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Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO IS PYTCH-PERFECT FOR ALFRESCO DISCO’S MASSIVE WAREHOUSE PARTY

Bristol-based experiential and party planning specialists, PYTCH, recently supplied local event organisers, Alfresco Disco with a full Martin Audio rig for a classic warehouse-based dance party.

Comprising two stages, the sound needed to be carefully EQ’d to cope with the all-nighter’s early proceedings—when it was little more than an empty, echoey warehouse—to ramping up the volume once the venue was packed with around 2,150 revellers.

But then, according to Chelsea Hopkins at PYTCH, care had to be taken to avoid sound escape in a densely packed residential area. “Although the bass was powerful the sound was directional and well contained— resulting in minimal disruption for local residents,” she confirmed. This was assisted by a cardioid pattern sub array which reduced any troublesome low frequencies.

THE MARTIN AUDIO RIG RESPONDED BRILLIANTLY, DELIVERING PERFECT TONE WITH MASSES OF HEADROOM.
Simon Gore, PYTCH

She added that PYTCH has been staging parties for Alfresco for the past five years. “We have remained the preferred provider due to our ability to set up in unusual spaces.” For this event guests could spill out the back of the warehouse into the yard and smaller warehouse, where PYTCH has an LED wall set up as part of their studio.

To satisfy the audio requirements of such a large gathering, delivered from a succession of DJs, PYTCH equipped the main stage with 12 flown Martin Audio W8LM Mini Line Array elements, underpinned with 10 WS218X subwoofers. These were all ground stacked, one array of three either side of the stage directly under the line array and four under the stage in an endfire array to fill in the low end for the middle of the room.

A pair of W8LMD provided additional downfill coverage and a further pair of Blackline XP118 powered subwoofers added further low frequency support. Two further W8LM cabs were ground-stacked on the lip of the stage to provide centre fill.

This design was conceived by the service company’s in-house tech team, led by a member of their wider network, George Chandler.

The smaller second stage was located in ‘The Virtual Venue’, by day a broadcast, virtual production and recording studio, which ran vinyl records alongside CDs. Here they fielded a pair of W8C Compact tops and second stack raised to listening height as well as WS218 subs.

Reflecting on the event, PYTCH sound tech Simon Gore, who mixed the main stage, remarked on the even coverage throughout the space, saying “I was really impressed at the even coverage. The Martin Audio rig responded brilliantly, delivering perfect tone with masses of headroom.” And Chelsea Hopkins added that thanks to the precautions they had taken the event was a complete success. “The sound system was fantastic and we’re not aware of any noise complaints during the event—which is fantastic.

“In fact the feedback we had from organisers and attendees was that it sounded incredible.”

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Martin Audio

XUTOS AND PONTAPES CELEBRATE 40TH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE, WITH MARTIN AUDIO

Martin Audio’s Portuguese partner LVT Audio recently supported a landmark 40th anniversary performance by the country’s most famous rock band, Xutos & Pontapés and the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra with a Martin Audio MLA Compact rig. This is one of a series of premium line arrays from the British manufacturer in their armoury.

The band itself was founded in Lisbon by the late Zé Pedro, Zé Leonel, Kalú and Tim, and the Porto-based rental company were determined to cut no corners at Porto’s 8,500-capacity Super Bock Arena.

With audio direction by LVT principal, and technical director, Miguel Lindo and support from Martin Audio’s North American technical specialist Joe Lima, LVT provided Xutos’ FOH engineer, Carlos Vales (Cajó) and system tech, Antonio (Touché) Costa with a powerful system. This comprised hangs of 18 elements of MLA Compact per side, with a further 12 MLA Mini and three MSX subs on each flank performing outfill duties.

LF reinforcement for the main system was in the shape of 16x DSX subwoofers, set in cardioid broadside configuration, while front fills consisted of four further MLA Compact.

Commenting on his experience with the PA rig, Xutos’ FOH engineer, Carlos Vales stated, “Ever since the modular system era, Martin Audio has been a perfect match for Rock & Roll—both on monitors and PA. And MLA is no exception! With excellent definition and consistent dispersion throughout the audience area, it is an excellent PA in every situation.”

