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Martin Audio

MLA MINI BACKS BILLY PORTER’S SEASONAL WINDOW SHOWCASE FOR BLOOMINGDALE’S

One of the highlights of New York’s holiday season is the unveiling of the seasonal windows at the City’s premier department store, Bloomingdale’s.

Providing the sound for the opening show which marks the occasion, and sees crowds thronging the streets on the corner of 59th Street andLexington Avenue in midtown Manhattan,is Frost Productions. The service company’s association with Bloomingdale’s extends back to 2013, but this year the store upped the ante, featuring Billy Porter and a full five-piece band, spread across a 32ft stage set in front of the feature windows.

Bloomingdale’s theme for its flagship store this year was ‘Best Holiday Ever’ and Frost Productions’ Audio Lead, Mike Alvarez, had no hesitation in specifying a Martin Audio MLA Mini in four hangs for the 20-minute show, knowing they could get the sound exactly where they wanted for the flamboyant stage performer and actor.

The low profile of MLA Mini enabled him to ground stack two MLA Mini rigs, underpinned with WS218X 2×18 subwoofers in the centre, without obscuring sightlines. At the same time, two outer hangs of four MLA Miniwere pole-mounted to an MSX 1×15 sub, while their much-deployed Martin Audio CDD-LIVE 8’s provided additional satellite fills and FOH near fields.

As back-up, the sound designer also provided three of his favoured Martin Audio XE300 wedges—two downstage centre for a stereo mix and one as a cue wedge for the monitor engineer. “The monitor wedges are among my favourites,” he said. “The fact the XE300 is coaxial is so great for pattern control, and with my choice of mics it delivered a lot of gain before feedback.”

“The coverage and response across the listening area was truly optimal”

Mike Alvarez, Frost Production

The other benefit of using Martin Audio’s ground-breaking MLA technology was its unique controllability. Alvarez, who designed the system and also optimised the PA, turned immediately to the ‘Hard Avoid’ function. “This feature allowed me to provide coverage for guests across the street without having the PA hit the surrounding walls and windows of the buildings and cause slapback.

“The coverage and response across the listening area was truly optimal, without the annoyance of unwanted audio being where I didn’t want it: great results for our guests and the neighbours as well.

“You would never have known a concert was taking place a couple of blocks away, and a friend of mine—also a few blocks away—didn’t even realise there was a free show that evening! There were no complaints from NYPD and no stoppages for soundcheck during the day … just happy reactions from everyone who was able to check out the performance.” Foremost among these was a VIP area at the front.

There were no complaints from NYPD and no stoppages for soundcheck during the day … just happy reactions from everyone who was able to check out the performance.” Foremost among these was a VIP area at the front.

Mike Alvarez was also delighted that Porter’s production team had invested full confidence in Frost Productions, entrusting them with the choice of Martin Audio PA and DiGiCo consoles, as well as provision of all personnel. Working with the systems designer was FOH engineer Chris Lapke—stationed at the stage left control position—Carl Lund on monitors, Matthew Duane (PA tech) and Ethan Jose and Johnn Fedor (stage techs).

The fact that Frost Productions have been working with MLA Mini for the past six years made it a logical choice for this one, following in [Martin Audio Product Support Engineer] Joe Lima’s footsteps. “Joe was the first to use this technology at Bloomingdale’s, and ever since, we’ve been growing this system to incorporate more Martin Audio products every year. The XE300 was the missing puzzle piece this year,” continued Alvarez.

“For us Martin Audio isn’t just another brand,” he concluded. “There are gems in the entire catalogue—from the line arrays to the point sources, to the monitor wedges. As we are a niche company, specialising in events in places where there aren’t normally shows—such as zoos, museums, pop-ups etc—Martin Audio is perfect because it’s a lot about focusing the sound where I want it; having a compact speaker design is great for hitting the listening area without the fear of unwanted spill or reflections.

“I’m driving Martin Audio from a design perspective, and I’d prefer creating a better listening experience by focusing sound at the audience rather than throwing as far as I can.”

Photo personnel –

Front row Left to Right: Ethan Jose, Mike Alvarez, Johnn Fedor, Matthew Duane, Chris Lapke

Back row second from Left: Carl Lund

Categories
LEA Professional

LEA Amps Power Texas School District: Bryan ISD

LEA Amps Power Texas School District: Bryan ISD

With a rapidly growing music program, yet an unsophisticated audio system, Bryan Independent School District looked to LEA Professional to ensure their students would be given the opportunity to flourish in their musical endeavors. 

