Every console at the event was a Midas one, resulting in an impressive total of eight XL3s, three Heritage 3000s and a Heritage 1000, accompanied by a fair complement of Klark Teknik signal processing equipment. SSE employed its standard 'flip-flop' festival system for FOH across both stages. Three Heritage 3000s with an XL3 sidecar graced FOH for the main stage, while a further two XL3s handled FOH duties on the second 'Scuzz' stage, while main stage monitor land (looked after by monitor legend Chris Trimby) was populated by no less than three XL3s and another Heritage 3000. Two more XL3s could be found running monitors on the Scuzz stage.
On the Klark Teknik side, Iron Maiden turned up with their own monitor rack containing several classic DN360 graphic equalizers, plus a rack of four DN1248 Plus active microphone splitters to provide broadcast feeds for the BBC OB truck which was there on behalf of Radio One. The main stage FoH position boasted a number of DN3600 programmable graphic EQs, DN6000 audio analysers, plus DN800 loudspeaker processors that were being used for the monitor wedges.
Blink TV supplied and co-ordinated the video package and between-band screen programming for Download, in what was a relatively rare foray into pure rock for the on-screen media specialists, whose work is well known in the pop and indie festival markets.
At the core of Blink's video environment were two 32sq.m LED screens left and right of the main stage, a 4-camera live relay and PPU all utilized for band IMAG onto screen. Blink also produced an edited video feed of Iron Maiden's headline set to the band's disc storage system for their future use. All video hardware and crew was supplied through Screenco.Blink also collaborated with mobile technology advertising specialists 12Snap to run on-screen text competitions throughout the day. These included a range of ideas, such as competitions to queue-jump in the signing tent or to view a favourite act from the front-stage pit area, to a plain text messaging service that was beamed across the screens in tickertape style. Thousands took the opportunity to text the mobile-based application software with messages proclaiming anything from undying love to comments on the bands and event. Some messages received realtime reactions from the audience as they traversed the screen.
(Ruth Rossington
