Mag Audio debuted its MUST (Multiple Uniform Sound Technology) at Ukraine’s largest stadium, for the recent Ready.Steady.Favorit concert at Kiev’s 70,000-seat NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium.

The concert attracted more than 40,000 attendees to see a range of popular artists, including the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 drag queen Verka Serduchka, the winner of Ukrainie’s National Selection for Eurovision, Maruv, and Berlin Music Video Awards nominees Mozgi band, as well as Max Barskih, Olegg Vynnyk, Olya Polyakova, Dilemma, Tayanna and Dzidzio.

The scaleable system promises use of a single line-array format instead of many different ones, simplifying rental companies’ equipment stocking and logistics. The technology is based on the scalable 8-inch Mag Wasp line array, which aims to deliver uniform sound coverage across venues of any size, from a small bar venue to a stadium.

‘We intended to create the technology that can change approach to using small format line arrays,’ explains Mag Audio Systems Engineer, Igor Sydorenko. ‘Today’s manufacturers offer lines of products depending on the target event size – starting from compact arrays up to large-format ones – but we consider this approach outdated, so we decided to design the technology that can serve the needs of any client, regardless of the event’s demands.’

The Olimpiyskiy Stadium event used a 65m stage that incorporated large LED screens on each side. The FOH system comprised two array hangs of 24 Mag Wasp tops and 12 Wasp S-12 subs each side of the stage, with and eight Mag Wasp tops deployed as front fill. Two further hangs of 16 Mag Wasp tops were set each side of the stage as out fill with 48 H28 subs in end-fire configuration. Four tops Mag Wasp and two Wasp S-12 were used on each side of the stage as side fill, accompanied by four Focus 12, four Focus 15 and two Focus Sub for stage monitoring.

In addition, eight delay towers ensured smooth sound coverage over the entire venue. Four delay towers provided sound to the back of the field (Fan Zone 2) with eight Mag Wasp tops and three Wasp S-12 subs each. The remaining four towers addressed the grandstand, each using 16 Mag Wasp tops and eight Wasp S-12 subs.

All the systems were driven by 32 Powersoft amplifiers – a total of 20 Racks with 22 X8 Dante, four X4 Dante and six T604 processors. Signal routing to the amplifiers was handled by the Dante network.

‘I liked the coverage and great sound clarity,’ reports Mozgi sound engineer, Oleg Shevchenko. ‘Even though, the stadium is a troublesome type of venue, the sound was exceptionally impactful and intelligible. The positioning of the systems, the delay lines… everything was so well-thought-out that altogether it ensured amazing sound experience. Very proud of Mag Audio.’

‘Mag MUST is definitely more efficient than large- format speaker systems,’ adds Verka Serduchka sound engineer, Andrii Tsistanov. It is loud enough and creates great uniform sound coverage across the listening area. In my opinion, this idea has great potential, as the technology can be applied for any venues imaginable.’

‘It is the first time that such a large-scale project has used acoustic systems from a Ukrainian manufacturer, and things worked out really well,’ notes Serhii Holovin sound engineer, Olegg Vynnyk.

‘The idea is super. Mag MUST helped to achieve refined sound and ensured the distribution of even sound pressure throughout the venue. All the occupied sectors at the stadium were uniformly covered with clear sound,’ concludes Max Barskih and Maruv sound engineer, Nikita Shkuropat.

The Bila Tserkva-based manufacturer believes that the technology prevents production companies facing a new deployment challenge each time they work with it, as MUST requires training technicians just once. Based on the scalable line array Mag Wasp 8-inch element, the system claims to be the first to create uniform sound coverage across the listening area with just 1.5dB SPL variation, and holds Ukraine’s national record for ‘the minimal SPL variation at one location’.

All elements in a system are preapproved in order to ensure matching and easy adjustment, enabling rental companies to purchase additional equipment that is fully compatible with current products. MUST systems ship as turnkey products, packaging loudspeakers and amplifiers with cases and cables. In addition, Mag MUST offers presets for the tops and subs to be fine-tuned to any listening environment. The presets use the ArmoniaPlus software from Powersoft Kit and are available for download from the Mag Audio website.

More: www.mag-audio.com