Adding his own experiences with Martin Audio’s front-line PA’s, Miguel Lindo stated, “We’ve done more than 40 concerts since October 2020 covering all genres of music—and always with impressive results.

“We will continue to delve deeper into the properties of these systems on a day-to-day basis—particularly its deployment in arenas—in order to get the best out of this highly-captivating and advanced technology.”

Photo Credit: Nelson Valente

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Martin Audio

PRORENT GIVE RAPID WPL INTRODUCTION TO BOSNIAN CONCERT AND FESTIVAL SCENE

The reputation of Martin Audio’s scalable resolution Wavefront Precision continues to spread to all corners of the globe.

Last year the company’s Bosnia & Herzegovina distributor, SD Sistemi, sold a large WPL system to prominent hire company ProRent, who quickly followed up their initial purchase in September with a further acquisition three months later, with the upcoming events season in mind.

“They really needed a larger system for big outdoor events and for general hire use,” reports SD Sistemi’s Tijana Milovanovic.

The sale had been initiated as far back as February 2020, but the global pandemic brought a summary halt to proceedings. In the end ProRent committed to the system on brand reputation alone, in time to fire it up for the first time on February 14 in the Borik Sports Hall in Banja Luka for Croatian artist Massimo Savi?. ProRent fielded 12 x WPL per side, with SXH218 subwoofers and XE500s—all powered from iKON touring racks.

Having received full set-up and operational training from the SD Sistemi technical team—as well as active support from their in-house engineers—the show was an unqualified success, which befitted a Valentine’s Day concert.

The event was followed up at the same venue a month later when pop singer (and former Eurovision Song Contest winner), Marija Serifovic, performed to around 4,500 people, with ProRent’s Dejan Vu?kovi? mixing the sound at front-of-house.

Again they fielded 12 WPL enclosures per side, run in 2-box resolution from the iKON amps, with eight WPC per side as outfills and frontfills (also driven in 2-box resolution). These were complemented by six SXH218 subwoofers per side, arranged in end-fire configuration.

ProRent say they have many more large-scale concerts lined up both for WPC and WPL in the coming months at the Castle Banja Luka, including the Moto Fest and performances by regional pop group and singer, Dubioza Kolektiv and Gibonni, in front of more than 10,000 people. And when the festival season kicks in they will be supporting regional folk singer Dragana Mirkovic where 5,000 are expected to assemble at the football stadium in Sokolac (near Sarajevo), and a three-day Summer Garden rock festival in Prijedor (80km from Banja Luka), which is expected to attract 3,000 people each day—one of several festivals lined up during the summer.

For their own part, despite the COVID pandemic SD Sistemi—who are themselves based in Banja Luka—are working hard to build visibility of Martin Audio in Bosnia. “And I think we have been very successful in that,” she continues. “Everything in the entertainment industry stopped for almost two years and now we must make up for lost time. We will be using our own demo showroom regularly for promotion and training purposes.

Meanwhile, ProRent—who are Bosnia’s largest and most versatile sound rental company—say they couldn’t be happier with their acquisition, and according to production manager, Marija Gavri? are delighted to be the first company in the entire territory to own a WPL system. Certainly they have a full calendar of events running through 2022 where the Wavefront Precision systems will continue to be put through their paces.

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Martin Audio

WOODSIDE INN UPGRADE EXTENDS MARTIN AUDIO TRADITION IN MUMBAI

Located in the Mumbai suburb of Bandra the Woodside Inn has received a substantial sound system upgrade, with integrators Zoodio Pro once again specifying a premium Martin Audio system.

The newly installed system comprises Martin Audio Blackline X10 for the main PA, supported by a Blackline X115 subwoofer which Zoodio owner, Dylan Hilton says offers tremendous output from a compact speaker. CDD6s have been added as infill for the rest of the dining area and the smoking zone.

Like all the Woodside Inn operations, the Bandra outlet specialises in craft beers and inventive cuisine in the true gastropub tradition. And since it is an all-day operation, they wanted ambient music to be broadcast during the day, with a livelier night time trade—playing retro, old-school rock and pop to crowds of up to 150. Provision has been made with BlacklineX for a small band to perform, and it will also be a perfect match for the DJ nights they plan to have in the future.

