Russian concert and event specialist CitySound has invested in a massive Martin Audio sound reinforcement consignment, making it the first MLA customer in Russia.

With more than ten years’ experience in sound, lighting and video production, the company has added a 36-enclosure MLA system to its inventory. This comprises 22 MLA top boxes, 12 MLX subs, and two MLD Downfill enclosures, along with 22 Martin Audio W8LC Compact line arrays (and two W8LD Downfills), ten W8LM (and two W8LMD Downfills) and 20 WS218X 2 x 18-inch subs. Controlling the systems will be six new MA18K and 12 MA5.2K amplifiers, along with a pair of DX1.5 dedicate digital system controllers.

CitySound has also upgraded their floor monitors, adding 16 Martin Audio LE1200, eight LE1500 and eight LE2100 low-profile wedges to their hire fleet.

As well as a massive investment, this represents a leap of faith in the British manufacturer, who supplied the system through Russian distributor, A&T Trade, with the help of account manager Dimitry Zhuravlev. The purchase was rubber-stamped by CitySound director Alexander Kosarev after hearing the system at the iTunes Festival at the London Roundhouse, and under demo conditions at Martin Audio’s headquarters in High Wycombe.

‘When I first heard the MLA at iTunes I was completely shocked by the coverage and clarity of sound,’ he says. ‘I visited London with my Russian colleagues, all of whom are very experienced in sound, and for everyone the experience was absolutely unbelievable; we walked from the right side of the venue to the left, then from the stage back to the entrance – and the coverage, sound level and frequency response was exactly the same wherever we went. We did not hear any changes at all.

‘MLA is truly the next generation of sound reinforcement and I anticipate that it will open the door to a new level of events sound in the Russian marketplace.’

The multi-cellular approach enables every driver in each and every array element to be individually controlled by its own DSP (and Class D amplification); thus with six cells in each enclosure a 24-box system provides 144 uniquely tuned elements.

‘Aside from being extremely impressed by the efficiency of the MLA, measured against other global brands CitySound also purchased the system for the exclusivity of its features in the Russian market,’ Zhuravlev confirms. ‘They hope that by having MLA they will be able to join the rental company elite, and compete with firms that also run market-leading front-line systems.’

CitySound provides sound reinforcement for many events at an exhibition hall in Nigniy Novgorod – the biggest venue in the city – and believes that only MLA, with its multi-cellular controllability, can tame the hall’s acoustic reflections and high reverberation time.

Part of the new Martin Audio inventory will be held at the rental company’s Moscow base, 400km from Nigniy Novgorod. Here the W8LC Compact arrays are expected to dominate the permanent big club parties and concert events, while the company also has big plans to expose the MLA system in Moscow, says Alexander Kosarev.

More: www.martin-audio.com