Having hosted BB King, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino and John Lee Hooker at its inaugural 1980 event, Tuscany’s Pistoia Blues festival counted Mumford & Sons, Counting Crows, Hozier, Passenger, The Darkness, Dream Theater, Santana and Sting among its 2015 headliners.

The event took its regular spot in the city’s Piazza Duomo and ran for nine evenings. Its technical infrastructure was provided by the long-standing Electra Service, headed by Roberto Buttarelli, with the main PA system provided by All Access – which was set up in 2011 to purchase the Martin Audio MLA multicellular system used for the festival, and for other national and international productions.

Electra Service duly commandeered the system, enabling PA manager Paolo ‘Red’ Talami to choose a set-up comprising two hangs of 12 MLA with two groups of six MLX subs. Providing in fill were four W8LM, while two further hangs of six W8LM out fills created width on both flanks. Additionally, Electra Service also provided 12 Martin Audio bi-amped LE2100S for monitoring purposes.

‘We ran the MLA in practically the same configuration [as in 2014], with the addition of the W8LM out fills,’ Talami  says. ‘This expansion was due to the installation of new grandstands on the sides of the historic Piazza Duomo. The total number of W8LMs was 20, including the in fill system, and all were amplified by the new Powersoft X-series amplifiers.’

Talami reports that all artists’ production teams were at ease with the FOH set-up: ‘Most system techs and FOH engineers had already used the Martin Audio MLA system in the recent past – and being able to work with a team of technicians already accustomed to using this system made the work more efficient and therefore more enjoyable.

‘Also, as the event took place in a historical context – in a square surrounded by walls and tall buildings covering dozens of metres – Martin Audio’s Display software was essential, just as it had been last year. We were drastically able to limit all kinds of sound reflections while allowing very detailed and consistent coverage everywhere.’

Buttarelli provided the full technical infrastructure, and assigned the Powersoft amplifiers to drive key parts of the Martin Audio system. ‘The total number of W8LM Minis used rose to 20, including the infill system and all were driven by the new Powersoft X-series amplifiers,’ Talami says. ‘These are extremely versatile and incredibly effective, enabling us to also drive the entire monitoring system.

This versatility was central to Buttarelli’s thinking when purchasing the amplifiers, which were first demonstrated to him by Italian distributor, Audiosales. ‘We had been looking for the best and most innovative technology in the market,’ he recalls. ‘Thanks to a complete DSP, a universal power supply and the possibility to set up a lot of different universal configuration to drive the rig such as we had at Pistoia Blues, the Powersoft proved itself to be the perfect amplifier and exactly what we were looking for. They are also light and compact, taking up a minimal amount of space.’

Electra Service has now replaced its previous front-line amplifiers in the company’s inventory: ‘It seems that Powersoft is becoming the new standard in amplifiers, and the Pistoia Blues festival confirmed that we’ve made the right choice … there is no question.’

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