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PORTUGAL: Since the inauguration of Portugal’s Golden Globes awards ceremony back in 1996, production company Auditiv Audiovisuais has supported the event with advanced sound reinforcement and broadcast.

The company recently returned to the 4,300-capacity Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon with a Martin Audio WPC line array, providing the auditorium sound for the first time at the 2024 edition.

According to Auditiv directors Daniel Bekerman and João Escada, who also served as the event’s technical directors, the decision to deploy this advanced scalable PA was largely driven by a desire for innovation. They recognised that this solution would adapt to the space, be visually unobtrusive, provide improved coverage and adhere to the venue’s significant weight limitations.

“The WPC met this demanding challenge in every way possible.”

Two hangs of 12 WPC speakers were deployed—powered by Martin Audio iKON amplifiers, in 2-box resolution. Low-frequency extension was provided by SX218B, with Blackline X12 handling near-fill and outfill coverage, as well as stage sidefills. LE1200 wedge monitors completed the setup in a 100% Martin Audio deployment.

To ensure fully optimised sound, Auditiv utilised Martin Audio’s DISPLAY2 predictive software, VU-Net for control and SMAART for integrating the front fills, outfills and subs with the main system. System tech Isaac Bugalho was tasked with bringing the best out of the WPC. He was joined at FOH by Tiago Mendes, while Guilherme Vales managed the monitors.

Auditiv also handled the broadcast mix, sending splits via an Optocore/DiGiCo fibre loop.

The event was hosted by Clara de Sousa, one of Portugal’s leading journalists and TV presenters, with each award presented by different guests. The event production company was SIC – Sociedade Independente de Televisão. The evening’s content comprised a mix of various award presentations and live music, including a resident classical orchestra.

Summing up the event, Daniel Bekerman said he was “100% happy” with the Martin Audio performance. “Although we were very satisfied with the system used in previous years, the use of WPC brought improvements, mainly in terms of coverage uniformity.

“With two balconies and a VIP audience, including TV station representatives, the venue is very challenging, and the audience very demanding. With WPC, we were able to use more speakers, achieve better vertical dispersion, and maintain a wider 100° horizontal dispersion. All this was accomplished with less flown weight (the venue has tight limits), a reduced footprint (always important on a TV show), and a simpler, faster rigging setup, making coordination with video, scenery and lighting crews easier.

“The WPC met this demanding challenge in every way possible.”

UK: Situated in London’s East End, Victoria Park has been a popular festival venue for many years—but it has also traditionally been one riddled with challenges for incoming sound reinforcement teams.

One person who has worked there many times is Solotech Senior Account Manager, Martin Connolly. He has generally specified Martin Audio’s MLA multicellular array for its unique control ability, keeping the sound firmly focused onsite, with minimum bleed into the neighbourhood.

In recent years Victoria Park has played host to the popular All Points East [APE], promoted by AEG Live, which runs over two weekends. Here Solotech team up with LS Events and production manager, Mark Ward (Proper Productions) whom they also work with at British Summertime, Hyde Park.

However, it has become increasingly difficult for production teams to achieve the required SPL in front of stage, sending all parties back to the drawing board for a ‘root and branch’ reappraisal.

This year LS Events responded by demarcating the East Stage listening area—effectively the sound field—with flags, inside which their aim was to deliver a uniform sound, evenly distributed between 98db(A)-100dB(A) LaEQ15 at FOH, and no more than 75dB(A) LaEQ15 offsite at the nearest measurement point. They recognised that for a bill heavily tilted towards indie and electronic (ranging from Kaytranda to LCD Soundsystem) it needed to remain consistently ‘banging’—all the way to the delay points, set some 150 metres back.

Thus Solotech’s Robin Conway set about revising the existing PA design to meet that challenge.

With six main hangs on East Stage, he upgraded the infill drops from MLA Compact to full MLA (eight MLA plus an MLD Downfill), and had them flown rather than groundstacked. The main hangs again comprised 13 MLA and an MLD Downfill, and outfills six MLA (and an MLD) flown. Subwoofers consisted of 20 MLX in a broadside cardioid array, arced across the front (with seven of these rear facing), while eight Martin Audio XD12 provided the nearfills. The outer hangs, in particular, had been required to bolster the sound on house right.

But arguably the bigger achievement was to introduce Martin Audio’s flagship WPL into three of the five delay positions (in respective blocks of 8, 10 and 8 elements) which had previously been occupied by MLA Compact. Spanning the other two rear field delays Solotech deployed 20 MLA Compact (10-a-side), bolstered with three MLX subwoofers on each tower. Reasoned Martin Connolly, “Because WPL is physically a bigger box than the MLA-C, giving us a longer hang, it afforded us greater controllability on the low end.”