Let’s dive in!

THE SPEC

LEA AMPS POWER TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT: BRYAN ISD

🏢 Venue: Bryan Independent School District | Bryan, TX

👷‍♂️ Integrator: Covenant Communications

🎶 Audio Spaces: 12 identical rooms across 4 campuses

🦈 Product Used: CONNECTSERIES  CS352D (qty 12)

THE VENUE

LEA AMPS POWER TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT: BRYAN ISD

THE INTEGRATOR

LEA AMPS POWER TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT: BRYAN ISD

Covenant Communications is a Houston-based AV and lighting company with over 21 years of experience. Since its start in the House of Worship market sector, Covenant has widened its client base to include installations within education facilities, live music venues, hospitals and stadiums. The firm is unique in its offering as it understands the AV needs of the clients it serves; it also understands that the end users often need training so they can get the most of their system. As such, the company often hosts intense training sessions when an install is completed.  

THE INSTALL

LEA AMPS POWER TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT: BRYAN ISD

Paul Mar, system designer and engineer at Platinum AVL,  explained that the owners of the Thirsty Lion come from a nightclub background and as a result were very aware of how important good sound and good music is to the dining experience.

With the pedigree of LEA Professional giving Mar, the extra assurance he needed, he chose to specify eight Connect Series amps for the Grand scape location and six Connect Series amps for the Preston Hollow Location. Platinum AVL specified and installed a mixture of 702 and 354 Connect Series amplifiers in the venue. 

CS352D

Covenant got to work and designed a new AV system in twelve identical rooms across four different campuses, consisting of one amplifier per room powering Electro-voice EVF 1122S speakers. Like many integrators, the team faced supply chain issues and the original amplifier provider could not deliver on time. Under pressure to get the school up and running before the new school year began, Covenant turned to LEA Professional, a company they heard of within the industry but had yet to try. 

“At a time where we were scrambling to find amplifiers, the Connect Series not only filled a gap but provided us with more features, power and smart tools than we have seen from other amplifiers,” said Kyle Hall, Customer Support Specialist at Covenant. “I’m glad it all happened the way it did so that we could experience the hype for ourselves and understand why they are becoming popular in the industry.” 

To set up the system the team at Covenant used LEA’s Web UI. The Web UI is LEA Professional’s browser-based interface which allows local monitoring of every amplifier connected to the network from any phone, tablet or PC. In addition, it allows users to view the status of every channel on any given amp, where the amps are online or offline, powered on or in a standby mode. The Web UI can even allow for a quick performance status to report any errors or faults and more. This ensures that any system issues are flagged immediately during the install process.

 “The Web UI is one of my favorite features about the Connect Series amplifiers,” commented Hall. “With this tool we didn’t need to download any software, instead it was just all on a web browser, allowing a super easy and fast set up.”

 Not only that, but the sleek, clever design of the Connect Series ensures all power switches are hidden, removing the worry of students tampering with the amps. 

THE CONCLUSION

LEA AMPS POWER TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICT: BRYAN ISD

Covenant will soon hold a training session with the educators in this district to ensure faculty is familiar with the system. However, with the intuitive user-centric design and support from LEA Professional, Covenant is confident the system will give the faculty and students everything they need, and more. 

“These amplifiers are truly excellent, we have already started to use them in other projects,” commented Hall. “This system is a huge upgrade from where Bryan ISD came from, the teachers and students are now even more excited for the school year.” 

We’d like to thank Mark Pearson and his team at CCI Solutions for choosing our amps for this killer installation and we hope that the audio systems will continue to deliver reliable audio for students at Tumwater High School for years to come.

Categories
Martin Audio

PORTO DRUM SHOW SNARES MARTIN AUDIO’S FLAGSHIP WAVEFRONT PRECISION FOR SECOND YEAR

Portugal’s ever-popular Porto Drum Show recently relocated to the impressive Alfândega do Porto for its fourth edition.

Having successfully supported the event previously, Martin Audio’s Portuguese distributor, Sons Do Marques were back in action, featuring a state-of-the-art Wavefront Precision (WPS) PA for the main demonstration space.

The event brings together a collection of world class drummers for one evening, including Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, Mike Stern, Dave Weckl Band), Gergo Borlai (Al di Meola, Frank Gambale, Bob Mintzer), Derrick Mackenzie (Jamiroquai), Miguel Lamas (Dany Martin, Carlos Rivera) and Mike Terrana (Axel Rudie Pell, Tony Macalpine, Ywngie Malmsteen). All featured in the drum clinic on the demo stage throughout the course of the evening.

