A new leisure development in Rosenthal Park, Lane Cove, suburb of Sydney has seen integration specialist Xcite Audio Visual install a Martin Audio MLA Mini loudspeaker array, with the system supplied and supported by the manufacturer’s Australian distributor, Technical Audio Group (TAG). The system provides sound reinforcement on a bandstand stage, which is the centrepiece of the new development, known as The Canopy.

‘There was a performance specification written but no brands specified,’ explains TAG System Sales Manager, Ewan McDonald. ‘Xcite came to us at tender stage wanting to look at a Martin Audio solution and TAG’s SSE [System Solutions & Engineering] team assisted them in providing a proof of concept based around the MLA Mini system.’

Lane Cove Council earmarked the development on the site of a former car park that was no longer fit for purpose, converting it into a new 500-space underground car park and constructing the community precinct on top. This new feature includes a park with village green and children’s playground, a pedestrian concourse, the performance stage, a restaurant/café precinct and retail (including supermarkets).

But the new high premium, high-rise apartments flanking the site brought its own potential problems with regard to sound escape from the stage.

TAG first supported the acoustic design with Ease measurements and later produced Martin Audio Display optimisation files: ‘The main challenge was that with the apartments around the park on one side, and retail on the other side, we needed to get the SPL to fall off as quickly as possible at the end of the speaker zone,’ McDonald says – which he achieved by using the Hard Avoid function in the software.

The PA comprises LR hangs of eight MLA Mini per side, with two MSX subs flown behind the arrays. ‘The PA is set back so we can hit the front row without fills, plus it keeps the hangs protected,’ McDonald explains.

According to Project Manager Michael Glass, Xcite Audio Visual is familiar with Martin Audio technology having been responsible for the University of Newcastle Great Hall Wavefront Precision Mini installation in 2017. ‘We’ve always liked using Martin Audio and really liked the idea of MLA Mini for this job based on the ability to limit the amount of SPL hitting the surrounding residential areas,’ he says. ‘Needless to say, we and the client were very happy with the result.’