The event - now in its 6th year - is followed every year by an average of 120,000 people who pack the square. As well as catching the interest of Mediaset and RAI, the show was broadcast live on the terrestrial and sat frequencies of Radio Italia, Video Italia and Video Italia channel 712 (Sky), plus free sat channel 858.
The 2005 cast included Francesco Renga (winner of the 55th Sanremo Festival), Le Vibrazioni, Marco Masini, I Nomadi, Paola and Chiara, Ivana Spagna, Matia Bazar, Velvet, Paolo Meneguzzi, Toto Cutugno and Annalisa Minetti, Luca Dirisio, Negramaro, La Differenza, Max de Angelis, Dennis, Povia, Niccolò Agliardi and Laura Bono.
The Butterfly line-array supplied by JD Service, the Padua audio rental firm at the event, was installed with the support of Outline of Brescia. A total of 12+12 Hi-Pack C.D.H. 483 were used as FOH systems, eight Hi-Pack C.D.H. 483 covered the area on the right of the stage and 2+2 Hi-Pack C.D.H. 483 ensured 'front-fill' coverage of the first rows of the audience. 24 Victor Live subwoofers (plus eight others in cardioid configuration) were used to reproduce the bottom end of the audio spectrum, up to 80 Hz. On the large stage, two H.A.R.D. 212 SP were used as main monitors for the artists, 4 H.A.R.D. 115 SP for drummers and keyboard players and 2+2 Tripla on side-fill duty. The entire set-up was powered by just thirty Outline 'ultra-slim' (1 rack unit) T6.5 amplifiers and processed by an Outline Genius 6 and two Lake Contour units, controlled via a tablet PC.
Mario Volanti, the Italian broadcaster's president, commented: "This is the third time we've chosen the all-Italian Outline brand, and I won't make any secret of the fact that it's accustomed us to high standards. Apart from its well-known acoustic characteristics, the system also struck me for its looks, thanks to recherché but 'discreet' lines: flown up there on either side of the stage, it was almost invisible - in fact, one could be tempted to ask if it was up to such an important job - but, down here in the largest square in Europe, you couldn't avoid hearing the results. You could hear everything - everywhere, and with accuracy worthy of a recording studio. To hear is to believe. This rarely happens. We intend repeating this success for many more years."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
