The recent Japan Jam 2023 festival in Chiba, which presents rock music performed by domestic musicians and this year featuring a record number of participants, utilized two main stages that were equipped with Martin Audio MLA arrays provided by sound provider MSI Japan. (A third smaller stage was also outfitted with MLA arrays.)
The site of the event, Chiba City Soga Sports Park, is surrounded by heavily populated residential and commercial areas, necessitating tight noise control to help prevent sound from impacting the adjoining neighborhood. With 10 years of experience working with MLA, the PA setup was designed by the MSI Japan engineering team.
Both of the main stages supported hangs of eight MLA enclosures. In addition, seven MLA delay towers were installed at four locations each for a total of eight different positions. Normally, delay towers are installed on both wings of the audience area, but this time it was installed only on one side, making it possible to minimize leakage outside the main sound field.
MSI Japan chairman Shuzo Fujii explains, “We had to control sound escape outside the venue to an unprecedented level, but [with Martin Audio’s DISPLAY optimization software] the results were easy to obtain. Inside the audience field the audio experience was completely different to outside the perimeter. It was amazing how much sound pressure and quality was provided to avoid it leaking out. I felt that this outdoor festival was a moment that once again proved the high level of MLA’s controllability.”
