BSB Sound owner Martin Bickley was looking for a fresh means of delivering first-class audio at the UK’s annual Shrewsbury Flower Show after the previous PA system’s loudspeaker mast mounting bases had become unsafe.

BSB Sound specialises in providing PA for a wide variety of outdoor shows, and holds that events such as this deserve the same quality of audio as premier music festivals. Bickley approached long-term associate Robin Dibble, who also happens to be one of the Martin Audio product support team…

‘We needed to ensure we had consistent quality and intelligibility over the 150m throw distance, while keeping levels contained on site, with a 74dBA limit at the borders of the event site,’ Dibble says. ‘The site itself is in a natural bowl and the results of any events in the show ring during the day needed to be broadcast with clarity by the commentators, while in the evening military and contemporary bands took over the stage, followed by a laser display.

The show is one of the country’s premier events of its kind, attracting top exhibitors from all over the UK to the site on the banks of the Severn. After a site visit to investigate the event and its requirements, Dibble specified two hangs of Martin Audio’s WPL array cabinets to be flown from towers, with a spaced broadside array of 12 SXH218 between. This he knew would provide not only high-octane audio but evenly distributed, site wide coverage.

To supply the equipment, Bickley contacted Bristol-based Martin Audio partner, SWG Events, who were pleased to sub-hire their powerful and ground-breaking Wavefront Precision WPL optimised line array. The two towers were also provided by SWG, whose head of audio, Simon Purse, assisted with the set-up.

Display 2 files were prepared by Robin Dibble and loaded into the system’s amplifiers ready for use by Purse, with some tweaks on set-up days. ‘The main challenge was getting accurate site information because of its unusual shape, and the fact it was the first time we had worked here,’ Dibble says. ‘So we undertook terrain mapping with SketchUp, adjusted with on-site surveys during set up.’

Sound was mixed from a desk in the commentary box, set 50m behind the speakers, and Dibble, who took responsibility for the overall site design, was more than happy with the outcome. ‘This event was all about achieving consistency of coverage rather than pushing level. It worked extremely well and sounded fantastic.’

Bickley agrees: ‘Shrewsbury Flower Show is a favourite event for us at BSB Sound and is bigger than many realise, typically with more than 10,000 people sitting on the bank enjoying a wide variety of entertainment from the main show ring. The results were a revelation – the improvement in consistency and quality throughout the audience was a real eye opener. All the BSB Sound team were impressed with the results, and we are looking into the possibility of purchasing a WP based system of our own on the back of the equipment’s performance at this event.’

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