At the end of a busy summer festival season, Italy’s Audiosales is assessing the use of its Martin Audio systems.
The inaugral Today’s Festival saw more than 23,000 people attend five locations over three days in Turin’s Barriera di Milano – incorporating major concerts, dance events and creative workshops. Around 50 national and international artists performed including American headliners Interpol and TV on the Radio. For the main stage at sPAZIO211, Microfase owner Davide Scalzo provided a Martin Audio system comprising 12 W8LC Compact line array per side, with 18 WSX subs, and W8C/W8S as side fill. In Tuscany, the first edition of Beat 2015 saw a total attendance of over 70,000 people arrive at the Parco di Serravalle in the town of Empoli – far exceeding expectations. The main stage featured reggae outfit Sud Sound System as well as international bands Gogol Bordello and Subsonica.
Long-serving sound engineer Paul ‘Red’ Talami, oversaw the Martin Audio MLA system, owned by All Access, who were in charge of the technical set-up: ‘We chose 11 Martin Audio MLA elements per side with a single MLD Downfill for the main stage, with six Martin Audio MLX subs per side and four Martin Audio W8LM for front fill,’ he says. ‘The area in front of the main stage measured 80m x 70m and was sold out for the main acts.’
The park location was 50m from to housing to the side of the stage. The committee had imposed an offsite limit of only 70dB both in rehearsal and during the show. But according to Talami, with the sound system running at full tilt, there was a decline of far greater than 30dB in these residential areas, exactly as planned in the Display software, where the Hard Avoid optimisation was used.
Earlier in the summer, the town of Porretta Terme, on the Apennines between Bologna and Pistoia, hosted Porretta Soul Festival with a line-up that included Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Anthony Paule Band and 11-piece Frank Bey band.Porretta has seen the best names in soul music perform here. For the eighth year, Phoenix Audio took care of the technical equipment, choosing a Martin Audio main PA. This comprised six W8LM Mini Line Array per side, and four WS218X subs, while on stage were 14 LE1200 wedge monitors and a pair of W8VDQs for front fill.
‘The configuration has remained the same for many years and every time we are satisfied with the result,’ says Enrico Casagrande, joint owner of Phoenix Audio with Michael Sasso. ‘The compact size of the W8LM and especially the Martin Audio LE1200, which allows us to put at ease the musicians on stage, always receives positive feedback from everyone involved. ‘
The Festival Internazionale dei Beni Comuni in Chieri (Torino) saw Brazilian music giants Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, headlining. The two virtuosos were touring together for the first time in 20 years to celebrate a century of music between them (the show was titled Two Friends, A Century of Music).
A Martin Audio MLA Compact sound system was used by Turin-based Frequenze snc with support from Corsinotti Sas, who recently became a Martin Audio MLA Worldwide Rental Partner. For the configuration, it used a setup consisting of eight Martin Audio MLA Compact and four Martin Audio DSX subs per side. ‘The coverage of the square was smooth, precise and detailed – outstanding in all respects’, says Paolo Gallarato of Frequenze snc. ‘The feedback could not have been more positive, and there was great satisfaction from the crew.’
In Forte Dei Marmi (Lucca) in the prestigious setting of the Villa Bertelli Foundation, a series of featured famous names in Italian music. This opened with Francesco Renga, followed by the Nomads, comedian Andrea Perroni, Michele Zarrillo, Enzo Ghinazzi, aka Pupo. The Villa Bertelli audience then became much younger as The Kolors took to the stage and the atmosphere turned to magic with appearances by David Copperfield and famous illusionist Gaetano Triggiano. Famous Italian rock band PFM, also appeared towards the end, along with Fiorella Mannoia, Francesco De Gregori, while closing the festival were Andrea Pucci, the singer Marco Masini, fresh from the success of Sanremo 2015, and the timeless Renzo Arbore.David Lapini’s company Amandla Productions took care of the technical equipment, specifying nine W8LM and W8LMD Downfill per side, eight WMX subs and four Martin Audio W8LM front fills for the main stage. ‘Following the Lucca Summer Festival we are happy to have contributed to another great musical event in the Lucca region,’ Lapini says.
The Parco della Certosa di Collegno, near Turin, hosted the first Flowers Festival, with Patti Smith headlining. The tour marked the 40th anniversary of her classic ‘Horses’. She also featured other classics like ‘Because The Night’ and ‘People Have The Power’, ending with a finale of The Who’s ‘My Generation’. David Scalzo’s Cuneo-based company, Microfase, was responsible for the sound and lighting, and again chose 12 Martin Audio W8LC boxes and 18 WSX subs for the main hang, as well as 12 LE1500 floor monitors and a pair of W8C/W8S side fills.
From July to September, the streets of Cattolica become a stage for around 40 musical events across in the squares, with a panorama of events, mostly free, and accommodating every taste from folk, jazz, 70s and 80s disco and international pop. The project is called Cattolica il locale da ballo più grande d’Italia’ (the largest local Cattolica dance event in Italy). However it does not overlook another important element — food and wine — with the Cattolica Dinner On the Road Festival. Major artists appearing in the town’s main arena included Anastacia, Mika, Spandau Ballet and Enrico Brignano.
Providing sound reinforcement at the Arena della Regina, Amandla Productions and All Access provided a Martin Audio MLA system. The configuration used 11 MLA and an MLD Downfill per side, 12 MLX subs, with eight W8LM Mini Line Array as front fill.
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