Setting out the reason for choosing BlacklineX as his preferred PA, Dylan states, “Since we have previously worked with Blackline X10s we were confident that this would again be a viable option. For the bottom end, we made use of a Blackline X115, as portability was the driving factor, and the owners didn’t want to sacrifice any space.

THE SYSTEM JUST SOUNDS AMAZING.

Dolphy Sequeira, General Manager, Woodside Inn – Bandra unit

“In the seating area,” he continued, “our primary focus was for vocal clarity, even at lower volume levels, while still managing to capture the evening vibe. CDDs seemed to be the best option for this.”

As for the source feed, a digital jukebox plays throughout the day.

Since setting up in 2007, Woodside Inn Restaurant, Mumbai has become a leading player in the city’s gastropub restaurant sector.

Zoodio were first approached by Neighbourhood Hospitality—owners of the Woodside Inn bar / diner—back in 2011. “They needed a new sound system for their outlet in Andheri, and we recommended Martin Audio’s AQ8’s,” continues Dylan.

“The response they received from the crowd back then, and the reliability the system provided, then helped us win more of their projects. We upgraded the system in another project at Woodside Inn Colaba, Mumbai, as well as the new Woodside Inn in Lower Parel. Martin Audio became the ‘go to’ brand for them.”

The Bandra unit now continues the proud tradition. Having now installed the Upper Level with Martin Audio, Zoodio are working on getting the lower level upgraded to the same brand.

Suffice it to say, the client is more than satisfied with the result. According to general manager, Dolphy Sequeira, “The system just sounds amazing, and we are really happy with the vocal clarity and the confidence the providers have given in terms of reliability.” He also added that guests have been enquiring about the speaker brand.

“The brand has helped us secure a highly positive response in all our places—right from the initial project at Andheri, Mumbai.”

They are now keen to standardise on Martin Audio as their exclusive loudspeaker brand.

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Martin Audio

PORTABLE CDD-LIVE BRINGS GREATER FLEXIBILITY TO JAPAN’S HEP HALL

Located in Japan’s Umeda commercial district of Kita-ku, next to Umeda Osaka Station, HEP is a major shopping mall and entertainment centre.

Within the mall, dominated by a bright, giant red Ferris wheel overlooking the sights of Kansai region and the huge whale monument in the atrium, is the HEP FIVE fashion site. This is one of 160 stores and casual restaurants, as well as a combination of amusement and entertainment facilities.

Up on the 8th floor of the building is HEP HALL, a theatre space which recently upgraded its technical infrastructure, Martin Audio’s CDD-LIVE being the preferred PA system.

HEP HALL manager, Mr. Marui (from management company D Jam Create) explained the reason for the upgrade. “HEP HALL has been popular as a theatre venue for a long time. However, since the previous permanently installed loudspeakers were a fixed L/R proscenium system, a separate PA often had to be brought in by touring productions. As we have now added a portable CDD-LIVE solution to the original PA, it has given us more flexibility; it means production teams no longer need to carry their PA, and we can handle various events in different parts of the building—not only plays but also live music.”

One set of CDD-LIVE 12 and SXP118 subs has been installed at both sides of the stage, where a wide and even coverage is maintained, without the need for infills. In addition, four CDD-LIVE 12 are available for use as stage monitors. The main power distribution rack, installed at stage left, is equipped with a power supply panel with circuit breakers, enabling a flexible layout. In addition, Dante network audio is adopted for sending and receiving signals, and simple plug and play is facilitated by connecting just the power supply and LAN cables.

Explaining his reasons for a fully portable system, he continued, “We needed this degree of flexibility, as the layout changes according to the event. For example we can bring the speakers to the ground floor lobby and hold a PA event there. With that in mind, it makes sense to have a self-powered system.”

The system is configured with full Dante networks on which are a Yamaha QL console and Shure wireless systems, as well as CDD-LIVE. However, even when combined with a simple analogue mixer for a lobby event, CDD-LIVE can be used with an analogue connection without any setting change. This is an advantage of the automatic input signal detection function. Since CDD-LIVE is self-powered, it does not require any amp racks, and can easily be transported.

