The German town of Bendorf, on the outskirts of Koblenz, has been staging its Summer In The City festival for many years – and even the COVID-19 pandemic was not going to stop proceedings this year. Operating as a weekend-only event for its first decade—in the Kirchplatz, a square in the center of town—this year it managed to get permission to run through until the end of August.
The sound system that will take it right through the summer season is a Martin Audio WPC, acquired by Michael Enchelmaier’s rental company, Event & Veranstaltungstechnik Enchelmaier (EVE). A customer of Martin Audio for the past 17 years, Enchelmaier is also the president of Working Group Bendorf Rockfestival, who stage the event, and who have been promoting rock events and festivals in the town for the past 35 years.
The town itself is situated on the Rhine and the location of the festival, which is this year dubbed “The Corona Concerts,” has two churches as a backdrop. In front there is a 32ft x 16ft plateau that was constructed on Michael Enchelmaier’s advice in 2007, so that a stage can easily be erected on top of it. At the same time a multicore system was installed underground, providing. analogue and digital (BNC and CAT5e) feeds.
Fielding eight-element WPC hangs per side, with a broadside cardioid array of 10 WS218X subs and a pair of W8LM front-fills, the system is being driven in 2-box resolution using four Martin Audio iK42 amplifiers, and a further pair for the subs and front fills. The quantity of subs will reduce (or vanish entirely) for the acoustic and theatre shows.
EVE’s system tech Tim Gruber, programmed and optimized the system, using Hard Avoid to cut off the sound at the next building, situated 88 feet away, while the broadside cardioid set-up reduced SPL emission at the rear.
As a result, the sound quality on the first show was first class, according to Michael Enchelmaier. “Everybody, including the audience, thoroughly enjoyed it. The sound pressure at any volume level was excellent, with smooth hi-fidelity highs.”
None of which comes as any surprise to the EVE proprietor. “This is one of the best systems I have ever used, and it is requested by a lot of my customers. Although it is still quite new it is already starting to get listed on artists’ technical riders.”
