The Best in Show Arena at Crufts 2022, a celebration of dogs that this year attracted more than 20,000 canines from 38 countries to compete for top honors, recently returned to the NEC Birmingham, UK for its 118th iteration that was supported by sound reinforcement utilizing Electro-Voice X-Line Advance X2 loudspeakers joined by Dynacord TGX amplifiers and an MXE5 matrix mix engine supplied and deployed by Merlin PA Hire and ARB Events.
Covering 25 areas of the NEC, including five halls and the Best in Show Arena, Crufts 2022 was an extensive event that drew on the skill sets of multiple companies. ARB has been involved for the last five years and deployed its X2 system to capitalize on its capacity to deliver coverage and output from a relatively compact cabinet.
“X2 is a small but very powerful box,” says Merlin PA’s Neal Allen. “Crufts is certainly not a rock ‘n’ roll show, but it can get loud. The system is used for commentary and music so the vocal intelligibility that it provides is incredibly important. It also helps that X2 gives you a really good performance without the need for subs.”
The system covering the Best in Show Arena comprised six hangs of five X2 full-range line array cabinets. Each array included three of the 90-degree horizontal coverage pattern iterations of the 12-inch, two-way units, and two of the 120-degree versions.
Audio power was delivered by six TGX20 four-channel DSP amplifiers that are designed for live applications. In addition, an MXE5 24 x 24 crosspoint performance audio matrix provided supervision of all system-wide commands, and SONICUE software delivered the necessary control, system visibility and direct access. With the electronics also flown from the gantry, SONICUE was a pivitol element for the four-day event.
“SONICUE always works well and gives you great insight into the system,” explains Allen. “But this is particularly important when the amps are in the gantry. Rather than having to go up there every day to shut the system down, the intuitive user interface gives me all the control I need to get the best out of the system when it is needed and power it down when it isn’t.”
With every part of the audio system flown, the X2’s lighter weight and straightforward rigging points proved to be another advantage. “We managed to set everything up in just over an hour,” Allen concludes. “Even the riggers made comments about the speed and efficiency of getting the equipment up and down.”
