The De Oosterpoort concert hall in the northern Dutch university city of Groningen has upgraded its Martin Audio sound reinforcement by replacing the W8LC compact line array that had served it for 14 years with an MLA Compact system.
Groningen hosts one of the largest annual European music festivals, the Eurosonic Noorderslag, when the venue hosts up to 3,500 visitors of which 1,850 are packed into the large room. This was the prompt for the new PA system, which was handled by Oosterpoort Technical Manager Pieter Stove, who was also responsible for commissioning the earlier line array.
Built in the 1970s as an amphitheatre, the acoustics of de Oosterpoort’s main theatre were designed for classical orchestral use. Fitted with adjustable acoustic panels, it is home to resident orchestra Noord Nederlands Orkest (NNO) but can also accommodate rock and pop performances. It also hosts theatre and conferences.
Modern-day requirements demanded a more adaptable sound system, however, and so the tech team organised an evaluation programme, setting stringent specifications, before issuing an EU tender.
Martin Audio’s Simon Honywill assisted with the MLA site demo at AFS’ request, whe installation carried out by Ampco Flashlight Sales (AFS).
Stove recognised the benefits of MLA’s control technology, and its coverage control became the deal clincher, since a single system could be tuned and tailored to any possible event or configuration (rather than requiring separate physical add-ons). It would also radically cut down turn-around times.
‘It was not hard to convince Oosterpoort that this should be the system of choice,’ says Ampco Flashlight specialist, Ramon van der Zalm.
‘It was a tight schedule – we did not have any time in between shows for a proper set-up, so we had to do a temporary install in the first instance and a permanent fix later on,’ Stove recalls. ‘MLA Compact proved to be a system with a fast setup, easy and flexible to use. We can say we have never heard a better sound in this venue, we were completely blown away.’
De Oosterpoort’s new PA comprises 18 MLA Compact cabinets in a LR hang (nine each side), eight DSX subs (three per side, with two for auxiliary use), eight MLA Mini on the subs for in/out fill (four per side) and four DD6 front of stage for the front fill – all controlled by a pair of dedicated Martin Audio Merlin processors.
Multiple presets have been stored in the system, which was set up by the highly experienced Mark Edwards, as Martin Audio tech support, local specialist Taco Amsing, Gert Jan Gomez, Dutch MLA specialist, and Ampco Flashlight network guru Ramon van der Zalm.
Having long equipped both its theatres with the brand, including the manufacturer’s classic LE floor monitors, De Oosterpoort’s relationship with Martin Audio equipment shows no signs of diminishing.
