Capital Sound and MLA in Hyde Park finale
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This also brought the curtain down on a successful summer at the Park for Capital Sound, and their MLA PA from Martin Audio, following its 10-day stint at British Summer Time two months earlier.
Designed to coincide with Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, headliner, Barry Manilow was, supported by Bonnie Tyler, the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Jack Savoretti, Gabrielle and soprano Aida Garifullina. Bigger ensembles included two choirs, while the cast of Les Miserables also shared the bill, and the 60-piece BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Richard Balcombe, performed the traditional Last Night of the Proms anthems - including Pomp and Circumstance and Land of Hope and Glory.
The following day, BBC Radio 2 presenters Zoe Ball, Ken Bruce, Rylan Clark Neal, Sara Cox, Gary Davies, Trevor Nelson and Jo Whiley introduced a galaxy of stars, including headliners Pet Shop Boys to the 50,000-capacity crowd.
Working the event for the sixth year, Capital Sound were again contracted by promoters, Festival Republic, with production in the hands of Dick Tee.
Capital has already evolved an optimised sound, with a main PA hang comprising 16 x MLA and an MLD Downfill per side, and 12 x MLA on each flank as side-fills. Sub frequencies were reproduced by 26 MLX subwoofers in a broadside cardioid array - 17 forward facing, and nine on top reversed. On alternate sub stacks was a W8LM Mini Line Array element, with a further stack of three W8LM on each side acting as ‘wing-fills’.
Up on stage, artists could draw their reference sound from Martin Audio LE1500 wedges, supported by WS218X side-fills, while away from the stage 12 x Martin Audio DD6’s provided reinforcement at the VIP interview stage outside, with a further 12 x Martin Audio F8’s on duty inside.
Further back down the field, there were four delay rings giving a total of 12 delay masts. Two points were set 350m from the mix position, comprising eight Martin Audio MLA Compacts, to extend coverage to the main entrance gate but avoiding spill. Four positions were equipped with three MLX in cardioid pattern, while the furthest ring ensured the desired SPL levels could be reached while containing the offsite sound.
(Jim Evans)
