Since its inception in 2015, the Southeest England-based Scotland Yard Soundsystem collective of builders, engineers, artists and musicians has become an influential presence in UK club culture, with a full-body audio experience supported by Powersoft K- and X-Series amplifier platforms.
‘Scotland Yard Soundsystem is a custom hand-built, DIY/open-source sound system,’ says Scotland Yard’s Jonny Bovill, reflecting on the founding of the system a decade ago. ‘Aesthetically we wanted to pay homage to classic dub systems that we respected and admired, while under the bonnet we wanted to give it the guts of more modern point-source systems.’
That combination has proven popular across events from intimate basement parties and dining experiences to 3,500-capacity raves. Throughout it all, Bovill says, Powersoft amplifiers have been central to the system’s evolution.
‘We’ve been running Powersoft since the conception of the sound system,’ he explains. ‘Initially, we were using some K Series amps as part of a hodgepodge of [different manufacturers’] gear that we managed to put together. But we always aspired to get to a point where we could run fully on Powersoft – performance and quality-wise, they are widely respected in the scene.’
That respect was deepened when Bovill upgraded from the legacy K Series to X Series, hired in for a New Year’s Eve show at the 1,600-capacity O2 Academy in Bristol. ‘I couldn’t get enough K20s for the set-up, so I hired some X Series amps instead. After using and hearing them at that event, I knew I had to get my hands on them. I just couldn’t believe how much air they could move continuously through our subs – the overall quality and performance really blew me away.’
Designed for both touring and installation applications, the crossover X Series platform delivers reference-quality power amplification and comprehensive loudspeaker management, including all signal processing functions in a single, lightweight unit. Both versions of the X Series – the four-channel X4 and eight-channel X8 – come with Ethernet, full DSP functionality, routing and matrix as standard, as well as full integration with Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus system manager software.
With X Series now integrated into its workflow, the Scotland Yard team built a modular system that can be scaled up, split or adapted for virtually any configuration. In addition to praising the capability of the Powersoft amplifiers, Bovill credits ArmoníaPlus (A+) for making this flexibility possible.
‘We developed our own speaker presets – EQ, delays, crossovers, limiters – which has saved a lot of time when designing systems for events,’ he says. ‘We can build the stacks in the A+ workspace, add our amp rack, link the channels and we’re ready with processing all applied to where it needs to go.’
Advanced Groups, he adds, allow ‘dynamic system tuning, EQ, delays and alignment,’ while the ArmoníaPlus real-time monitoring tools help Scotland Yard push the limits of its rig with confidence.
‘We actively monitor output, impedance, power draw… This has been very important in allowing us to get the most out of our cabinets and amps, as part of what we do is about really pushing the system and riding that boundary of what the equipment can actually perform.’
Scotland Yard’s cabinets include Hog scoops (subs), SVQ186BPH (kick/low bass) and Limmer 308 mid-tops, along with a Smaart rig for alignment and an Allen & Heath SQ5 mixing desk. A Sage Dub preamp sometimes makes an appearance at more relaxed sessions.
Long regarded as the capital of UK sound-system culture, the scene in Bristol remains ‘booming’, says Bovill. ‘For us, sound quality is paramount. It’s about utility – maximum quality for the maximum amount of people. We want people to feel fully immersed, like they’re inside a bubble of pure music, being able to feel each frequency affect their body.
‘There’s a place where the sound can get to – I’m not sure there’s a way to measure it, but when you stand in it and it’s right, you just know it. I’m always chasing that.’