The show itself is split across three spaces of equal size: one for demonstrating drum brands, one for artist drummers’ shows, and one exclusively for Portuguese artists.

“We have always been able to place so much trust in Martin Audio equipment, that we have remained really relaxed about that.”

Hugo Danin, Show Director

The main stage was equipped with six WPS PA elements on each side of the stage, run in the optimum 1-box resolution by Martin Audio iKON iK42 amplifiers, complemented by a pair of SXH218 subwoofers. The drummers were able to monitor their sound through a pair of Martin Audio’s flagship, high-output XE500 stage wedges.

Martin Audio had been specified by promoter and show director, Hugo Danin, and after last year’s success with Martin Audio’s WPM he had no hesitation in returning to Sons Do Marques, who this year supplied the larger system. Stated company owner, Rogério Lopes, “We saw this as the perfect opportunity to promote the new Wavefront line arrays. We chose WPS this year due to the dimensions of the room.” In another space, Martin Audio’s TORUS T1215 constant curvature system, in conjunction with an SCX118, provided coverage.

The sound system design was in the capable hands of the team from Sons Do Marques, assisted by their tech partner Gustavo Rodrigues, in order to balance the system. This was because due to the odd dimensions of the room, the hard surfaces and the nature of the content there was a good deal of reverberation to contend with.

The event was also supported by experienced sound engineer, Nuno Coelho, who unreservedly endorsed the sound system. “Previously I had the opportunity to use the smaller WPM system, with very satisfactory results. The new WPS has proved to be a very compact and lightweight solution—suited to a wide range of applications. In the challenging environment in which the Porto Drum Show was held, the system was not only able to reveal its power, but above all the ability to reproduce with definition and clarity instruments recorded and played in live mode.”

“We like to present this event in some really strange places, and have a particular passion for warehouses and old factories,” added Hugo Danin. “Therefore, we know we will experience poor acoustic conditions in buildings with lots of reverberation”.

“However, we have always been able to place so much trust in Martin Audio equipment, that we have remained really relaxed about that. In other words, they have always saved us from our own decisions by bringing out the best solutions for our needs”.

“This is the third time that we have had the pleasure of using a Martin Audio sound system for this event. Both they, and Sons Do Marques, are a really important part of our team—and we will be happy to work with these guys forever!”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rui Bandeira. Used with permission.

Categories
Martin Audio

WPL PULLS IN THE CROWDS AT INTERBEE 2022

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”.

Yusuke Karato, CEO, Martin Audio Japan

In the adjacent event hall, a loudspeaker demo event called InterBEE Experience was held after a two-year absence. This is always popular as it allows visitors to listen to full-fledged SR speakers in a real world setting and features both domestic and leading international brands.

MAJ took the opportunity to introduce the Wavefront Precision WPL system in the large line array speaker category. WPL is a dual 12ft 3-way bi-amp system, famous for its scalable optimisation, which is Martin Audio’s specialty.

Eight WPL cabinets were rigged and run 1 single-box resolution from iKON amplifiers and three SXCF218 subwoofers were groundstacked to boost low frequency.

The WPL demo certainly attracted a good deal of attention as it was noticeable how many people gathered in the venue when it was MAJ’s turn in the rota.

Commented Yusuke Karato, CEO of MAJ, “Following the demonstration, we received many compliments from visitors who attended. I really appreciate everyone who took the trouble to come and listen.”

Categories
Martin Audio

SPEAKING SPIRIT MINISTRIES INSTALLS WAVEFRONT PRECISION AT NEW CAMPUS

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.”

Categories
Martin Audio

UAE’S LARGEST FITNESS CENTRE KEEPS UP THE PACE WITH 200 MARTIN AUDIO SPEAKERS

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.”

Rami Haber, Managing Director, PRO LAB

PRO LAB has a long history of supplying Martin Audio systems, and in particular the ultra-compact CDD, which offers both even coverage and performance. “It was the coverage pattern in particular that drew us to CDD,” said PRO LAB managing director, Rami Haber.

Since a differential dispersion horn has a trapezoidal dispersion pattern in both vertical and horizontal planes the specified area can be covered with sound more evenly than a system with a conventional, fixed-dispersion type horn.

Distributed throughout the vast space are six CDD10 and 50 x CDD8, with low frequencies handled by 14 x SX210 and four SX212 subwoofers.

