Currently touring the US with a Martin Audio MLA loudspeaker system provided by
SES (Special Event Services) of Winston Salem, NC and Nashville, TN, the Avett
Brothers recently sold out three nights at the challenging Red Rocks Amphitheatre in
Morrison, Colorado.

An eclectic mix of bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock, honky-tonk
and ragtime, the Avett Brothers are generally defined as “Americana’, their music
encompassing an unusually wide dynamic range.

As SES system engineer Andrew Steelman points out, “They’re not a highly
compressed band that lives in a pocket during the show. They go from very loud,
aggressive, in your face rock, to acoustic guitars, banjos, a cello, violin and small
high fidelity stringed ensembles. In terms of dynamics, it’s a constant rise and a
fall.’

Because MLA has smaller format compression drivers, the system offers the
engineer a more neutral canvas that’s very responsive to the smallest EQ changes,
making it a perfect partner for the dynamics of the band.

The Martin Audio MLA system has proved pivotal in coping with the specific
challenges that Red Rocks presents. Known for the short distance from FOH to the
PA and a limited trim height to the top of the system, Red Rocks also has an
audience area that extends out roughly 300 ft. from the front of the stage with a
105 ft. vertical climb to the top seats about 60 ft. above the roof of the venue.

For the three sold-out shows at Red Rocks, SES deployed 16 MLA and two MLD
(Downfill) enclosures with six ground-stacked MLX subs per side.

Expanding from Red Rocks to MLA’s overall benefits during the tour, SES Vice
President Jeff Cranfill adds, “It goes without saying that Martin Audio speakers
sound good. What’s especially useful for us is that the system can scale from a
large amphitheatre like Red Rocks down to a small theatre and still maintain that
performance level with high quality audio and the ability to put the sound where it
needs to be. Regardless of where the band is performing, MLA keeps the coverage
so consistent and non-intrusive on the stage that they don’t even notice the
difference.’

In addition to MLA, MLA Compact was used for outfills in several venues: “It’s really
good how you can get both systems to voice well with each other,’ Steelman
explains. “You can go back and forth seamlessly between the two systems and
sometimes it’s very difficult to discern whether you’re listening to MLA or the MLA
Compact.

“The control we have with MLA is especially helpful in situations where we’ve been
in civic centres with lots of concrete and metal surfaces,’ Steelman concludes.
“When a band’s dynamics rise and fall as much as The Avetts, having MLA be able
to project at long distance and eliminate some of those surfaces is as simple as
going into the software and getting rid of it with a few keystrokes.’