WASHINGTON MALL COMES ALIVE WITH MLA COMPACT FOR ‘RETURN’ CONVENTION

Thousands gathered on Washington’s National Mall in late September for a 12-hour-long event dubbed ‘The Day of Return’, a national and global day of prayer and repentance. The Return movement states its aim as being “an end-time movement with one purpose – the return to God, individually, corporately, nationally, globally, and the end-goal of world revival.”

Speakers such as Jonathan Cahn, Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Ann Graham Lotz, Alveda King, Kevin Jessip and many more could be heard both inside and beyond the fenced-in ticketed area. MHA Audio provided Martin Audio’s award-winning MLA sound system. The main hang consisted of 11 MLA elements plus an MLD Downfill per side, with 18 MLX subwoofers arranged in a broadside cardioid array. “We were only covering 150ft because it was a small compound, but we also had to cover the crowds outside the compound,” explained MHA Audio president, Mike Scarfe. Therefore they added two delay masts, each consisting of 12 MLA Compact elements, to cover over 250ft of the Mall.

MLA is superb for the spoken word, I think that it’s the most articulate speaker out there.

A broadcast link was also provided, as the event went out to 80 nations by satellite.

“It’s a unique space, with the Capitol Building as the backdrop. MLA is superb for the spoken word, I think that it’s the most articulate speaker out there.” Scarfe said.

Social distancing was firmly in place—around 1,200 people in an area generally designated for 5,000. The audience could enter in pairs and each row was spaced 12ft apart, with 8ft between the seats. Demarcations were set with many rows of bike rack fencing.

MHA Audio’s duty crew comprised Dave Rittenhouse as FOH Engineer and MLA Tech. Other key personnel included Brad Bryan (monitor engineer), Keith Suffecool and Paul Vallette (audio assistants) with Jim Dugan and Atticus Miranda (RF techs).

In fact the Mall was generally packed on the day, since an additional 25,000-plus people also congregated for a rally at the Lincoln Memorial—organised by celebrated evangelical preacher, Franklin Graham.