Martin Audio partners Sussex Events recently fielded its TORUS 8 constant curvature arrays in support of the launch event for this year’s Turner Prize, an annual ceremony honoring a British visual artist that was held this year at the Towner Eastbourne (UK) that was followed by a party featuring local DJs.
Sussex Events, established in 2012 by partners Bob Watson and Adam Briggs, paired the TORUS 8 arrays with the cardioid properties of SXC118 subwoofers to help focus output more tightly to avoid impacting the nearby residential areas. In addition, proprietary DISPLAY 3 visualization software now operates on the MacOS platform to help make set-up easier and more efficient.
“When the original TORUS came out, we already had some boxes that filled that gap, but what we did need was something compact and powerful for our corporate work and also our more upmarket events,” says Watson. “So when TORUS 8 appeared I think we ordered it on the day it was announced.
“TORUS 8 is a versatile box that has been out constantly at corporate events as well as a couple of bandstands since we acquired it in April,” he continues. “They are replacing boxes that were throwing a lot of sound but largely to areas where we actually didn’t need it.”
The company’s standard corporate configuration is a pair of TORUS 8 (100 x 20-degree dispersion per side) atop a single SXC118. Watson: “Stacking two gives us 40 x 100-degree throw, which is bang on the money, as it provides coverage across the dancefloor and the front of the audience. At the same time we can keep the sound away from balconies, avoiding slapback, and literally focus it on the audience.”
In Eastbourne, a pair of Blackline X8 were added for outfill duties to maintain consistency of coverage in the wide space. “It has the clarity for the speech and coverage and still has the punch for the DJs and entertainment later in the evening, after the ceremony,” Briggs adds. “The DJs were able to achieve good level and it was rocking in there.”
He states that the launch party itself took place in the Congress Theatre, which is connected to the Towner Gallery — both part of Eastbourne’s Devonshire Quarter (with the Winter Gardens). “The initial speeches, via lectern mics, and launch of the Prize [in front of 300 guests] took place in the Congress Bar. Everyone then went into the Gallery to look at the art, allowing us to turn things round for the DJ back in the Congress Theatre for the party, for which a further 500 people had bought tickets.”
Sussex Events was advised that part of the venue was not well air-conditioned, and thus the windows needed to be opened, leading to fear of sound spillage and consequent noise complaints. But the techs conducted offsite listening tests and were satisfied that the rear rejection of the subs, coupled with the tight vertical control of the mid-tops had minimized sound escape. “It was virtually inaudible,” he concludes. “It was inside that the music was really pumping, and we had no complaints whatsoever.”
