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Martin Audio

Darshan Raval Rocks Medi Caps University with Martin Audio!

The recent concert at Medi Caps University featuring the talented Darshan Raval was an absolute spectacle. With a footfall of over 12,000 attendees, the concert was one of the biggest events the university has ever hosted. The concert was made even more special by the use of the Martin Audio system WPL for the music system.

Product Line-up

WPL

2 x 12” Bi-amp Three-way Line Array

SXH218

2 X 18” Passsive Hybrid© Horn/Reflex Subwoofer

ik42

Four-Channel 20,000W Class D Power Amplifier

Testimonials

“As the Director of the recent concert at Medi Caps University Indore (M.P) featuring Darshan Raval, I was extremely impressed with the Martin Audio system that was used for the event. The Martin Audio WPL system delivered an exceptional audio experience to the audience, and it played a crucial role in making the concert a huge success. Overall, I am extremely impressed with the Martin Audio system, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for exceptional sound quality and reliability. Whether you are hosting a small event or a large concert, the WPL system from Martin Audio is the perfect choice for delivering a truly unforgettable audio experience. It is a product that is backed by exceptional performance, and it is sure to exceed your expectations.”

Mr. Mahesh Hardia
Director, Hardia Sound & Lights Pvt. Ltd.

“As a system engineer who has worked with several sound systems in the past, I can confidently say that the Martin Audio system is one of the best in the business. I recently had the opportunity to work with the Martin Audio WPL system during the concert at Medi Caps University featuring Darshan Raval, and it was a truly remarkable experience. From the moment I began setting up the system, I could tell that it was designed to deliver exceptional sound quality. The WPL system was easy to set up and configure, and it provided an incredible level of flexibility and control over the sound.”

Mr. Palkesh Hardia
System Engineer, Hardia Sound & Lights Pvt. Ltd.

“The WPL system used for the concert was an excellent choice, and it delivered outstanding results. The system’s power and precision enabled Darshan Raval’s electrifying performance to reach every corner of the venue, providing a truly unforgettable experience for everyone present.”

Kekul Sheth
Head of Sales, VMT Distribution

“The Martin Audio WPL system was used for the concert, and it delivered an exceptional audio experience to the audience. The sound quality was crystal clear, and every note and beat of the music was delivered with incredible depth and richness. The WPL system was able to deliver consistent sound quality throughout the venue, ensuring that everyone in the audience had an enjoyable and immersive experience.”

Jeff Mandot
National Sales Manager, VMT
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Martin Audio

GOOD FIT

1R gym in Melbourne’s image conscious South Yarra has raised the bar for fitness centre AV.

Gyms are starting to look a lot like nightclubs. But one gym brand, born out of the UK, has upped the ante considerably. 1R (or ‘1Rebel’ in the UK) provides a full-blown nightclub experience for its patrons: curated, high-energy dance mixes reproduced through top-notch loudspeaker systems and accompanied by theatrical lighting.

“It’s unapologetically intense,” according to 1R Head of Operations, Catharine Rose. “We’re creating a very specific feeling; a very specific energy at very specific points in the class.”

Clearly, nothing is left to chance in the fitout; everything is designed to allow patrons to do and be their best. It’s designed to be enjoyable and exciting — little wonder then that patrons are happy to pay per 45-minute class rather than sign up to an annual ‘guilt trip’, lock-in membership. 

There are three distinct spaces — Reformer, Rumble, and Reshape — addressing different exercise disciplines. All the fitness rooms are windowless concrete bunkers. All the ambience is supplied by the equipment, the technology and the instructors.

1R’s representative company, Fitwork Group, approached fitness centre AV specialists, Avivo, which, in turn, called on specialists David Gilfillan director of Gilfillan Soundwork to provide an audiovisual design and Showtech to assist with the lighting design for the club.

The AV for the Rumble room includes Martin Audio CDD10 loudspeakers for music reproduction, CDD6s for speech, and Showtech LED strip lighting that gets fed video from a media server for its colour and movement.

CONCRETE RESOLUTIONS

1R Melbourne is located at the new Capitol Building in the hub of South Yarra. Spanning a total of 800sqm, every aspect of the design (by Foolscap Studios) and fitout is meticulously thought through.

“We inherited the space after the building work had been done, which includes consideration for reduction in audio transmission between studios and from the club to the rest of the building and residents upstairs,” explains David Gilfillan.

