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MHA Audio Deploys Martin Audio MLA For Sweetlife Festival

The Sweetlife Music and Food Festival combined the best of both worlds for an enthusiastic overflow crowd at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, half way between Washington and Baltimore.

Presented by the local Sweetgreen restaurant group, Sweetlife showcases a range of organic foods on site along with performances by EDM artist Avicii, Hip Hop artist Kid Cudi, The Shins, Explosions in the Sky, Fitz and the Tantrums, A$AP Rocky, Fun, Delta Spirit, Zola Jesus and a host of others during the all-day event.

Originally built as the home for the National Symphony Orchestra, Merriweather Post Pavilion was designed by iconoclastic architect Frank Gehry and located within 40 preserved acres known as Symphony Woods. For over 40 years, the storied natural amphitheatre has featured the best in rock, country, rhythm and blues, pop, jazz, hip hop, alternative, electronica and classical music.

MHA Audio of Hagerstown, MD provided sound for the Sweetlife Festival under the direction of owner Mike Scarfe. To deliver consistent coverage, control and sound quality, MHA deployed a system headed by Martin Audio Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array loudspeakers.

The main setup consisted of 11 MLA and one MLD down fill enclosures per side, along with six flown MLX subs per side and six WSX subs per side in the pit. Martin Audio W8LCs were used for out fill with W8LMs for front fill, and Martin Audio LE700 wedges supplied stage monitoring. An Avid Venue Profile supplied mix capabilities at front of house, while a Yamaha PM5D-RH handled monitors.

“Utilizing the MLA’s cellular control, the system provided exceptional coverage and imaging with no change in sound quality and only a 5 dB difference in level from the front row to over 260 feet on the lawn,” Scarfe says. “The control allows minimal unwanted reflections and rear spill, making the system noticeably quiet on stage.

“The venue production team are thrilled with the new MLA system, and also commented on how quiet the sound was both on and behind the stage.”

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MHA Audio
Martin Audio

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