In addition, PRO LAB and Pulse have specified Martin Audio Blackline, detailing 20 x Blackline X10, 32 x X8B, a pair of Blackline X12B, and 18 x X115B subwoofers. These are situated in the corners of the main studio.

In the ancillary retail and leisure areas, they have added a combination of 15 x ACS-55T 5.25in passive two-way ceiling speakers, 20 x ACP-55TB compact pendant ceiling speakers, and 19 x ACS 40TS 4in ultra-compact ceiling speakers—all part of Martin Audio’s ADORN series.

The loudspeakers also needed to show their versatility since they take feeds from a variety of sources including PIXILAB which controls all audio, visual, lighting (including architectural) and content, as well as computer-delivered background music, Audix mics, and other AV sources (HDMI TX and RX).

The sound reinforcement system has met the approval of all concerned. Concluded PRO LAB CEO Rami Haber, “After working with many premier speaker systems previously in other gyms the client was very happy with the coverage, performance, and quality provided by Martin Audio and Pulse.”

Categories
LEA Professional

LEA Amps Power Popular Gastropub In Texas: Thirsty Lion

LEA Amps Power Popular Gastropub In Texas: Thirsty Lion

When Thirsty Lion Gastropub decided to expand to North Texas, they went with LEA Professional to optimize their audio systems and give their guests a one-of-a-kind experience.

Let’s dive in…

THE SPEC

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

🏢 Venue: Thirsty Lion Gastropub | Dallas, TX

👷‍♂️ Integrator: Platinum AVL

🎶 Audio Spaces: Main Dining Areas, Outdoor Spaces, rooftop patio

🦈 Product Used: CONNECTSERIES  Mixture of  CS354 & CS702 (14 Total) 

THE VENUE

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

THE INSTALL

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

Paul Mar, system designer and engineer at Platinum AVL,  explained that the owners of the Thirsty Lion come from a nightclub background and as a result were very aware of how important good sound and good music is to the dining experience.

With the pedigree of LEA Professional giving Mar, the extra assurance he needed, he chose to specify eight Connect Series amps for the Grand scape location and six Connect Series amps for the Preston Hollow Location. Platinum AVL specified and installed a mixture of 702 and 354 Connect Series amplifiers in the venue. 

At the time when these new projects were getting underway, Platinum AVL was still sourcing another amplifier manufacturer but was on the lookout for a lighter, more compact amp with DSP. Paul Mar, system designer and engineer at Platinum AVL, explained that the team was nervous at first about trying a new brand when they began their search for fresh options. But their concerns quickly vanished as soon as they learned about LEA Professional’s team of industry veterans and their 200 years of combined experience. 

“I had heard a lot about LEA Professional, having seen them at Infocomm. Once I understood the brain trust that exists within the company, it gave me a huge amount of confidence in the product and, as a result, the project,” said Mar. “With multiple systems we install around the country, LEA amplifiers are perfect to meet that need with their reliability, feature set, technology, size, and weight.

The Grandscape location, the larger of the two, is split over two stories, with a bar and rooftop patio, plus 6,500 square feet of outdoor seating. The audio system provides a lighter background music mix at a lower volume level during the day, while building in the ability to crank things up during higher-capacity happy hours and livelier special events. Since the amps in Thirsty Lion are on 24/7, Platinum AVL and the team at the Thirsty Lion both agreed that a reliable amp with remote monitoring via the Cloud was a huge priority for them. With Texas being infamous for power outages, the team didn’t need to take any unnecessary risks, which made the LEA Professional Cloud Platform the most practical choice. 

“The Cloud has come to be crucial for us,” said Mar. There have already been instances where a power cut occurred that I wasn’t aware of and the Cloud allowed us to see the issue and resolve it. Without this, we would have had to contact a local technician at an extra cost to try to get someone down there before opening time.” 

Not only did the Cloud provide critical support, Platinum AVL also spoke highly of the customer support LEA Professional offered them. “When I need tech support, I have no problem feeling confident that I will get my answer right away or within a quick amount of time,” said Mar.  

For Mar and Platinum AVL, a Crestron integrator, the ability to integrate the Connect Series amplifiers into the AV system with the Crestron LEA Plugin was a major benefit. The Connect Series Crestron Control Module allows integrators to utilize the Crestron software platform to control and monitor essential functions and features within the Connect Series amplifier family.

THE CONCLUSION

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

Overall, the team were extremely happy with the compact design, feature set, reliability and flexibility of the Connect Series amplifiers. Platinum AVL have already begun new projects using LEA Professional and plan on using the smart amp in future installs where possible.  