“Getting even coverage across the studio floors was really important,” continues Avivo’s Peter Ivanoski.

David Gilfillan mapped the three main rooms in EASE, to predict and optimise direct field coverage. A distributed system was necessary to avoid too much variation in level, and because of the unusual room shapes.

“Two of the rooms are narrow with low ceilings. To help keep reverberation under control, we were offered a fixed amount of acoustic absorption for the club. It was not quite enough, but we developed a plan to install the material to the surfaces where it could have most effect,” explained Peter.

A rare photo of the Reformer room with the house lights up, showing Martin Audio CDD8s down either wall, CDD6s down the centre bar, one of the Martin Audio Blackline X210B subs near the column, moving head lighting, RGB fixtures and 50mm acoustic bats everywhere else.

SPEECH THERAPY

Achieving a nightclub audio experience in sealed concrete bunkers is tricky but with the aforementioned acoustic treatment and a carefully positioned loudspeaker system, it’s possible. But fitness centres have an audio sting in the tail: instructors need to speak over the music. 1R’s Catharine Rose sets the scene: “There can be up to 40 people in a session at any one time. The instructor’s role is keep everyone safe, and they are guiding patrons through the program and cueing music and lighting. They are controlling the volume of the sound, selecting the lighting programs, and through their instructions they are also really helping to provide the energy.” Almost like a cross between a ring master and a lifeguard.

Avivo specified the industry standard headset mic, the AeroMic — which is well known for its robust manufacture and high resistance to sweat and moisture. But that’s only half the solution. Peter Ivanoski explains: “In an environment like this it is really difficult to lift speech over the music. I’ve seen lots of clubs try. Often you’ll see instructors yelling to be heard over a big-box PA, and they will distort the mic channel, and you’ll get clipping, and things get ugly very quickly.”

For a project where the quality of the audio is paramount, Peter and David couldn’t cross their fingers and hope there would be enough gain before feedback to be heard over the loud music. Instead, they proposed a design that borrows from an old theatrical technique: give the speech channel its own signal path independent of the music playback system.

The resulting audio design in the two long spaces sees Martin Audio CDD6s dotted down both sides of the room for speech, interspersed with CDD8s for music. A further four Martin Audio Blackline X210B double-10-inch subs complement the music.

The squarer, ‘Rumble’, punching bag room uses fewer CDD10 for music and CDD6s for speech.

“Gyms want that experience of a big nightclub sound thumping away at their chest, plus the voice of the instructor over the top, and that’s really hard to achieve, particularly when the instructor is walking around inside the listening area,” explains David Gilfillan. “Having the independent channel for speech helps us refine the speech component. Why don’t more people do it? Cost, mainly, but also, it’s tricky to set up. Once you factor in the extra cost of the speakers, the wiring, the amplifiers, the installation time, the architectural impact and the commissioning, it’s a significant cost. But for 1R, it’s totally worth it. When Peter and I pitched our ideas and concepts to Fitwork and 1R, they were on board from the start. They immediately saw the potential benefits and gave us the green light to help them create something special.”

MUSIC RECIPE

David Gilfillan reveals some of the special sauce applied to give the music playback maximum impact without going bonkers on the SPL.

David Gilfillan: We target a certain level for music, and make sure the system’s gain structure doesn’t force too much compression. We measure in dBA because it’s easy, but our music spectrum is fairly fixed — we’ve got a recipe for a music spectrum or EQ profile, which is actually the secret sauce for these spaces.

AV: Ok. Spill the beans.

David Gilfillan: We have a target average frequency response spectrum for each of the studios. When we know from our basic EASE modelling that the coverage of the venue is uniform, so that average is representative for every listener. Once we meet that profile, we can lift the level to our ‘known good’ sound level and know that it will satisfy people. It won’t be super-loud but it will be satisfyingly loud. We also know that with a bit of work, we can get the microphone level over the top of it.

AV: How did you arrive at the frequency profile?

David Gilfillan: Repetition. Pleasing instructors and gym-goers in many, many venues over several years and keeping track of the data. The result may not be my go-to response for every job but it always results in a happy client. It sounds clean, solid and satisfying. The system needs good design along with neat, thoughtful and accurate installation. It needs the right loudspeakers and amplification and control system – the whole package matters.

The iPad control prominently mounted in the Rumble room. Large graphics, and easy control of the lighting and the audio in one GUI.

