Manchester audio specialists, tube UK, delivered ten audio systems to five high-profile
carnival floats as well as five music / compere stages around the city centre for the
City’s 2017 Manchester Day celebrations.

The event, commissioned by Manchester City Council and produced by Walk the Plank,
celebrated the diversity, strong communities and unstoppable spirit of the city and its
people, taking on additional significance less than a month after a terror attack in
Manchester Arena killed 22 people.

The floats included a show-stopper featuring local dance music producer and icon
Graham Massey and brass collective Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. Four of the five floats
used battery powered sound systems – for convenience and eco-friendliness, a
practice that has been fine-tuned by tube, based around car batteries running with
inverters. The inverter gives approximately 1Kw/4 amps of power, so the sound
systems have to be extremely carefully balanced between sufficient loudness and
maximising the current.

Three of the floats utilised four Tannoy V8 speakers and four compact d&b E12 subs
each and the fourth, slightly bigger, featured four d&b Q7s and 4 x E12 subs.

Graham Massey’s float was powered by a small onboard 4.5 KVA generator, custom
fitted to the gold buggy base of the vehicle. The PA comprised four d&b Y7Ps, and four
Q-SUBs, all run off D80 amps. The control console was a Yamaha LS 9-16, and
Sennheiser SK5212 radio mics were supplied for the walk-about brass players. The
five stage PAs were dotted around the city centre and along the parade route.

In Albert Square, a “Compere PA’ was installed with four d&b Y10Ps and four E8s as
point source speakers relaying ongoing parade commentaries. Another – larger –
Compere PA in Exchange Square dealt with the end of the parade route, built from
two ground stacks of Y8 line array speakers to cover the voluminous expanse of the
Square, powered by four D12 amps.

St Anne’s Square featured a small d&b music PA to cover around 400 people,
comprising four Y7P loudspeakers and four Y-SUBS with six M6 wedges, driven by D80
amps, controlled via a Yamaha QL5 mixing desk.

The fourth music stage was in a corner of Exchange Square, with the sonics delivered
by another four Y7Ps, four Y-SUBs and four M4 wedges with a couple of D80 amps
and a QL1 console.

The largest music stage was set up in Cathedral Gardens, which hosted more than
2000 party-goers for the finale of the event. The audio system for this stage
comprised four ground-stacked d&b V8s, two V12s, four V-SUBS and six M4 wedges
all run through D80 amps, complete with a Yamaha QL5 console. A selection of
generic mics covered all band requirements for the line-up featuring a lively
programme.

“We were all exceptionally proud to be involved with the event and in doing our bit in
bringing so many exceptional vibes to the city,’ commented Melvyn.

Prior to this event, tube provided a PA system for the vigil of peace in Albert Square in
the immediate aftermath of the suicide bombing that happened at the end of an
Ariana Grande concert earlier this year.