[ATTACH=CONFIG]194908.vB5-legacyid=2441[/ATTACH]Valencia, Spain – October 2011… From the moment the Estrella Levante SOS 4.8 festival kicked off the start of the 2011 summer concert season, D.A.S. Audio and its highly acclaimed Aero Series 2 loudspeaker systems were at the cutting edge of concert sound throughout Spain. With the 16th Annual Viña Rock Festival of Native Art in Villarrobledo, Albacete and the Benicàssim International Festival (FIB), D.A.S. Audio literally had the country’s ‘ear’ when it came to music festival sound reinforcement.
Viña Rock 2011’s artist roster included artists such as Rosendo, Raimundo Amador, Habeas Corpus and Los Delincuentes and uncooperative weather did not stop more than 30,000 music fans from attending the Festival’s upbeat three days. D.A.S. Aero Series 2 line array systems provided the sound for two of these stages, the Metalika and the Babilonia, which stood up to the weather brilliantly.
As its name implies, the Metalike stage was all about heavy metal music, and a truly impressive arsenal of D.A.S. equipment was installed to deliver spectacular sound quality. The main equipment was comprised of 28 D.A.S. large scale Aero 50 line array systems, set up in linear formations of 14 units on the sides of the stage. Fourteen units of D.A.S. LX-218A self-powered subwoofers were mounted in two seven-unit formations on each side for low frequency support.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194906.vB5-legacyid=2439[/ATTACH]Twenty-one additional LX-218A subwoofers were stacked in front of the stage, giving the system enormous ‘throw.’ Four Aero 12A systems at the front of the stage ensured coverage for the first few audience rows. For side fill, three self-powered Aero 12A line array systems were installed on opposite sides of the stage; these were accompanied by two units of LX-218A subwoofers. Two Aero 12A systems plus an LX-218A subwoofer took care of the drum fill, while the new D.A.S. Road 12A and 15A monitors were the ideal solution to the different artists that performed on the Metalika stage.
May’s SOS 4.8 festival saw some 80,000 music revelers taking in performances by artists like Suede, Patti Smith, Lori Meyers, Vetusta Morla and These New Puritans. D.A.S. systems were found at the large Jägermeister stage, the Modo Sonoro Auditorium, and elsewhere around the fairgrounds. D.A.S. Audio and local company J. Ramírez Sonido joined forces to install the Aero sound systems at both the Jägermeister and SOS Club by Ron Barceló stages and in the Auditorium.
At the big Jägermeister stage, twenty-four large-format D.A.S Aero 50 line array systems were called to duty to provide sound coverage, with two linear formations of 12 systems rigged on opposite sides of the stage to cover the wide audience area. Low frequency support was provided by 27 high performance self-powered D.A.S. LX-218A subwoofers, ground stacked in front of the stage in nine groups of three subwoofers each.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194910.vB5-legacyid=2443[/ATTACH]Four self-powered D.A.S. Aero 12A line array systems were set up to cover the area in front of the stage, while two groups of three Aero 12A systems and two LX-218A subwoofers were stacked on each side of the stage to take care of the side fill. Another Aero 12A system was stacked on a LX-218A unit for drum fill. For stage monitoring D.A.S. Audio and J. Ramírez Sonido brought in the new D.A.S. Road Series, specifically six Road 12A and another six Road 15A systems.
One of the most popular festivals in Europe, more than 150,000 fans descended on the 17th Benicàssim International Festival (FIB) to watch their favorite bands on the four different stages. This year, the FIB Club Stage was the showcase stage for the wide spectrum of music options at the festival, with a particular emphasis on prominent pop and electro artists and groups. D.A.S. Aero Series 2 systems provided the sound for the acts playing on this stage, which included Anna Calvi, Dorian, The Undertones, O Emperor and Zombie Zombie, to mention just a few.
D.A.S. Aero 50 large-format line array modules were deployed as the main system on the FIB Club Stage. Twenty-four Aero 50 systems were assembled on opposite sides of the stage in two arrays of 12 units each. The size and powerful ‘throw’ of the speakers was more than adequate to cover the approximately 70-metre depth of the audience area. For low frequency support, D.A.S. LX-218CA self-powered high-performance subwoofer systems were ground-stacked in 12 blocks of two units across the front part of the stage. The entire subwoofer system was arranged in a virtual arc configuration.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194907.vB5-legacyid=2440[/ATTACH]Four D.A.S. Aero 12A units handled frontfill duties for the first few rows. The entire system was monitored and controlled using two D.A.S. DSP-4080 digital signal processors. The sound engineers accompanying the various artists and groups who played on the FIB Club stage were more than impressed with the system, as noted by Joel Damiano, Systems Engineer with D.A.S. Audio. He personally supervised the assembly and adjustment of the system, and was on the front line throughout the four-day event.
Robert Giner, the company’s Marketing Director, reflected on the success of company’s sound systems during the summer concert season, “This year’s concert season was one wild ride—both for the festival attendees and D.A.S. Audio. The amount of equipment and the logistics involved in pulling these massive sound systems together was mind boggling. The end result, however, was well worth every ounce of effort. I’d like to thank the sound rental companies Acoustic Crom, J. Ramiréz Sonido, and Sagarmanta Productions for their impressive technical support in these events. As a sound company, it was gratifying to see our equipment everywhere and we learned much from the experience—all of which will aid us as we design and introduce new products.”