BAR RAISED

In a world where there seems to be a fitness centre on every second corner, 1R shows what it takes to stick out from the crowd. 1R is based in the epicentre of the very image-conscious suburb of South Yarra and its clientele take fitness seriously. Which is why every aspect of 1R is fastidiously curated. Even the ‘Repair’ change rooms are an interior designer’s dream. 1R raises the bar for fitness AV… pops 50kg on each end of the bar and raises it again.

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Martin Audio

ECO-FRIENDLY UNPLUGGED BUG TO ENTERTAIN GUESTS AT PLASA FOCUS LEEDS

Martin Audio has joined forces with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to entertain visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds. The ultimate eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth will be stationed in the courtyard between the two halls at the Royal Armouries between the 9th and 10th of May to demonstrate what can be achieved with the latest in sustainable festival technology.

Already proving to be a popular option for events across the UK, the fibreglass-built vehicle is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-grid’ solution.

“PLASA FOCUS LEEDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ENJOYABLE SHOW FOR US AND WE’RE SURE IT WILL BE THE SAME AGAIN THIS YEAR,”

James King, Martin Audio Director of Marketing

The sound system that Martin Audio custom-built for The Bug Club is capable of entertaining crowds of up to 500 people. It comprises two 15” 3-way high performance loudspeakers, each pole-mounted to a double 15” direct radiating subwoofer. Amplification for the system is via Martin Audio’s highly efficient yet powerful iKON 81.

“We’re excited to support the live industry and showcase how live sound events can become more sustainable in the future,” said Justin Rushmore, Managing Director of The Bug Club. “Our Unplugged Bug has been well-received everywhere it has been, from tradeshows to football matches and we’re looking forward to proving what sustainable festival technology can deliver in Leeds.”

The Unplugged Bug is just one part of what visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds can expect from Martin Audio at the show. The pro audio pioneers will use the event as an opportunity to take visitors through some of its expanded range with the new FlexPoint and expanded TORUS families on display on stand N-C19.

“PLASA Focus Leeds has always been an enjoyable show for us and we’re sure it will be the same again this year,” said Martin Audio Director of Marketing, James King. “We’re certain that the Unplugged Bug will be a real hit with visitors this year and we’re delighted to be able to help add to the entertainment that this event always guarantees.”

For more information: https://martin-audio.com/environment/unplugged-bug

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Martin Audio

TORUS HELPS GET SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL OVER THE FINISH LINE

Having upgraded the MARC Theatre in Salt Lake City with a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision system in time for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, cinema specialists DBPC again turned to the Martin Audio catalogue this year to find a solution for another of the event’s iconic theatres.

Due to the pandemic, 2023 marked the event’s first staging in front of a live audience since 2020, the year that DBPC was formed by Dan Beedy, a long-term member of the event’s technical crew (and latterly project manager), and another Sundance veteran, Ben Van Donkelaar. They have been tasked with systematically upgrading sound systems used in the event’s theatres to keep pace with the fast-moving advances of digital screen technology.

While the Boston, MA-based specialists were tasked with fitting out all Sundance cinema spaces this year (working with Sundance Institute Technical Director, Holden Payne), Beedy’s attention turned, in particular, to the ornate and historic Egyptian Theatre in Park City, one of the Sundance Festival’s oldest and most recognisable venues—focusing on upgrading the surround sound. His search led him to Martin Audio’s TORUS constant curvature system as the final piece in the jigsaw.

Explaining the background, he said, “In 2018 we added permanent surrounds to the theatre. Since the Egyptian is a year-round theatre not operated by Sundance, we had a lot of restrictions on what we could do. The theatre is historic, so we had even more limitations on placement. It was agreed with the theatre that we would install them at the bottom of the soffit around the ceiling. The soffit was plaster only, so a light and small speaker had to be chosen.”

Ultimately the speakers—four on each wall—were hung from the ceiling to prevent them from being an eyesore, all year round. But of course the placement was less than ideal for cinema. “The height and the size of these speakers made them under-powered and underwhelming for the audience. For this year’s festival, getting the speakers lower was one of my main goals.”

“TORUS REALLY GOT US OVER THE FINISH LINE”.