Mr. Marui concludes, “I really like the fact that this system is more powerful than it looks. I hope Covid19 settles down quickly so that this system can be used at many events in the future.”

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Martin Audio

STAY HIGH AGENCY CHOOSES MARTIN AUDIO WPS FOR POLISH ROOF PARTIES

Stay High Agency, the Polish-based promoters and producers of a popular series of near legendary Roof Party events (which take place on the roofs of hotels and malls in their native city of Krakow) have taken delivery of a state-of-the-art Martin Audio Wavefront Precision WPS. The decision was made after Phono Media, Martin Audio’s Polish distributor, set up a demo.

The distributor confirms that the customer had already been “heavily oriented towards Martin Audio”. They add that “Stay High Agency started their adventure with Martin Audio solutions with CDD-LIVE before moving up to their first large-scale system. They first used this system on the Roof Party cycle.

The Agency purchased ten of the compact WPS enclosures, along with six SXC118 subwoofers, to be powered by three high-powered iK81 8-channel Class D amplifiers.

In addition they also ordered six of the Blackline XP12powered speakers, along with a pair of Blackline XP118subs, as well as a pair of CCD-LIVE 12 and SXP118 subwoofers.

The Agency’s new inventory of Martin Audio kit allows them to make a single large concert configuration for demanding clubbing events but also gives them the possibility of splitting the entire system into smaller configurations that can play simultaneously in different locations.

During the biggest of these events, the powered BlacklineX and CDD-LIVE can be used either as an additional zonal sound systems, or on the stage as a sidefills or wedges.

In addition to their Roof Parties, Stay High Agency also organises events under the ‘This Place’ banner, in such places as the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow, The Juliusz Sowacki Theater in the same city and legendary, historical Forum Hotel. They are also founders and operators of the unique concert and clubbing space Nowa Rezydencja (New Residence), who also chose sound solutions from Martin Audio.

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Martin Audio

BURNING THE FLOOR WITH DBS SOLUTIONS’ WPS OPTIMISED LINE ARRAY

Burn The Floor is a fast moving, high-intensity live dance show, which since its formation in 1997 (for Elton John’s birthday party) has performed in over 130 countries worldwide.

Martin Audio partner dBS Solutions first provided sound system support for their 2019 UK tour (with a W8LM line array) but when producers Strictly Theatre Company re-engaged dBS for the 2022 tour, they upgraded to their latest acquisition—Wavefront Precision WPS optimised line array, with scalable resolution—which was accoladed with the Queen’s Award for Innovation.

dBS Solutions MD Chris Bogg says that having previously provided sound reinforcement for the Kevin & Karen tour, featuring Strictly dancers Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer, this has become a genre in which they have found themselves specialising. “Burn The Floor is loud, high energy rock music … a combination of live band, vocalists and music to track,” he explains.

The latest iteration—featuring a cast of up to 15 (including Kevin Clifton) has been touring UK theatres with up to 20 (2 x 10) WPS enclosures, four DD6 for front fills and four WS218X subs in L/R stacks, while in the stalls four XD15 fill any coverage gaps as necessary. The system is driven in 1-box resolution from iKON iK81 amplifiers, providing the highest level of control for coverage and consistency, with an iK42 assigned to the subs.

“I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER; WPS IS OUTSTANDING, AND I WILL HAPPILY SPEC THIS SYSTEM FOR FUTURE SHOWS.”

Joe Baker, System Engineer

Chris Bogg, who designed the system in conjunction with FOH sound engineer Joe Baker, confirmed that the producers have been hugely impressed with the sound system, particularly the evenness of coverage across venues’ entire seating area. “This became more evident at the two venues so far where we have had to play through house systems, and they have immediately noticed a huge difference.”

Joe Baker who shares duties with system/stage engineer James Malcolm, was equally effusive in his praise for the system. “WPS is perfect for the show, and we have received only compliments for the audio quality. The consistent coverage from the very front seat to the very back makes my life as an engineer extremely easy. Knowing every seat is getting the same experience means I can focus on mixing the show.”

Whatever configuration he applies, he is confident the mix that comes out will be 100% accurate. “I know when I open up the system for soundcheck I have very little or no changes to make. There is no compromise with power and tone.

