Holoplot covers Starlite Occident 2023 Festival
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Already gracing some of the world’s most renowned venues, including the largest sound system install on the planet at Sphere Las Vegas, as well as installations at The Beacon Theatre in New York and at Lightroom in London, Starlite Occident marked the first outdoor live show deployment of X1.
Starlite Occident is a three-month-long extravaganza set in a transformed quarry. It hosts an impressive line-up of both UK and Spanish artists, which this year included Tom Jones, Pablo López, Iggy Pop, the Black Eyed Peas, Marta Sánchez, and Luis Fonsi.
The Holoplot X1 Matrix Array had caught the attention of the festival's production team, with Aaron Guerrero, lead audio engineer, being particularly impressed by the system’s ability to deliver precise sound control, both horizontally and vertically, ensuring optimal audio experiences for audiences across all seating areas.
“After seeing the system in action at the ISE trade show in January, I immediately called Aaron to explain what I had heard,” says Jose Manuel Jimenez, owner of Ilusovi Servicios. “The conversation quickly progressed, and for us it moved on from being more than a simple purchase of a system to a strategic deal and partnership which could create many opportunities for our company in the future. We see X1 as a game-changer in the audio industry, offering exceptional control and coverage. Its versatility makes it a Swiss Army Knife for loudspeakers, catering to a variety of applications and clients.”
For Starlite Occident, the X1 system was strategically deployed to overcome challenges posed by the venue's acoustic environment, which included the quarry walls’ reflective surfaces in the amphitheatre styled arena, steeply raked seating and a VIP area flanking the stage and positioned at 90 degrees to it. Reese Kirsh, segment manager for live performance collaborated closely with Ilusovi and Guerrero, providing training and support where necessary to ensure the team were comfortable working with X1.
In preparation for the event, Guerrero also visited a Holoplot demo and training event in London. “It helped me to reset my brain, because this is not a line-array,” he recalls. “It’s a completely different concept, and I needed to learn what the system can do.” Additionally, Guerrero wanted to ensure X1 would be able to facilitate a varied line-up of artists from multiple music genres and perform well for everyone.
The final system comprised six X1 MD80-S three-way modules and six X1 MD96 two-way modules in a six (vertical) by two (horizontal) configuration left and right of the stage, complemented by an additional two MD96 as a centre cluster. Additionally, two single MD96 modules were employed as mono front-fills to provide coverage for the areas nearest to the stage.
"Achieving even, optimised coverage in challenging acoustic environments like Starlite's venue was a top priority," explains Kirsh. "The stage was quite low, which meant that deploying a traditional PA would have required the hangs to be positioned at an acute angle to ensure the audience at the back of the arena had a similar audio experience to those at the front.
“Another challenge presented by the venue was the VIP bar and seating area located on stage right of the main arena. The organisers naturally wanted to ensure this area provided a high-quality auditory experience, but it had proved difficult as it was positioned between a 45° and 90° angle of the PA hang. We generated a targeted coverage beam from the right array of the main system, covering the VIP area without exciting the massive mountain behind it, ensuring a superior audio experience.”
Holoplot's commitment to customer service was also highlighted during the festival. Guerrero praised the close collaboration he had with the team, citing quick responses to inquiries and a robust support system. “We established a close connection with the Holoplot team, and whenever I had a question, I received a response within the hour. It has been a great collaboration,” he explains.