Dan Beedy, Project Manager, DBPC

Enter Martin Audio Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Martha Callaghan, complete with the manufacturer’s award-winning TORUS platform. Dan Beedy soon recognised the advantages. “Although I hadn’t heard them before, Ben was aware of them and felt they would be an excellent choice. And I’m glad I trusted his instincts! Having a wide pattern would represent a real upgrade, and would help realise the filmmaker’s intention in their sound mixes.

“In addition to that, we wanted to add the [Martin Audio] WPM line array as the behind-the-screen workhorses for the L/C/R part of the system.” These were reinforced by SXH218 subwoofers with the whole rig powered by Martin Audio multi-channel iKon processor amps, and run over Dante.

As to deployment of TORUS, The Egyptian is a bijou 200-seat theatre and thus three T1230 enclosures on each wing provided the necessary side surrounds. Due to the protective nature of the house, some lighting instruments were moved to make way for the speakers, which were set in lighting alcoves at optimal height for surround speakers and distributed as single boxes.

“We were aiming for complete horizontal coverage in the space while limiting the amount of vertical spread that would be reflecting off the opposite theatre wall. The effect of the T1230 was amazing! We had limited reflection off the walls and were able to direct the sound mainly at the audience,” exclaims Beedy.

In terms of visualisation and optimisation, in stepped Martin Audio’s tech team of Joe Lima, who was responsible for the initial system design, and Will Harris, who becamede factosystem tech, handing over to Jim Barlow from Dolby for final tuning.

The change in speakers had been responsible for the audio change, notes Beedy. An ancient, 30-year-old point source system—from which they could only achieve a sound field of about ± 6dB from the front to back and about ± 5dB side to side—was replaced with a Martin Audio set-up from which they achieved a mere ± 1dB front to back and side to side.

This consistency is a philosophy dear to Dan Beedy’s heart, and underlines his advocacy of combining cinema products with speakers purposed for live work. “I’ve always felt that we can achieve a better end product for the audience combining the best practices from both disciplines,” he says. “Since we are often tasked with turning non-cinema spaces into cinemas, we as a company feel using products designed for those spaces is typically a better choice. Martin Audio has been an excellent choice for us over the years. We’ve used their CDD, O-Line, WPS, WPL, and MLA products to great effect in movie premieres and film festivals.” To that list he can now add TORUS.

Reflecting on his desire to have every seat receiving a near-identical audio signal, he confirmed “TORUS helped us achieve that 100%. Martha’s suggestion was an excellent one as we’ve never previously come close to achieving the side surround spread at the Egyptian.”

To underline the point, he added, “We use trailer material for testing between all venues to get a sense of how each house sounds with the same pieces of content. The Egyptian had some of the best surrounds at the festival this year.

“TORUS really got us over the finish line. “Next year, we’d like to have an additional four to the rear to complete the 7.1 surround field. Unfortunately, this year, the challenge of mounting those rear speakers was too great for the timeline. As for WPM, I was really impressed with how it sounded and worked in a small-to-medium sized cinema space.”

Photograph credit: Presentation and Outside Venue shots, photographs by Maya Dehlin, courtesy of Sundance Institute. Used by Permission.

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Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO UNVEILS NINE NEW PRODUCTS INCLUDING THE FLEXPOINT PORTABLE SERIES

In an online special event presentation, Martin Audio has announced nine new products including the portable series, FlexPoint, primarily targeting the premier rental market.

With state-of-the-art acoustic design and technical innovations throughout, the FlexPoint series sets a new benchmark in performance and versatility for compact, standalone loudspeakers. FlexPoint systems deliver the very highest quality sound to match the expectations of prestige venues and top-flight touring artists, while their passive two-way configuration heeds the need to reduce running costs and amplifier count.

Comprising five models—all with highly flexible deployment—the FlexPoint series covers a vast range of professional applications, from live sound reinforcement, theatre sound and corporate AV to distributed sound systems and immersive environments. From the miniature FP4 to the powerful FP15, FlexPoint loudspeakers are compact and discreet — providing ultimate clarity, detail and coverage at all sound levels without affecting sight lines or detracting from venue architecture.

Coaxial point source technology lies at the heart of FlexPoint systems, delivering smoother and more consistent response off-axis than traditional two-way systems. But Martin Audio has gone further with exemplary dispersion patterns by incorporating a two-stage waveguide within the magnet structure. This waveguide maintains wide constant horizontal coverage out to very high frequencies, while the perimeter of the cone acts as the horn mouth, enabling pattern control to a lower frequency. Drivers can also be rotated without the need for any tools increasing their deployment options and ease of use out on the road.