“From design to rigging to soundcheck to show the consistency and intuitive workflow of DISPLAY 2 optimisation software and VU-NET control software and the physical array in the space is something I have never come across before. The results I get in DISPLAY 2 transfer perfectly into the physical environment without any need for adjustment or compromise, while loading the array preset is extremely easy.”

He goes on to say, “Drawing a slice of a venue couldn’t be simpler, and having the option of Survey mode makes the difficult venues easy to map out.This allows me to be extremely precise with what area I want covering and with the Hard Avoid feature this has come into its own with the acoustically challenging venues. The EQ optimisation tool is also truly amazing.”

In summary he says, “I couldn’t be happier; WPS is outstanding, and I will happily spec this system for future shows” … while colleague James Malcolm simply describes WPS as sounding “absolutely stonking.”

Photography by Filiz Moore.

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Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO PARTNER AUDIOLOGICPRO MAKES FIRST INVESTMENT IN WAVEFRONT PRECISION

Martin Audio’s long-term Czech and Slovakian distributor, Rock Centrum, has announced a strategic Wavefront Precision line array sale — to local rental company, AudiologicPRO

This young rental company, coincidentally also based in the city of Martin, already had experience of Martin Audio technology and has been growing rapidly, with its reputation spreading throughout both the Czech and Slovak markets, in all performance sectors.

According to Rock Centrum’s Peter Foldvari, joint partners, Branislav Gombarský and Tomáš Hruška, wanted the manufacturer’s latest line array series as they believed Martin Audio’s optimised line array technology to be the best in the world.

“We conducted a few demos at our Czech base in Prague and invited them,” he reports. “We then had long discussions about which system they needed, as they already had experience with legendary systems such as W8, W8LC and W8LM. Finally they opted for WPC.

Photo (left to right): Branislav Gombarský and Tomáš Hruška

“Of course they also considered other brands, but based on previous cooperation and the result of the soundchecks they quickly returned to WPC because of the core optimisation technology.”

AudiologicPRO’s initial purchase is for 12 enclosures, giving them hangs of six elements per side, but this will increase further for the summer season, along with iKON iK42 amplifiers. This will complement their existing classic Martin Audio W8LM, W8VDQ and a W8C / WSX rig.

Regarding the purchase, Branislav Gombarský stated, “The best possible sound performance was in our company already — and that’s why we decided to expand our Martin Audio portfolio with the latest WPC.

“This is a natural result of maximum satisfaction with the use of our older Martin Audio systems which enabled us to provide a number of memorable music productions.

“During our 15 years’ experience in this business, we have come into contact with the W8LC and W8LM systems several times and that is why we now believe in the technologically advanced WPC. Aside from its technology, a clear benefit is its compactness, weight and especially its efficiency in large concert halls and spaces.

“Saving space in the truck and the load-bearing capacity are, I think, key issues in these times. And the technical progress of optimisation in the DISPLAY software, which is miles ahead of the classic line array principals, we don’t even have to talk about!

“I would like to thank Rock Centrum Slovakia and Peter Foldvári in particular for the sensitive way in which they approached the negotiations leading up to this sale.”

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Martin Audio

LOFT01, NEW HIRABLE EVENT SPACE IN ITALY EQUIPPED WITH PREMIUM WAVEFRONT PRECISION

Loft01 in Prato is a former warehouse, newly-converted into a lounge, restaurant and cocktail club in the heart of the Italian city of Prato. With a capacity of 90 (seated), it can be hired out for any type of event, from birthdays, weddings, art exhibitions and dance parties, customised to suit. In addition, clients benefit from a full technical infrastructure, including a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision Mini (WPM) PA, installed by dealers CLS Service.

This is used for special events like the opening night party, where more SPL was required. Well known DJ/ producer Nicola Zucchi was at full tilt playing through WPM—stacked, four elements per side—above a pair of SX218 subs, run in 2-box resolution from Martin Audio’s iKON amplifiers. In addition, an LE100 wedge monitor provided his reference sound.

In permanent installation at the venue is a Martin Audio Blackline X10 and S15 subwoofer set-up, which is used for all other occasions.

