MLA COMPLETES SEVEN GLORIOUS YEARS AT BRITISH SUMMER TIME
As the contract for the Hyde Park festival site comes up for renewal, all involved in the production of Barclaycard presents British Summer Time can reflect on seven glorious years at a location that had previously been considered unworkable and unviable.
That promoters AEG Live have proven otherwise is due in no small part to the role of their technical contractors, including Capital Sound—whose deployment of the ground-breaking and award-winning Martin Audio MLA multicellular loudspeaker array technology had proven under test conditions its unique ability to meet required propagation thresholds, both inside the bowl and beyond the perimeter.
Monitored by acoustics consultants Vanguardia, as it has been every year, MLA—optimised using Martin Audio’s proprietary advanced DISPLAY™software—was equal to a wide range of performance over the two weekends—extending from Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and Josh Groban at one extreme, and Bob Dylan and Neil Young at the other.
Capital Sound account manager Martin Connolly agreed that Barbra Streisand had given the system a good workout, and the vocal clarity both from her and Groban and Dion, had added a new dimension to the event as had Robbie Williams and Keane who broughtBritish Summer Timeto a spectacular close on the final Sunday.
To accomplish this, the Great Oak main stage wasequipped with two hangs of 16 x MLA and a single MLD Downfill per side, with 13 x MLA and an MLD Downfill for the sidehangs. The sub array consisted of 32 x MLX in the now familiar broadside cardioid design (21 front facing, 11 rear facing).
We have relied on the talents of Capital Sound and their expert use of Martin Audio’s MLA PA rig since 2013 when the British Summer Time Festival began and this year was no exception.
With 12 MLA Compact serving as front fills all MLA components were running on the same network.
Out in the field, the main ten delay towers comprised seven MLA and a single MLD Downfill, supported by 12 MLX subs while delay positions 10 and 11 deployed eight MLA Compacts. One slight change this year, confirmed by Martin Connolly, was that delay position nine was bolstered with the addition of two further MLA elements in respect of the depth that the site now runs to, enveloping those at the rear of the field.
Martin Audio systems were also provided elsewhere. On theBarclaycard Stage (Stage 2), eight MLA Compacts were flown on each side with 14 x WS218X subs in a spaced and recessed cardioid configuration, with four Martin Audio DD12 providing front fill sound, while two MLA Compacts were provided as outfills on Stage Left.
Production manager, Mark Ward supported Martin Connolly’s assessment that both this year’s event, and the entire seven-year programme had been an unqualified success from an audio perspective. “We have relied on the talents of Capital Sound and their expert use of Martin Audio’s MLA PA rig since 2013 when theBritish Summer Time Festivalbegan,” he confirmed, “and this year was no exception.
“With a few tweaks to the system layout and drive mechanics since 2018, all sound level thresholds, both on and off site, were once again comfortably met at this notoriously difficult Hyde Park location.
“Consequently, the paying public, the Royal Parks team, incoming engineers and the local authority were once again very pleased with how the show’s audio team and audio system delivered.”
And that audio team comprised Al Woods (crew chief), Chris Whybrow (FOH engineer) and Toby Donovan (system engineer).
“Our seven-year relationship with BST shows that you don’t need to compromise the quality of audio for the audience in order to meetexacting off-site SPL limits,” concluded Martin Audio’s Managing Director, Dom Harter. “We are grateful to the whole technical team who have worked tirelessly over the years to deliver our signature sound, consistency and control to audiences across the whole site. We hope it will continue for many more years to come.”
Photography by Sophie Hoult