FlexPoint Systems can be used in conjunction with SX series subwoofers to extend low-frequency performance and impact, and it was this range that also saw two new additions announced. The SX115 is a single 15” subwoofer and the SX215 is a double 15” subwoofer, both models allowing for pole-mounting of a FlexPoint system. This now means that the SX series comprises a single and double 10”, 12”, 15” and 18” as well as a cardioid 15” and 18” and the ultimate subwoofer performance of the Hybrid® horn/reflex loaded SXH218.

Finally, in keeping with the name, FlexPoint systems support a flexible electronics package. For the optimum sound performance, Martin Audio iKON amplifiers with onboard DSP are recommended. However, and primarily for larger installations, Martin Audio VIA amplifiers in conjunction with a DX4.0 system controller are compatible. Then, for smaller installations utilising FP4, FP6, and FP8, a combination of VIA amplifiers and the newly announced DX0.4 or DX0.6 controller are a cost-effective option. The DX0.4 is a 2-input, 4-output controller, while the DX0.6 is 2-input, 6-output.

All nine products will start shipping no later than June, but some products will be available earlier.

Dom Harter, managing director, summed up by saying, “Alongside Wavefront Precision optimised line arrays and TORUS constant curvature arrays, the exciting FlexPoint series completes a trio of premium loudspeaker categories, our finest live sound offering in the company’s history, delivering the Martin Audio signature sound experience for everything from an intimate gig to the largest of festivals.

“The addition of the two new SX subwoofers also completes a full complement of low-end solutions, while the two new controllers provide additional flexibility and cost efficiency when required.”

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Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO RELEASES DISPLAY 3 BETA 5 FEATURING NEW SUB ARRAY TOOL

Martin Audio has announced the latest major update to its 3D prediction software featuring a new sub array tool that user trials have declared as “astonishingly powerful”, as well as a host of additional features and workflow improvements.

DISPLAY 3 is a powerful tool for both live and installation projects, working seamlessly with SketchUp for sophisticated venue modelling, thus allowing for simpler venue and shape creation. Incorporating many of Martin Audio’s line array, constant curvature, point source and subwoofer solutions, DISPLAY 3 is ideal for cohesive system design and prediction in a 3D environment.

This latest beta version incorporates, for the first time, a new sub array tool enabling rapid design of ground deployed linear arrays of subwoofers. Traditional techniques have been employed to determine the EQ required to approximate and steer far-field beams. Emphasis has been placed on the speed of design using a handful of parameters, rather than requiring manipulation of individual loudspeakers and associated EQ elements.

“THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT UPDATE TO DISPLAY 3 THAT I’M CONFIDENT OUR USERS AROUND THE WORLD WILL RELISH.”

Ambrose Thompson, Research Director.

In this version, two sub array types are supported with ‘Broadside Stack’ and ‘Castellated’ configurations. For Broadside Stacksany sub loudspeaker can be selected, while for Castellated scenarios only subs which have cardioid settings available can be utilised—but more will be added over time.

Castellated arrays have three styles defined as Presets, with ‘Bookend’ where the end parts of the array are two boxes high; ‘Buttress’ where the array is one box high at the ends; and ‘Uniform’ consisting of an array of L shaped elements. Beam width can be set from 1 degree to 180 degrees, where setting to 1 degree will generate the narrowest beam possible from the array and by incrementing the width users can get closer to the coverage required.

Ambrose Thompson, Research Director, commented, “While it is the first iteration of this sub array tool, I believe it already sets a new benchmark in prediction software, and I’m delighted that user trials have also re-confirmed this.”

The Beta 5 release also includes other notable updates including the following: an early version of a tool to display the frequency response at any position on a surface; flown deployments of Martin Audio’s latest product, TORUS 8; a new control in the Loudspeaker Property Inspector to optionally constrain aiming angles to those available for the pin locations in the lift bar; default speaker insertion heights, and the inclusion of BlacklineX point source and subwoofer solutions.

Summing up, Thompson said, “This is a significant update to DISPLAY 3 that I’m confident our users around the world will relish. As with all things software, there are always new developments required and we are already hard at work on the next set of updates.”

