The BBC’s double-header weekend of Proms In The Park and BBC Radio 2 Live in
Hyde Park (Festival In a Day) could have been renamed Four Seasons in a Day,
given the extreme climatic changes (and fitting name of the Proms headline act).

The extreme high winds and driving rain had blighted the opening day, headlined by
Frankie Valli’s band, who were joined by the BBC Concert Orchestra and a line-up
including ABC, All Saints, Rick Astley, The Feeling and others. As the following day
made way for bright sunshine, Status Quo and Madness got the evening party going
and were perfect curtain-raisers for the headline act, Elton John.

But such changeable weather conditions in a noise sensitive environment is
precisely the scenario that Martin Audio’s award-winning MLA Multi-cellular
Loudspeaker Array (MLA), and its advanced DISPLAY software, was designed for.

With the general design model established last year for the Festival Republic-
promoted events, and rubber stamped by Head of Production Dick Tee and noise
consultants, Vanguardia, 2016 was all about nuances.

The most significant was the addition of a fourth delay ring — giving 12 delay masts
in total. Two points were set 350 metres from the mix position, comprising eight
Martin Audio MLA Compacts (tapped at a 1000ms delay time). System tech Toby
Donovan and crew chief Kevin Smith both approved of the decision. “Festival
Republic wanted to extend coverage to the main entrance gate but without any spill
— and MLA was more than capable of that,’ said the latter.

The other significant change was the positioning of the VIP grandstand. Martin Audio
DD6’s trialed so successfully last year in delivering punchy sound that this year
Capital Sound standardized on the technology, deploying 14 enclosures inside the
pavilion and 12 outside, all controlled from the main desk.

As to the stage design, the main PA hangs again comprised 16 x MLA and an MLD
Downfill each side, with 12 x MLA per side acting as sidefills (this year dispensing
entirely with the MLD).

Capital again fielded 26 MLX subs in a broadside cardioid array — 17 forward facing
along the front, and nine on top reversed. A pair of Martin Audio W8LM was
positioned on every other sub stack, with a further stack of three W8LM as “wing
fills’ on each side. Distribution around the site was via a 13-node Optocore fibre
ring.

Martin Audio’s LE1500s were provided for stage monitoring along with some
WS218X as side fills, while DD12’s were also stationed backstage at the VIP
interview stage.

Of the 12 delay positions, four were equipped with three MLX in cardioid pattern —
these being the whole of Ring 2 and the central delay on Ring 3.

Towards the end of the evening as the pomp, ceremony and national fervour built
towards the fireworks crescendo, the FOH desk received increasing stem mixes
from the BBC — not only from the Royal Albert Hall but other UK sites.

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