The technical infrastructure is also extremely flexible and reconfigurable, since by implementing the control app they can change the system parameters, and Loft01 can transform from a restaurant into a club. All signals runs on a Dante network so that the mixing console can be set anywhere to suit the event.

CLS Service founder Duccio Mitola was awarded the contract to meet this criteria by owner Jonny Gerges Saad. “I first met him when he was playing as a DJ at an event at the Castle Filattiera, playing through a [Martin Audio] ICT300 and WS18X sub. A few days later he joined the large family of CLS Service customers, contacting me for an event on the seafront … and I have supplied many events since.” Today he is the owner of Concevent Srls, which runs Loft01.

Currently, during the COVID lockdown, it is functioning solely as a socially distanced restaurant.

To optimise the system CLS used Martin Audio’s proprietary DISPLAY software, tuning the venue with SMAART and an RTA mic. “It was a very complex situation,” admits Duccio. “The Loft has a very rigid, industrial floor, and hence the PA was mounted in a stack configuration. Also the room is very high—around 7m high by 20m long by 9m wide. It is a highly reverberant space but thanks to DISPLAY and SMAART we were able to obtain an excellent result.”

He explained that with video projectors on the wall, the PA had to be set in two towers out wide of the DJ, so as not to intrude on the projection beams. “While subs placed right in the corners are never the best option—particularly with an array on top—the enormous control of WPM offset this,” stated the installer. “In fact it was really fun to set this system up.”

In order to keep the neighbours onside, DISPLAY’s Hard Avoid function was used to its full extent to contain the sound. “We made sure they were not disturbed,” he assured.

As to the owner’s reaction to the new sound reinforcement: “He was a bit doubtful at first when he saw how compact the WPM modules were, and the fact that each cluster was only four elements per side,” reports Duccio Mitola. “But when he heard it he was blown away by the cleanliness and crystallinity of the sound.” Jonny Gerges Saad nodded in agreement. “It’s a really nice set up; not only producing a very powerful sound but also good on the eye.”

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Martin Audio

BLACKLINEX AND WEATHERISED CDD THE PERFECT COMBO FOR ALBANIA’S LIFT STEAKHOUSE

The Lift Steak & Rooftop Bar is a new 500-capacity venue in the Albanian capital of Tirana—owned and operated by the Revo Hospitality Group and situated in the ABA Business Center.

Specialising in providing a mix of Lounge, Dance and Pop music, the venue brought in Prosound, Martin Audio’s Albanian distributor, to provide the optimum sound reinforcement, having earlier provided the sound system for another really well-known pub restaurant in Tirana, operated by the same owners.

Prosound technical director, Endrit Veleshnja, designed the system based around Martin Audio’s cost-efficient BlacklineX and CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) series, explaining, “BlacklineX series has continuously proven to be the ideal speaker in situations where quality sound with moderately high SPL levels needs to be combined with affordability.”

BLACKLINEX SERIES HAS CONTINUOUSLY PROVEN TO BE THE IDEAL SPEAKER IN SITUATIONS WHERE QUALITY SOUND WITH MODERATELY HIGH SPL LEVELS NEEDS TO BE COMBINED WITH AFFORDABILITY

Endrit Veleshnja, Prosound

CDD series, offering premium sound quality and weather protection, was the perfect choice for the terrace, he added.

Inside, they have installed eight Blackline X8, and four SX112 subwoofers, flown from the ceiling. Outside they have opted for the weatherised CDD8-WR and CDD10-WR, with three SX112 sub enclosures ground-stacked.

Veleshnja explained the challenges that needed to be overcome. “In the indoor space, it was extremely difficult to accommodate the subwoofers on the ground. This was due to the luxury furnishing, and also since the indoor venue is used mostly as a restaurant. Therefore, in collaboration with the architect, we made it possible to hang the subwoofers from the ceiling.

“The SX112 was the perfect choice for this, not only because of the M10 fittings that allow the subwoofer to be hung securely, but also for its overall performance.”

Prosound also installed the mixing console and matrix system that divides the sound zones, which can be controlled by a smartphone/tablet.

Kliton Gjika, CEO of Prosound, says, “The client was extremely pleased, particularly when he learnt that Martin Audio was one of the brands specified on riders of some of the famous international DJs that performed at the venue during this summer season.”