SES SUPPORTS SOUTHERN GROUND FESTIVAL WITH MLA
Nashville, TN––Besides the finest in American music and cuisine, Zac Brown's Southern Ground Music & Food Festival featured the largest Martin Audio MLA system ever deployed for this type of event.
Over 15,000 people a night attended the outdoor event at Nashville's Lawn in Riverfront Park to see headliner Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson & Family, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Eli Young Band, Kacey Musgraves, The Head and the Heart, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Special guests Kenny Chesney, John Fogerty, Jason Mraz and others also sat in with Zac Brown each night.
The music was augmented by an 'Eat and Greet' food component with some meals prepared by festival organizer/headliner/foodie supreme Zac Brown and executive chef Rusty Hamlin. Celebrity chefs such as Chicago's Guiseppe Trentori and 2013 James Beard award winner Stephanie Izard were also showcased along with local Nashville favorites. In addition to the on site food stalls, 14 private boxes, each holding tables of 24 gourmet aficionados enjoying catered meals, were situated directly in front of the stage for maximum eating and listening pleasure.
SES (Special Event Services) of Nashville and Winston Salem deployed a massive Martin Audio MLA setup for the event consisting of 22 MLA, two MLD (downfill) and 12 MLX subs flown per side. 12 MLX were ground-stacked under center stage with three W8LM per side for lip fill. A DiGiCo SD7 console was at FOH and two DiGiCo SD10s were used for monitors.
The crew included Zac Brown FOH engineer Eric Roderick along with ZBB monitor engineers Mark Frink and Andy Hill. The crew from SES included system tech Preston Soper, Alex Ritter and Joe Lefevbre.
Asked about the reaction to the MLA system, SES Director of Touring Operations Michael Brammer responded, 'Eric always has a good night when he's behind MLA and even though Zac was having some vocal issues because of a head cold that weekend, we were able to compensate for that with the PA and really make those problems disappear.
'Then the fact that we could walk outside of the festival site and have no noise pollution in terms of the nearby residential areas and hotels was ideal. We never got a phone call about it being too loud.
'All the guest engineers were absolutely blown away, especially when they walked the field and found out the mix still held together 600 ft. away from the stage with no delays!'
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About MLA™ (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array)
The result of many years of intensive R&D, MLA's methodology replaces trial-and-error array design with intelligent numerical optimization of the array's output based on a highly accurate acoustic model. The multi-cellular format has six individual cells in each enclosure, each with its own DSP and amplification.
With up to 24 enclosures, each MLA array has up to 144 cells -- too great a number to optimize manually, or by ear. Instead, Martin Audio's proprietary Display2™ system design software automatically calculates FIR DSP filters for each cell and a redundant-ring audio network (U-NET™) downloads the settings into each array enclosure. Martin Audio's VU-NET™ software provides real-time control and monitoring of the system.
MLA delivers a frequency response and SPL consistency never before achievable; a very high system output (140dB peak, per cabinet @1m); Automatic optimization of the array, both physically (splay angles) and electronically (DSP); Computer control and monitoring of the entire system, and total control of sound system balance for engineers and sound technicians.
MLA is fully integrated, with Class D amplification, DSP and U-NET digital audio
network built into each enclosure. MLA complete systems are ready-to-use, with MLA, MLD and MLX enclosures, flying hardware, software, cabling and training all supplied. Everything needed is included. All ancillary items - from tablet PC and Merlin™ controller to network interconnects and mains distro - are also included in the complete system package. This ensures full compatibility worldwide, down to cabling and accessories.
Additional features include 90° x 7.5° dispersion; a compact size (1136mm wide x 372mm high x 675mm deep), one-box-fits-all (festivals to theaters) application range and a global voltage, power factor corrected power supply.
MLA's compact size and very high output allows it to be shipped using smaller trucks, offering considerable savings and reduced carbon footprint. The system also includes the MLX powered, flyable subwoofer capable of an unprecedented measured peak output of 150dB @ 1m; MLD downfill cabinet, and Merlin 4-in/10-out system controller and network hub. Audio input is via analog, AES3 or U-NET.
By adopting these principles and system components MLA is optimized for every member of the audience - from a 2,000 capacity theater, to a 20,000-seat arena, to a 100,000-person festival site. It will deliver the engineer's exact mix to every seat (up to over 150 meters) with precision, exceptional power and clarity.