“I will always spec LEA amps for my projects from now on; I am genuinely impressed with them.”

We would like to thank Paul Mar and his team at Platinum AVL for choosing our amps for this killer installation and we hope that the audio systems will enhance and deliver flexible, reliable audio for guests at both Thirsty Lion locations for years to come.

Categories
Martin Audio

MICRO LINE ARRAYS CAN DELIVER MORE THAN JUST VOCAL CLARITY

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.”

John Pierce, Director of Sales, Audio-Video Group

However, once the system is put into use, the full capabilities of O-Line become clear. “It’s a very transparent PA — it’s not lumpy in the bottom end,” noted Mozaix Director Paul Tucker, discussing St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Melbourne. “We had a consecration service featuring a fantastic viola player, and the sound of that instrument was beautiful — really stunning.”

“We wanted to let the choir master, minister and organist hear the quality over the area they wanted to cover, and they were all blown away,” agreed Roger McMullan, Rea Sound Project Manager, reflecting on an upgrade project at Belfast’s St Mark’s Church. “In fact, they can now hire it out so that bands can play through O-Line as a full range system without the need for additional subwoofers.”

Surprise at the level of musicality possible with a micro line array is a common theme. Most users are expecting the even coverage and improved intelligibility, but expect to sacrifice musical performance as a result. The response when venues find out that they don’t need to make musical compromises is always positive.

“They were ecstatic about the system and blown away with the intelligibility and musicality of the O-Line system,” reveals John Pierce, Director of Sales for Audio-Video Group, recalling a project at Washington DC’s historic Capitol Hill Baptist Church. “And even without subs, they were happy with the range those boxes provide—they go pretty low and sound good. I love the O-Line. I’ve done several systems in more traditional churches and they’re fantastic for speech and music as well.”

The result of these reactions has seen an increasing number of people starting to specify micro line arrays for a wide range of projects, from planetariums to conference venues. “The client mentioned in our first meeting that he wanted something that would visually flow with the interior and provide full coverage allowing small bands to play through the speakers for special events,” noted John Wojciechowski, HBS’ Engineering Services Manager AV when discussing a sophisticated conference space at Gentian Financial Inc. “That is when the O-Line came to mind – small and subtle footprint, amazing speech capability, consistent and discreet music coverage.”

As the full capabilities of micro line arrays are beginning to be seen in more applications, there is sure to be an increase in demand for these small, yet powerful systems. “O-Line has proven time and again over the years that it is a flexible system that can deliver outstanding results in a variety of spaces,” said Dom Harter, Managing Director at Martin Audio. “Adding in a subwoofer will often make the system even more musical, and with O-Line and compatible subs currently in stock, ready to ship, there is a real opportunity for people who are struggling to get hold of other solutions to give micro line arrays a try. I’m certain that they will be impressed with the results.”

Categories
HH Electronics

HH Electronics expands its Asian distribution network

L–R: Fast Tech’s Sounin Chan and D Wong and DLPro Team

APAC: HH Electronics, in partnership with Generation AV, has appointed Fast Technologies to distribute products in Cambodia with DLPro doing the same in Vietnam, as evidence of the company’s intention to establish a firm footprint in the region.

Commenting on Fast Technologies’ appointment as official HH partner for Cambodia, CEO Sounin Chan commented: “We are excited to be chosen by HH as its distributor. The UK-designed product range is of the highest quality and is very competitively priced for the Cambodian market. HH Electronics’ products will be a great asset for our dealers and system integrators in the fixed installation and MI retail markets. We have great confidence in the products and look forward to building the HH brand in Cambodia.”

In Vietnam, DLPro’s CEO, Mr Sau was equally happy to partner with HH: “I’m very pleased to be granted the rights to distribute HH Electronics’ products in Vietnam and am proud and happy to be a part of the HH family. I strongly believe that HH is a very promising brand for Vietnam’s AV market.”

Ian Wright, director of global sales for the Headstock Group, added: “We’ve only been working with these fine companies for a relatively short time, but they’ve already done incredible work to introduce the HH brand to their respective markets. Both have met with strong and positive responses that have seen immediate results. Multiple projects in both countries now feature HH products in their designs, giving us cause to believe we have a very bright future in Cambodia and Vietnam.”

Categories
Martin Audio

TORUS PROVIDES MEDIUM-THROW SOLUTION FOR FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

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.”