From an inventory of 48 Martin Audio MLA multicellular loudspeaker array enclosures, VME has recently increased its inventory of MLA family products to more than 100 – making the Manchester-based company one of the largest MLA rental stagers in the UK.
Explaining the investment, Operations Manager Aaron Harvey-Holt explains that VME is now servicing more than 40 events a year for TV transmission through Sky Sports, BT Sports and DAZN in major venues such as Wembley Stadium, Wembley OVO Arena, The O2 Arena, Cardiff International Arena and Manchester AO Arena.
Events include the IBF World Heavyweight Championships – and bouts ranging from David Haye to Tyson Fury – to the more recent high-profile Misfits ‘crossover’ series which saw YouTube star KSI go head-to-head with FaZe Temper at OVO Arena, Wembley.
Rigging a system in the round is unlike reinforcing a conventional proscenium arch rock concert. For example, the PA fly position is normally set within a 7sq-m grid immediately above the ring and configuration can vary from hangs facing out on all four axes to distributed hangs and delays to ensure crowds of up to 20,000 have full intelligibility of all action, from the walk-in music to the National Anthem, DJ interval music and MC announcements.
The Misfits event, with all the razzmatazz associated with it, was no exception.
Harvey-Holt is clear as to why MLA has become the go-to system. ‘It’s for the ease of rigging,’ he says. ‘MLA is great for the tight time scale we often have to deliver in as sometimes we don’t have rig days.’ Further to this, the flexibility it affords is vital when they having to work around TV company constraints. Having venue parameters in their library is no guarantee that they won’t have to take new measurements each time and create a different profile.
‘This is precisely why we recently purchased another 24 MLA Compact and 20 MLA,’ he explains. For the KSI fight alone they fielded 70 MLA boxes and 24 MLA Compact. ‘We rigged nine hangs of MLA/MLA Compact in total – 25 boxes a side at the stage end for mains, subs and side fill – with five MLX a side in cardioid flown, behind the two main hangs and three hangs further down the arena for delays at the left, centre and right positions.’
The flexibility of the system has also proved a hit with VME Project Manager Mikey Greenwood and System Designer Gareth Thomas – the latter working alongside Ben Marsh who is also de facto system tech. He ensures that MLA’s advanced optimisation will enable sound to be steered precisely where it’s needed – designing the horizontal projection in CAD, mapping to where the TV interviews take place, and using the Hard Avoid setting on any reflective VIP boxes. This also takes into account the sensitivity of the broadcast mics when it becomes essential to deaden the sound around the ring.
‘With complex events such as this, having that level of control with MLA is vital,’ Harvey-Holt summarises.’ It provides massive benefits all round.’
And when not on duty at VME’s own events, there is scope for cross-hiring MLA, such is the demand during the summer season.
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