Copenhagen rental company European Tour Production has taken delivery of a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker system large enough to serve Denmark’s largest venues. The purchase is also a step towards the ‘Scandinavian Gear Pool’ idea floated by Øystein Wierli from em nordic/Englund Musik when Norwegian rental company Rubicon purchased a similar rig last November.
with other new MLA customers in Frankfurt
According to ETP Director Flemming Pedersen, the two hire companies have a co-operative relationship on a sub-rental basis, within their own respective territories. ‘By helping each other out and working together we are able to be create more opportunities for both companies and pull on our good strengths together,’ Rubicon Head of Sound, Roar Ånestad agrees.
‘It is mostly coincidence that we tend to like the same brands and equipment, and since Øystein Wierli is a mutual friend, he has been an important influence in our choice of equipment,’ says Flemming.
The idea began at Plasa in 2010, and included in the consortium was Lars Wern from Stockholm-based DM Audio. Both Pedersen and Ånestad knew that a cooperation over the MLA would make the companies more competitive in the international marketplace. Although the ‘pool’ will also involve other equipment, the brainstorming centred around MLA, since it was such a revolutionary system – and at a subsequent meeting in Denmark, a gentleman’s agreement was reached.
Flemming Pedersen first saw the system a year ago at Frankfurt’s Pro Light & Sound show. Later theory was converted into practice when he and Rubicon’s Roar Ånestad attended the landmark Amnesty International Festival in Antwerp’s Groenplaats. ‘We felt that if only 50 per cent of what we had heard was true then we had something that was really interesting. But in Antwerp we could hear with our own ears that everything that had been promised was actually 100% true. One of the things I have always loved about Martin Audio is there is never any bragging, they just tell it like it is.’
Flemming decided to commit his company to the new system: ‘It was simple in my book; there are a lot of fine systems out there but MLA is simply in a class of its own. There is MLA, and then there are all the others.’
ETP’s system will make its debut with Kaizer’s Orchestra, although the largest date on their tour will be at Oslo’s Spektrum Arena, where both ETP’s and Rubicon’s systems will be on duty. Production will be based entirely around Martin Audio speaker systems, including PA, outfills and monitoring. ‘Rubicon has always enjoyed a good relationship with the Orchestra’s sound engineer Johan Berntsen – and after showing him the MLA system prior to its arrival in Norway he was totally convinced that this was the solution for providing great sound in the otherwise difficult Oslo Spektrum,’ says Ånestad.
Pedersen reports other clients showing considerable interest in test driving the system and aims to rent a venue in Copenhagen to provide hands-on experience for invited customers and technicians. They will also follow Rubicon’s lead by initiating a programme to train as many technicians as possible.
Both ETP and Rubicon are firm believers in partnerships and will remain open to new ventures with other MLA suppliers in the future. Meanwhile both companies are eagerly preparing for the festival season. ‘We have high hopes for what we can do with the MLA system, both individually and collectively…’ men.
