Recent

The New Multi-Purpose Stand from CHAUVET DJ, FLEXstand FX ILS Doubles as a Light Show

September 19, 2025

Registration for The 2026 NAMM Show Is Now Open as the Stage is Set for a Historic Gathering

September 19, 2025

AES Board of Governors Elects Agnieszka Roginska as Director

September 19, 2025

Solid State Logic Appoints CJ Lewis to National Sales Manager, Western U.S., for Audio Creation Products

September 19, 2025

Guitar Center’s Fall Guitar-A-Thon Returns with Exclusive New Launches and Epic Seasonal Savings

September 19, 2025

Gibson x Loog Collection

September 19, 2025

MESA/Boogie Bass-800D

September 19, 2025

On-Stage Endpin Anchor Strap for Bass/Cello Delivers Essential Instrument Stability

September 19, 2025
Saturday, September 20, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Martin Audio Again Brings BluesFest to Life at O2 Arena

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
December 5, 2019
in Featured, MMR Global
0
938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

When John Legend and his 11-piece band performed at this year’s BluesFest for his only UK show of 2019, it was through a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker array provided by Capital Sound at the O2 Arena.

Introduced to the event by production manager Neil McDonald in 2017, Capital’s crew won plaudits both from Legend’s own production manager, Chris Stinebrink, and FOH engineer, Paul Klimson (Theory One Productions)—who was also hugely impressed with the PA.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The MLA system caught my attention from the instant [system tech] Ben Turnbull started the tuning,” he said. “Both he and [FOH tech] Dave Preston made me feel right at home, and even before Ben dug into the tuning, I noticed that the MLA rig was forward sounding. It didn’t sound like we were in the O2 but at an outdoor festival and I could only surmise that all the energy was coming out of the front of the array with very little spill off the back.

“When Ben was done with the tuning, there was nothing left for me to comment on. I actually peeled off a bunch of processing and EQing I had done on my file from past shows. It felt like a clean slate. The low end down front was not oppressive but still translated well in the back and upper bowl. There was great transition from mains to side hangs and up to the top seats.”

Consequently, he said, mixing that night had been “a dream”. Of MLA he said, “It was a very forgiving box that I could lean into without any surprises. Our monitor engineer Jon Ostrin said it was a great show from the stage as well. He mentioned the energy coming back was perfect to connect the band and artist with the rest of the arena. All in all, it was a great day at the O2 with the Capital Sound crew and the MLA line array.”

The event, promoted by Leo Green for Live Nation and now in its sixth year, may have strayed from its original blues roots but it remains a hugely popular event, with Rickie Lee Jones performing next door at Indigo2.

Capital’s sound design was tested by the fact that the seating format of the O2 Arena excluded the Level 4 seats on the horseshoe, but not the two side wings, closest to the stage. Capital compensated for this by boosting their complement of outfills to 16 MLA Compact elements per side, thus ensuring that these seats were treated to the same sweet jazz tinged experience as those in the stalls.

Explaining the approach, Capital Sound account manager Martin Connolly said, “With these changes to the upper tier seating plan we focused the main hangs on the lower bowl and increased the size of the side hangs accordingly.”

Capital’s solution was to fly 11 x MLA and two MLD Downfill enclosures on each side as the main hang with 16 x MLX subs in a cardioid broadside array. Six of the popular DD12 Differential Dispersion boxes on each side of the stage provided infills/outfills while four further MLA Compacts acted as lip-fills, servicing the front rows. The stage was equipped with 10 x LE1500 stage wedges, which were used by support act, Laville and his band.

When Chris Stinebrink had praised the Capital crew as “a great bunch of chaps” he was referring not only to Turnbull and Preston, but also Tim Patterson (crew chief), Tom Gardner (monitor tech), Oliver Fallon and Chris Pearson (techs).

As for Neil McDonald, he only had two words for the quality of the production, and that was “top notch”.

Tags: Martin Audio,
Previous Post

Robbie Robertson’s Album ‘Sinematic’ Employs BAE Audio’s Royaltone Stompbox

Next Post

Boetti and CHAUVET Professional Mavericks Get Theatrical For Città Della Musica

Related Posts

MMR Global

Registration for The 2026 NAMM Show Is Now Open as the Stage is Set for a Historic Gathering

September 19, 2025
David Leonhard, HK Audio ISM Middle East and India, Manikk Gupta, Managing Partner at Hi-Tech Audio Video Systems Pvt and Christian Jordan HK Audio CSO
MMR Global

HK Audio Names New Indian Distributor

September 19, 2025
MMR Global

Reverb UK Relaunches with a Lower Seller Fee and One-of-a-kind Music Gear

September 18, 2025
MMR Global

Music & Arts Offers Free Commissioned Concert Band Score to Music Educators

September 7, 2025
MMR Global

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 22, 2025
MMR Global

Fulcrum Acoustic Names Audio Acoustics Exclusive Distributor for the Netherlands

August 15, 2025
Next Post

Boetti and CHAUVET Professional Mavericks Get Theatrical For Città Della Musica

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

MESA/Boogie Bass-800D

September 19, 2025

D’Addario Launches Players Choice Custom String Shop

September 19, 2025

Guitar Center’s Fall Guitar-A-Thon Returns with Exclusive New Launches and Epic Seasonal Savings

September 19, 2025

AES Board of Governors Elects Agnieszka Roginska as Director

September 19, 2025

The New Multi-Purpose Stand from CHAUVET DJ, FLEXstand FX ILS Doubles as a Light Show

Registration for The 2026 NAMM Show Is Now Open as the Stage is Set for a Historic Gathering

AES Board of Governors Elects Agnieszka Roginska as Director

Solid State Logic Appoints CJ Lewis to National Sales Manager, Western U.S., for Audio Creation Products

The New Multi-Purpose Stand from CHAUVET DJ, FLEXstand FX ILS Doubles as a Light Show

September 19, 2025

Registration for The 2026 NAMM Show Is Now Open as the Stage is Set for a Historic Gathering

September 19, 2025

AES Board of Governors Elects Agnieszka Roginska as Director

September 19, 2025

Solid State Logic Appoints CJ Lewis to National Sales Manager, Western U.S., for Audio Creation Products

September 19, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • September 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • August 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?