Incorporating cutting-edge production values, the Road to Ultra first brought the experience of Miami’s Ultra Music Festival to Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Colombia, Paraguay and Chile in 2012. The most recent addition to the portfolio, the recent Hong Kong edition set up recently in the noise-sensitive new urban development area of West Kowloon Cultural District’s Nursery Park. It was to be challenging…
The electronic music extravaganza set out to unite electronic music lovers, and attract tourism from neighbouring cities across Asia and Greater China. ‘We’re calling all Ultranauts and dance music fanatics to witness history in the making, and to support Hong Kong to the next level of a full-fledged edition Ultra festival in the region,’ said the promoters. But they knew the location had historically been dogged with noise pollution issues.
Production manager Alex Ng of International Fixer – long experienced in staging top line Western artists in the region – was keento put Martin Audio’s MLA to the ‘ultra’ test. She asked local partner MSI Japan whether sound technician (and Martin Audio product support engineer) Chris Pyne would be available to assist set-up and optimisation programming – knowing the sonic capabilities of Knife Party, Martin Garrix and Nero, and the need for containment.
Pyne, who is no stranger to the region, conducted his first international concert in Hong Kong back in 1984: ‘The Ritz Carlton is immediately behind the park, alongside other high-end accommodation plus the Sky 100 [a 360° indoor observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre],’ he explains. ‘Across Victoria Harbour is Hong Kong Island – and the water has the effect of extending the audio spill due to a denser air layer above the surface.’
With 8,000 dance fans expected to attend, he particularly wanted to get rid of noise issues from behind the stage, using the Hard Avoid setting in Martin Audio’s Display software. ‘During the event we were receiving noise data from the three measurement points, taken by the local Government department and the event production management every 15 minutes, but we received no complaints throughout the entire day,’ he reports.
This was a ‘first’ for an outdoor festival of this type in Hong Kong, and Pyne even managed to increase the SPL after 8pm by applying additional DSP – with the unexpected result that the offsite thresholds were even lower than previously. He reports that the best offsite figures recorded were 101dB(A) at FOH with between 66dB(A) to 70dB(A) offsite.
The entire MLA inventory, including stage monitoring and control, was supplied by MSI Japan. This included 13 MLA elements (plus a single MLD Downfill) on each stage flank. The heavily used 24 MLX subs were stacked in a cardioid ‘spaced array’ – in eight columns of three – with the bottom speaker reversed. With just a 100m throw distance, no delays were required.
The event was an unqualified success. The SPL complied with all offsite thresholds when measured at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park, Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Deck and The Arch Residences. The local government was impressed with the results, as was the management of the West Kowloon Entertainment District.
‘The sound quality was great and we received many positive comments from the DJs and their management companies,’ says Pyne. ‘This was an important outing for MLA and the event has clearly set a high benchmark for others to match. We have proved conclusively that local authorities can now get around sound issues in this location. I was extremely happy with the overall result, as working in an urban environment such as this is fraught with potential problems.’
