Meanwhile At The Main Stage
Delicate Productions also utilized Martin Audio MLA and W8LC systems for the main (Intel) and second (JamCellars) stages respectively at this year’s iteration of the BottleRock Festival.
The main stage system included 16 MLA enclosures joined by two MLD enclosures per side for the main hangs. These were accompanied by 24 MLX subwoofers, 12 W8LM cabinets for front fill and 8 W8LCs for the off-stage VIP hang. Sixteen MLA Compact enclosures were deployed as delays.
The real-time monitoring by High-Tech Audio, combined with the steering control afforded by MLA, enables meeting the town’s strict noise ordinance. On property at front of house, it’s 105 dB C-weighted, and beyond the festival ground it’s 65 dB C-weighted.
“The use of MLA, particularly on the main stage, which is less than 200 feet to the nearest house, has been incredibly helpful,” Delicate president Jason Alt states. “We do a broadside array for the main stage and steer the subs almost 90 degrees away from that side of the property because of the control Display gives you and the efficiency of the MLX.
“So you still literally get subwoofer in front of the barricade, but what is aiming at that house is almost a 30 dB drop-off because of the way it’s steered. And we have full coverage including subs to the edge of the property because of what we can do with MLA. That’s a big part of it.”
Interesting Times
Between its two offices (its sister location is south in Camarillo, CA), Delicate Productions does some 1,000 shows per year. Since the cratering of the economy during the Great Recession, Edwards notes that festivals as a whole haven’t been all that profitable until recently, especially with events like BottleRock that incorporate a full sound, lighting, and video package.
Delicate trucked in 720,000 pounds of gear for BottleRock and spread it over three stages. Nine semis were used, making his shrug-of-the-shoulders assessment that it “was a lot of gear” a modest understatement at best.
As for the rest of its summer plans, the company is currently out with the Foo Fighters on their North American tour, with other gigs including Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, and the Killers.
“We like to keep things diverse,” Edwards adds on a parting note. “Festivals, tours, auctions, corporate events, they all make life interesting. It’s going to be a great year. I think we’re back to where we were in about 2006, finally. Anyone who weathered the storm is doing OK. The ‘take the loot and scoot’ companies are gone, and I think everyone is better off for it.”
Gregory A. DeTogne is a writer and editor who has served the pro audio industry for the past 30 years.