Part of the Osaka-Kansai Expo international exposition – taking place in Japan for the first time in 20 years – the Expo Arena Matsuri is the event’s largest outdoor space with a capacity of approximately 16,000. The stage includes a 8m x 15m landscape screen and hosts performances every day. The main PA system is Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision WPL, delivering accurate coverage for the vast space.
The subwoofers comprise SXH218, while on in fill and lip fill are Martin Audio’s WPS; the side fills comprise WPS paired with SXCF118 cardioid subwoofers, and the stage monitors are XE300 – providing an advanced monitoring environment for the artists. Martin Audio’s optimisation software was used to create a soundfield that also solves noise problems and prevents sound spill.
The design and construction of the system was handled by System Engineering Co, with the deployment receiving a resounding thumbs-up from Mr Goto (Sales), Mr Kawachi (Sales technology), Mr Yamochi (Design), and Mr. Hashimoto (Construction management).
‘We have often used Martin Audio in the past in situations where we wanted to produce good sound but also keep it cost effective,’ they said. ‘Also, we were familiar with their sound, having heard it many times at auditioning sessions, so we had a sense of trust.’
For this event, they again needed to prioritise sound quality and performance, as well as cost benefits. ‘So we chose Martin Audio as our preferred solution for those reasons. The acoustic simulation provided when proposing this to the association was also very speedy, so we were able to submit it with confidence.
In terms of functionality, the ability to finely adjust the directivity was a big plus, the System Engineering team confirms: ‘And the sound really does disappear from the area where the attenuation is set. The moment you leave the venue, it feels like the sound has disappeared entirely. ‘Despite this being such a large-scale system, there were no major issues, and we were told it sounded great.’
These large-scale World Expos are held every five years, each time hosted by a different country with a unique theme – this year’s being Designing Future Society for Our Lives. Running until October, the 2025 Japan World Exposition promotes new technologies, fosters exchange between nations and cultures and addresses global challenges.
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