For more: https://martin-audio.com/support/software

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Martin Audio

MARTIN AUDIO, BELAIR AND THE BUG CLUB TEAM UP FOR ECO-FRIENDLY ‘UNPLUGGED BUG’

Martin Audio has teamed up with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to deliver the ultimate eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth.

Since 2013, The Bug Club has delivered hundreds of events from private parties, festivals, brand activations to product launches, carnivals, exhibitions and street parties but their latest creation, the Unplugged Bug, is a unique intersection of sonic experience and environmental responsibility.

The fibreglass-built vehicle itself is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-grid’ solution.

Belair Technology was founded in 2019 with the goal of electrifying events previously powered by diesel generators. Its founder John Baillie grew up with a love of music and a passion for science, having for a time worked at CERN, the world’s largest particle accelerator:

“As an avid festival-goer, I noted how off-grid events are desperate for sustainable solutions, yet often have little option but to use polluting diesel generators. Working with Martin Audio and the Bug Club to deliver the Unplugged Bug is a great step forward and I’m excited about what we can learn from its operation over the summer.”

John Baillie, Belair Founder.

The custom-built sound system, capable of entertaining crowds of up to 500 people, comprises two 15” 3-way high performance loudspeakers, each pole-mounted to a double 15in direct radiating subwoofer, and controlled by a DX4.0.

Martin Audio Managing Director, Dom Harter, commented, “My personal love for both VW camper vans and DJ culture led inevitably to the door of the great people at The Bug Club. At the same time I had been introduced to John and his work on renewables, and it just all fitted into place. At Martin Audio, environmental sustainability is an important initiative, and this latest development will help explore new possibilities for us in the future.”

To complete the sustainability equation The Unplugged Bug is designed as a trailer (no engines!) and as a policy all their carbon footprint is offset by planting trees. The Unplugged Bug can also be supplied with top quality DJs and equipment, pro lighting, disco balls, sound technicians and branding options. The Bug Club fleet can even offer bar services, with experienced mixologists.

With the summer season fast approaching this is seen as the ultimate in mobile discos, ideal for exhibitions, sporting events and all manner of summer parties prioritising environmental responsibility. It has already been booked for numerous events and will also be on show at Martin Audio’s upcoming Open Days taking place April 18-19that their headquarters in High Wycombe.

Summing up, Justin Rushmore, Managing Director of The Bug Club, said, “We were delighted to team up with Martin Audio and Belair on this initiative. It was clear from the outset there was a meeting of minds on the sustainability aspect of live events, and we believe we can gather key data and insight that can help to not only further improve these types of events but also scale up to bigger initiatives.”

For bookings: https://thebug.club/

Photo credit: Rick Sleiman

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Martin Audio

TORUS INTRODUCED AT TSUKUBA CAPIO HALL

Ibaraki Prefecture, known as the Science Future City, (located near Tsukuba Station on the Tsukuba Express, Tsukuba Capio in Tsukuba City), is a place for citizens to interact through cultural and sports activities.

Among these facilities, Capio Hall is the city’s event hall suitable for dance and theater. Opened in July 1996, it has created a full-fledged theater space with a unique arrangement of 384 seats that creates a sense of unity between the performers and the audience, and high-quality stage equipment.

In 2022, Capio Hall underwent a major renovation of the speaker system, and was introduced to Martin Audio’s latest model TORUS.
Mr. Endo of Sigma Communications Co., Ltd., which is in charge of technical management of the hall, talked about the renovation issues as follows.
“Originally, the center proscenium was of the exposed type, and clusters were assembled using multiple point source speakers on a lifting grid. When updating the equipment, we naturally considered line arrays, but there were issues. The Capio Hall is not very deep, but the horseshoe-shaped balcony seats extend up to the third floor, and the vertical coverage angle is very large.
” It was clear that if we were to introduce a line array with such a large number, we would have to use a large number of lines just to ensure the vertical directivity angle. Therefore, the constant coverture array was considered.

Martin Audio’s new model TORUS is a perfect match for theaters with high ceilings, even though the target distance is short throw. For venues with a depth of 15m to 30m, full-fledged line arrays may not meet your needs in terms of practicality and price. However, point sources may not provide sufficient coverage or SPL. TORUS is a constant curvature array designed to fill that gap perfectly by combining optimized coverage, SPL realization and cost efficiency.

