Commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to provide sound and technical production for the unveiling of the restored Cutty Sark, Bristol-based event production company SXS Events constructed and dressed a dais stage, using its new Martin Audio W8LM line array system for sound reinforcement.
Restored to its former glory in Greenwich, the 143-year-old clipper now represents a £50m restoration project, following fire damage in 2007.
Supplied by LMC Audio, SXS used a total of 12 W8LM Mini Line Array enclosures in two hangs, with two W8LMD Downfills at the base of each hang. The system was driven by Lab.gruppen FP series amplifiers and controlled using XTA DSPs.
Attended by both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the launch took place at the Cutty Sark Gardens and the event included a 90-strong symphony orchestra and a 400-strong choir. The Martin Audio system also provided reinforcement for the Queen’s speech and took further live feeds from inside the Cutty Sark.
‘The W8LM is our latest major audio investment and I was delighted to be able to use it for this event,’ says SXS Events Production Manager, Johnny Palmer. ‘Our sound department has been booming over the last year and we felt it time we invested in a system that allowed for accurate and even coverage. The W8LM is great for shows such as this because of its clarity, simple rigging and aesthetics – and it will be our system of choice when entrusted with highly demanding, high quality production.’
‘This show was all about clarity, headroom and maximum gain before feedback – all the core principles of our approach to sound,’ adds Alex Thompson, Head of Sound at SXS. ‘Our new W8LM system was ideal as we had plenty of gain and the accurate response achieved great reinforcement for the performance. Being an orchestral performance the role of the system was to reinforce the sound transparently and ideally not be noticed at all – and that’s precisely what it did.’
The relationship between Martin Audio and SXS (via LMC Audio) began with a visit to the manufacturer’s stand at last year’s London Plasa Show, followed by a system demo at Bluewater Shopping Centre, coinciding with the switching on of the Christmas lights. This was arranged by JP Cavaco, Sales Manager at LMC London (with Martin Audio’s Peter Child and Kevin McNally providing technical support).
The Cutty Sark is now displayed 11 feet above its dry berth on the Thames and the space under the three-masted vessel is home to an interactive museum where visitors can learn about its history.
More: www.martin-audio.com
