MLA

Every so often a new technology emerges that overtakes previous technologies — and in time replaces them. Just as line array took over from point-source clusters over 20 years ago, Martin Audio’s revolutionary award-winning Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array [MLA] technology is reinventing the way loudspeaker arrays are configured and controlled.

With it has come an unsurpassed control of sound with pristine fidelity and huge output capability — bringing the FOH engineer and the audience together in a more powerful, involving experience.

Some describe it as magic, but in its simplest terms each MLA Array has up to 144 individual acoustic elements [cells], each with its own onboard amplifier and DSP, which can be optimised by software to deliver the sound across the audience to meet the sonic goals required for any space.

It remains the only system on the market to allow multiple sonic goals to be prioritised and optimised accordingly. For example, not only can MLA generate an even sound field over the audience, it can contain it as well — significantly reducing the influence of the room.

Hard Avoid® areas ─ such as behind and below the array, ceilings, balcony edges and beyond the venue perimeter ─ can also be programmed in. Vertical coverage can even be fine-tuned electronically in-situ to cope with changing environmental conditions and last-minute changes in rigging height, without having to re-rig.

With incredibly easy-to-use and highly accurate predictive software [DISPLAY] doing all the grunt work with the system, the FOH engineer retains full artistic control and can enjoy mixing the show in the full knowledge that the sound created at the mix position will be heard everywhere throughout the audience.

Such is the confidence that MLA can bring, that significantly less time is spent setting up the system and even less time is spent walking the room.

MLA’s ultimate accolade is its audio perfection. Pristine fidelity, vocal clarity, sonic impact and huge output capability brings the FOH engineer and the audience together in a powerful, involving experience.

Put simply, MLA is an FOH engineer’s delight. It is incredibly clean and transparent and responsive to the smallest EQ changes. With no large-format compression drivers to harden the sound, it presents the engineer with a neutral canvas whatever the artist or music genre.

In reproducing sound for many venues and outdoor festivals, there is often a conundrum: how can audience sound levels be delivered at a sufficiently high level for an immersive and rewarding experience, while at the same time respecting surrounding areas and residents?

In the past, sound levels for the audience have often had to be held down in order to safeguard surrounding areas, but this can leave audiences and the FOH engineer unhappy and threaten the ongoing viability of such events.

MLA’s unique ability to control noise escape beyond the site perimeter, while maintaining pristine fidelity and high sound pressure levels for the audience, means that FOH engineers don’t have to constantly worry about sound levels. So they can focus on what they do best — mixing — translating to a better audience experience too.