The lifting grid of the proscenium was retrofitted with a new 4-bar vertical array consisting of 2 x T1215 and 2 x T1230. With these four, we were able to secure a vertical directivity angle of 90 degrees, which was enough to cover from the top 3rd floor to the front row of the 1st floor. In addition, the XD12 is installed in the side column along with the subwoofer SX118, which are independently driven by the iK42 DSP power amplifier. A total of six Blackline X8s were also installed for infill and balcony seating assistance, powered by Powersoft’s Quattrocanali series.

Mr. Ota of Audio Brains, who did the sound adjustment, talks about it. “Initially, the concept was to aim narrowly at a distance and widen at a close distance, but when we made adjustments while actually producing sound, we found that a 90-degree horizontal directivity angle would provide a better coverage area. As a result, 80% of the venue can be covered by the proscenium. The auxiliary X8 adjusts the delay and volume to match the proscenium, and only follows a small area. With TORUS’s wave, the angle of the guide can be changed even with the grill attached, so it’s good that we can flexibly respond to cut-and-try on site.”

Mr. Endo concludes: “The Capio Hall needs to be able to accommodate a variety of events for the public. Recently, dance recitals by students have become popular, and more and more sound pressure is required from the speakers installed in the facility. , the TORUS and subwoofers have plenty of headroom to handle this, and we are very happy with the new setup.”

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Martin Audio

VME INCREASES MLA INVENTORY TO OVER 100 ENCLOSURES FOR ARENA BOXING EVENTS

For nearly a decade, Martin Audio partner, Manchester-based VME, has been providing PA for major boxing events in the nation’s arenas, on an accelerating basis.

Starting out with an inventory of 48 MLA multicellular loudspeaker array enclosures, such has been the demand from this sector that the rental fleet has now more than doubled, and this month the rental company announced that it has increased its inventory of MLA family products to over 100. This makes VME one of the largest MLA rental stagers in the UK.

Explaining the underlying reason, operations manager Aaron Harvey-Holt says that this is in recognition of the fact that his company is now servicing over 40 events a year for TV transmission through Sky Sports, BT Sports and DAZN—all in major UK venues such as Wembley Stadium, Wembley OVO Arena, The O2 Arena, Cardiff International Arena and Manchester AO Arena.

“MLA IS GREAT FOR THE TIGHT TIME SCALE WE OFTEN HAVE TO DELIVER IN AS SOMETIMES WE DON’T HAVE RIG DAYS”

Aaron Harvey-Holt, Operations Manager, VME

Events include the IBF World Heavyweight Championships—and bouts ranging from David Haye to Tyson Fury—to the more recent high-profile Misfits ‘crossover’ series which saw YouTube star KSI going head-to-head with FaZe Temper at OVOArena,Wembley.

Rigging a system in the round is quite unlike reinforcing a conventional pros arch rock concert. For example, the PA fly position is normally set within a 7 sq.m grid immediately above the ring and configuration can vary from hangs facing out on all four axes to distributed hangs and delays to ensure crowds of up to 20,000 have full intelligibility of all action—from the walk-in music to the National Anthem, DJ interval music and MC announcements.

The Misfits event, with all the razzmatazz associated with it, was no exception.

Aaron Harvey-Holt is clear as to why MLA has become their go-to system. “It’s for the ease of rigging,” he says. “MLA is great for the tight time scale we often have to deliver in as sometimes we don’t have rig days.” Further to this, the flexibility it affords is vital when they are having to work around TV company constraints. Having venue parameters in their library is no guarantee that they won’t have to take new measurements each time and create a different profile.

“This is precisely why we recently purchased another 24 MLA Compact and 20 MLA,” explains the VME ops manager. For the KSI fight alone they fielded 70 MLA boxes and 24 MLA Compact. “We rigged nine hangs of MLA / MLA Compact in total … 25 boxes a side at the stage end for mains, subs and sidefills—with five MLX a side in cardioid flown, behind the two main hangs—and three hangs further down the arena for delays at the left, centre and right positions.”

The flexibility of the system has also proved a hit with VME’s project manager Mikey Greenwood and system designer Gareth Thomas—the latter working alongside Ben Marsh who is alsode factosystem tech. He ensures that MLA’s advanced optimisation will enable sound to be steered precisely where it’s needed — designing the horizontal projection in CAD, mapping to where the TV interviews take place, and implementing the ’Hard Avoid’ setting on any reflective VIP boxes. This also takes into account the sensitivity of the broadcast mics when it becomes essential to deaden the sound around the ring.

