NEWARK, NJ — Advanced Audio used D.A.S. Audio gear to overcome a set of challenges for reggae and hip hop performers at the 9th Annual New Jersey International Music Festival at the 6,200-seat Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. Despite the considerable size of the venue, the on stage real estate proved to be in rather short supply. As a result, erecting a sound system capable of providing consistent coverage with solid SPL performance to the estimated 5,000 music enthusiasts in attendance was no small undertaking.
Ultimately, the challenges of the job were resolved with a sound system featuring Aero Series 2 line arrays from D.A.S. Audio. The solution proved a boon to the performers, including “Mr. Throw it in the Bag” Fabolous, the “King of Dance Hall” Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and Rick Ross, among others, and their fans.
Advanced Audio, based in North Valley Stream, N.Y., specializes in the installation and rentals of pro audio, video, lighting, staging, and special effects for small events, tours, festivals, corporate, and church functions. Burton A. Ishmael is owner and chief sound designer.
“The stage—at 32 feet by 24 feet— was very small,” Ishmael said, “and this necessitated that the area be kept clear to provide adequate room for the back line, stage monitors, and performers. Everything else— monitor world, amp racks, and other equipment—had to be off the stage.
“The sound wings were also used as performance space and, thus, did not allow a normal hang of the arrays. We erected two side wings for this purpose, but with the confined space and weight limits, a compact, powered line array system made the best solution. This enabled us to avoid the weight of a bigger array and the bulk of amp racks, which we would have had to store somewhere else, and focus on using more boxes to properly cover the audience areas.”
The Advanced Audio crew flew 28 Aero 12A line arrays in a left-right configuration—14 cabinets per side. The Aero 12A is a compact, powered loudspeaker system that utilizes a 12-inch transducer for low frequencies and a Neodymium compression driver with a 1.5-inch exit for the high frequencies.
For side fills, six D.A.S. Audio Aero CA-28A powered line arrays were positioned three per side. The crew also used another three Aero CA-28As for the drum fill. 24 subwoofers distributed across the front of the stage area provided low frequency support.
Ishmael noted that Advanced Audio is an early adopter of the Aero 12A line arrays. “This is one of D.A.S. Audio’s latest products,” he said, “and I believe they’ve got a winner on their hands. These loudspeakers sound great right out of the box.
“By having the power amplifier integrated into the enclosure, we were able to eliminate bulky amp racks, the real estate they require, and the weight associated with them,” Ishmael added. “This also simplified and improved the setup on this job because we were able to use more boxes and have a tight, neatly controlled dispersion pattern all the way to the back of the audience.
“Because the audience seating went back far and high, if we had we used fewer, larger enclosures, the spread between boxes would have created a radical line that would have resulted in less even vertical dispersion.
“The folks in the Miami office have been great to deal with,” Ishmael added. “They are always extremely responsive to our questions and really take a personal interest in ensuring our success. I fully expect to have a long and profitable business relationship with D.A.S.
“The equipment worked exactly as expected and everyone was really pleased with the sound,” Ishmael said. “The performers, the audience, and the event’s sponsors were all extremely complimentary.
“Best of all, stadium management was very happy and it appears that we will be providing sound services for a number of future events they have planned. When one job leads to another, that’s the ultimate compliment.”
For additional information, please visit www.advancaudio.com and www.dasaudio.com.
