Having invested in a K-array KR102 loudspeaker system from pro audio equipment supplier LMC in late 2015, SXS Events put it to early use at the international dinner for Princess Yachts in the historic Ropery at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, UK. The long, narrow 17th century building scored highly on atmosphere, but not acoustic friendliness – allowing the KR102 to prove its worth.
Princess Yachts specialises in building motor cruisers that claim to be the last word in luxury. The dinner for its international dealers, was divided into several areas, with the KR102 used in the area for the event’s reception. ‘You’ve got to apply the right system to the right application – get it wrong and the event just doesn’t work,’ says SXS founder and director Johnny Palmer. ‘I like the way the sound of the KR102 propagates, it’s immersive with a uniform frequency response. It’s also great for vocal throw. Aimed across the Ropery it delivered great sound quality and coverage from a very discreet system.
‘A primary benefit of the KR102 is that it is aesthetically very discreet, but it sounds great and is very versatile,’ he says. ‘It caters for a wide range of events without being visually distracting. In addition, the fact that it’s very quick to deploy and take down, it has a tiny footprint and takes up minimal transport space is great. The integration and onboard DSP is also very useful. We often use the internal mixing and phantom power at events when it’s impossible to deploy a lot of equipment, like an external mixer.’
The SXS team also used the KR102’s onboard processing to assist with the overall sound of the event. ‘It was a complex, multi zone system which we set up using 16 matrixes. There were speeches from multiple places, a DJ, background music… we time aligned everything to ensure uniform sound quality at all times in all areas of the event,’ Palmer says.
‘Most of our clients have been using us long-term and they trust us to always deliver a great sonic solution. I believe in using the right tools for the right job – whether it’s a big name on the box is irrelevant. We have used the KR102 on a number of events and it has been very successful.’
‘We are working closely with 2B Heard to raise the profile of K-array loudspeakers in the UK market. The technology within their portable systems really makes it possible to have virtually ‘invisible sound’,’ says LMC Audio’s Louisa Woodford. ‘The KR102 is ideal for companies like SXS who work with very high-profile clients, where events demand high aesthetic and audio values, but prominent black boxes are unacceptable.’