“With complex events such as this, having that level of control with MLA is vital,” summarises Aaron Harvey-Holt.” It provides massive benefits all round.” Plus, of course, when not on duty at their own events, there will be plenty of scope for cross-hiring MLA, such is the demand during the busy summer season.

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Martin Audio

DISCOVER CHURCH UPGRADES WITH MARTIN AUDIO WAVEFRONT PRECISION

A Wavefront Precision line array forms the centrepiece of a new AV upgrade at the Discover Church in Milwaukee, specified and installed by Martin Audio partner Avenue Systems.

The expanding ministry has undergone several campus extensions since 1969, culminating in a major renovation in 2022, which included the sanctuary. Avenue Systems were part of that renovation process. “This is the project that allowed for the installation of the new Martin Audio rig,” confirms founder and CEO, David Price. “We helped coordinate the design and integration for the newly renovated space.”

Avenue Systems were tasked with undertaking a full AV makeover of the main worship area and video control room, installing new audio, lighting, video, control and acoustical systems for every aspect of the main auditorium’s AV.

Explaining the requirement in more detail, Price confirmed that the PA would need sufficient versatility to reinforce typical modern worship, with full band, plus occasional choir and orchestra for special occasions in a room seating a little over 1800 congregants. “The church also conducts several special musical events throughout the year and hosts a smattering of professional Christian music artists and large conferences,” he added.

Martin Audio’s market leading Wavefront Precision line array was deemed best fit for purpose. “Although [the client] did not have prior experience we were able to arrange a demo for them before the renovation which helped facilitate a worship conference they were hosting in the space.

“THE MARTIN AUDIO SYSTEM HAS PROVEN TO BE A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT FOR OUR CHURCH”

Danelle Yacco, Technical Director, Discover Church

“The demo is clearly what won the project. They were blown away by the clarity and performance of the system. It provided the necessary output for the special event, but using it over the weekend also displayed for them how well it performed even at lower levels for their regular weekend experience.”

Avenue Systems have been recommending Martin Audio solutions for several years. Their first project was a small CDD system for a client in Clearwater, FL. back in 2017. “We were immediately compelled by the performance and price point of the system so that Martin quickly became a staple for us in projects across the country.”

This grew in size and potency to the large system now deployed at the Discover Church.

Designed and optimised by the Avenue Systems technical team it comprises: 16 flown WPS (eight per side) as a stereo main array; 16 flown WPM (eight per side) as outfill arrays for the raked seating; a pair of flown SXH218 cardioid subwoofer arrays (each with three SXH218 elements) and eight of the popular DD6 front fill speakers, stationed on the lip of the stage. Finally, a pair of Martin Audio LE200 wedges provide the pastor with reference monitor sound.

All arrays are powered by Martin Audio’s iKON multi-channel process amplifiers in the optimum 1-box resolution—iK81s assigned to the arrays/fills and iK42s to the subwoofer arrays.

Visualisation and optimisation were carried out by a combination of Martin Audio’s DISPLAY2 and 3 proprietary software, along with EASE. “The system performed incredibly well … virtually straight out of the box,” said Price. “We did adjust the optimisation slightly to ‘hard avoid’ the balcony face, which added some additional clarity and minimized some odd reflections.”

Explaining his philosophy regarding room acoustics, he said, “The RT of the space was initially not bad—at roughly 1.75 seconds. The church did want to add some treatment to lower it to 1.5 or slightly less, but didn’t want to lose the character of the space they had come to know. They are a ‘spirit-filled’ congregation and value the congregational participation. It was a factor knowing that they didn’t want to ‘over treat’ the room. I knew the optimisation would be a great way to compensate for acoustical treatment by instead optimising the coverage. Although this was an unusual-shaped room, the rig handled it beautifully.”

The Church’s technical director Danelle Yacco agreed. “The Martin Audio system has proven to be a worthwhile investment for our church. We have noticed a dramatic improvement in sound quality, allowing for a truly immersive worship experience. The sound is clear and consistent, providing even coverage throughout the building—from the front row to the back, and up to the gallery.”

In summary, David Price praised the support of Martin Audio’s Joe Lima and Martha Callaghan. “They did an amazing job in helping to provide the demo system. The tech support from Martin Audio is always top notch.”