Professional audio service company (and Martin Audio partner) Soundworks of Virginia, which has been providing sound services fo rthe Norfolk Waterfront Jazz Festival and many other productions promoted by Festevents in Norfolk, VA over the past decade, had to reshift its efforts for the recent 38th annual version of the event when it was threatened by inclement weather.
Specifically, the client has traditionally asked Soundworks to set up systems at the Town Point Park along with a “back up’” system indoors at the multipurpose, 11,000-cap Norfolk Scope to offer an indoor option in case of sudden bad weather. “This year it was obvious the weather was going to be bad the entire weekend, so we just set the system inside the Norfolk Scope,” reports company president and senior engineer Grant Howard.
Generally used as a sports arena, the room was configured for 7,500 seats, with the stage and PA at the far end. “The Scope’s audio challenge, as with many of the huge concrete dome buildings, is that the reverb time is quite extensive, especially with the low mid and low frequencies,” Howard explains. “We did our best to equalize the challenging frequencies out of the room without totally sucking the life out of the music.”
In view of the height and weight limitations in the park, they would typically fly eight Martin Audio Wavefront Precision WPC line array elements per side. However, because of the move indoors, the company was instead able to fly 12 [of the larger] WPL per side to deliver coverage throughout the venue.” To this they added four SXH218 subwoofers per side, ground-stacked under the hangs. Using a cardioid pattern helped in achieving sufficient rear rejection to keep some of the low end from reflecting off the concrete wall behind the stage.
The system was run in 2-box resolution using Martin Audio iKON iK42 amplifiers, largely because the other amp racks — necessary to have run it in 1-box res — were on the truck containing the outside system. Meanwhile, a CDD-LIVE 15 on each flank added further out fill coverage, with Howard noting, “Seating was ‘general admission’ and people tend to creep out of the pattern of the main hang; therefore, the CDDsdid a great job of covering those seats.”
Soundworks had purchased larger-format Wavefront Precision Longbow (WPL) system, significantly more powerful in its componentry than the more compact WPC, back in 2019 as an upgrade. “We needed a larger box and a move away from a manufacturer who no longer supported their pro series speakers,” Howard says. “We’ve found it does exactly what it claims—coverage throughout the audience area is smooth and consistent and the rigging is simple and easy to handle, and goes up quick.”
The Soundworks senior engineer has plenty of experience in optimizing these systems via proprietary DISPLAY software: “I used the Hard Avoid function to keep as much of the PA off the stage as possible. The musicians find it challenging enough with the room reflections, so the Hard Avoid helps eliminate one more sound source from adding to the confusion.”
Wavefront Precision generally proved a hit with visiting sound engineers. “A couple of them were already familiar with Martin Audio and were pleased with the end result, especially with the room being such a challenge,” notes Howard concludes. Headlined by headlined by David Sanborn and Boney James, other artists playing on the festival bill included the True Legends of Jazz, The Fabulous Blondes, Spyro Gyra and the duo of Adam Hawley and Jackiem Joiner.