As consultant and former Martin Audio Engineering Director Jason Baird put it, “The DISPLAY optimisations for these arrays were configured with an SPL profile of +2 at the front and 0dB (c/w FOH) at the coverage stop position. This was to maintain the same SPL level as at FOH, right up to the handover to delay ring 1. The tighter horizontal dispersion of WPL, and improved low mid pattern control of the larger product, were hugely beneficial. The delays yielded incredibly consistent sound levels, not only front to back but side to side too. It almost goes without saying that the DISPLAY files made full use of the Hard Avoid feature too.”

For the headliners Solotech ran uniformly at 99dBA on Friday, 100dBA on Saturday and 98dBA Sunday, while working within offsite levels. To verify the onsite measurements, and establish proof of concept, AEG had introduced audio consultants, Electric Star.

How would this impact offsite? As a precaution Solotech had drafted in Jason Baird to act as audio coordinator between East Stage system tech Joseph Pierce and the event’s regular acoustic consultants Vanguardia, who were responsible for monitoring offsite sound.

The most sensitive (and nearest) of the measurement points was Waterside (75m to house right of stage). “With a normal PA side hang at 45° to the main PA it’s going right down the throat of that measurement microphone,” notes Connolly. “Jason would look at the data and for example decide to pull one frequency down by 2dB, or notch out sub frequencies on an act-by act basis, to stay within the off limits rather than turn the whole thing down by 6dB in a knee jerk reaction.” With some judicious tilting and tweaks they were able to overcome this.

Solotech UK equipped two further stages with Martin Audio, implementing the same designs as last year. On West Stage, where Josh Bruty was system tech, they fielded main hangs: of 12 x WPL, side hangs of12 x WPC; front fills of 8 x WPS and subs comprising 11 x SXHF218. There were two delay positions, each with six WPC.

Finally they equipped L’Oreal Stage (rebranded last year from BMW Stage) with 10 x WPS; 4 x DD12 and 4 x SX218 subs.

This overall solution provided all concerned with a feeling of ‘mission accomplished’ as consistent sound levels were maintained. “We achieved great results and have had nothing but positive feedback from production,” declared Martin Connolly. He said he hoped this universal approbation would finally allay misguided concerns about insufficient levels. “Now we’ve increased by 1-2dB that argument has been kicked firmly into touch. He added that there was no reason to consider changing the main PA system. “MLA may be well over a decade old, but it still really delivers.

“Victoria Park is more difficult to work than any other site we do, including Finsbury Park, and we are delighted to have pulled this off.”

And Jason Baird agreed. Stating that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to festival PA design he simply explained: “Any festival site is a balancing act and for APE we found that balancing point.”

Other key personnel on duty included (East Stage): Xavier d’Arifat (FOH engineer); Jonny Buck,Alastair Hellard (monitor engineers). West Stage: Will Hall (FOH engineer); Isabella Di Biase and Kieran Niemand (monitors). Finally, on L’Oreal Stage, Jason Barton was the sound engineer.

ALBANIA: Green Coast is a luxury tourist retreat located in the Albanian resort of Palasë. Known as the Albanian Riviera, and overlooking the Ionian Sea, it is also a popular recreational hub, with a number of bars and restaurants.

One of these is the latest SALT, run by experienced restaurateurs, Revo Hospitality Group (RHG) which specialises in Mediterranean cuisine, seafood and sushi. Described as ae “one-stop shop for food and beverage experiences, providing something for everyone from daytime, dining, nightlife and events” it recently turned to Martin Audio’s local distribution partner, Prosound for a sound system installation. This was after they had successfully carried out other work for the Group (including SALT restaurants, and Lift Steak & Rooftop Bar.

Having used the Prosound / Martin Audio combination successfully on previous installations RHG had no need to change a winning formula. Tasked with reinforcing a wide range of music sources—including DJs and live bands (when the venue reverts to a night time / club atmosphere)—Prosound’s Endrit Veleshnja recommended a CDD solution.

CDD is Martin Audio’s most popular range, particularly for this type of venue. Drawing on Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology (which gives CDD its name) the system is versatile and easy to install, with flexible mounting options.

Prosound divided the single-storey venue into five different sound zones, with three different sound sources that can be combined. They specified a combination of CDD15, CDD10, CDD8, CDD6, for use both inside and out on the terrace, powered by Martin Audio VIA amplifiers, with Martin Audio ADORN A55 infilling the peripheral areas.

In the main dance area these were complemented by several SX118 subwoofers, with SX112 and SX110 providing LF extension in the other zones, routed through a third-party processor.

Thus the operators can once again reflect on a successful installation that meets all requirements over a trading pattern that runs from lunchtime right through until 3am.