create even coverage over the 300 congregants—in both service modes—was based around a three-box hang, driven in one-box resolution from an iKON iK81 process control amplifier to give ultimate shading flexibility.

A single T1230 at the base gives full 90° coverage, with the top two T1215s running at 60°. “This was to keep the sound off the ceiling and walls, and it enabled us to control the horizontal dispersion. The horizontal waveguide would tighten up the sound disappearing up into the vaulted all-wood ceiling and at the same time would eliminate the need for a front fill. So it all came into play perfectly and provided multiple solutions.”

However, it was the cardioid SXCF118 sub flown behind the hang that had been the real revelation, he said, and was specified because the church wanted a ‘blended’ service to complement its traditional mass. “The SXCF118 blew our minds,” said Peake. “That vaulted ceiling almost served like a natural horn, with the single 18” vibrating off the ceiling.”

Finally, wedge monitors are in the shape of four Blackline X8.

However, there was still a place for CDD in the installation. Downstairs is a smaller, separate area for a more contemporary service and, as with upstairs, an ancient sound system was ripped out to be replaced with a CDD6 L/C/R set up, underpinned by an SX112 sub tucked away on a semi-portable stage.

All of which has delighted the Church’s Technical Director, Aaron Denney. “The Martin Audio array and amps are amazing,” he enthused. “They provide targeted coverage in every row of the pews. They have more than met project goals and greatly exceeded our expectations. One staff member referred to it as a ‘300 times improvement’ for a space that has many complicated issues when it comes to live sound.

“All in all, a job well done.”