Premier UK rental company RG Jones Sound Engineering Ltd has invested in a Martin Audio active Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array (MLA) system after testing it on a series of high profile events.
The complement of 24 MLA top boxes and 12 MLX subwoofers, with six dedicated amplifier and DSP channels per enclosure, will make its debut on a series of shows at the end of April and beginning of May.
Championing the cause for RG Jones had been the company’s veteran sound engineer Simon Honywill, who had put MLA through its paces on Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of War of the Worlds tour, Raymond Gubbay’s Classical Spectacular, and on shows with Katherine Jenkins in Ireland to evaluate its full dynamic range and consistent delivery to every seat in the house.
“We’ve made a massive leap forward with the MLA. The results are remarkable,” Honywill states.
RG Jones joint managing director John Carroll notes the company had been looking for a large-format system, with MLA coming along at the right time. ”We felt committed to buying when we could see a demand for it over the first year,” he says.
In addition to the late spring shows followed by the usual summer madness, MLA is again confirmed for the next War of the Worlds arena tour, starting in November 2012.
Adds RG Jones Project manager Steve Carr, “We have been involved with Martin Audio for many years. MLA is one of the most exciting developments that has happened for a long time, so it’s a great opportunity to broaden our client base. With the systems that have already been sold to the US, it was inevitable that it would start to appear on riders.”
Joint managing director Andrew Williamson states that the high degree of controllability had been a major factor in the decision-making. “It’s the first self-powered system we’ve owned and provides a major truck-space solution as it is not necessary to employ amp racks. That’s a major advantage.”
A further advantage is that as a consolidated Martin Audio house, RG Jones’ existing W8LC Compact Line Array will work in harmony with MLA should delays or outfills be required on a large-scale show.
RG Jones has been one of our most loyal customers over the years, and our presence on the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival has been entirely due to them,” says Simon Bull, Martin Audio director of sales. “We are delighted that they have decided to make this investment and we will be looking to support them every step of the way.”