GLASTONBURY
very cold at night – have been an issue this year, but the snapshots that are uploaded easily in an instant without artefacts have meant that we have been able to keep the coverage patterns we need. It’s been great.” Reflecting on the striking giant human head backdrop used for the IICON stage, Block9 co-founder Gideon Berger described how it evokes the pervasive nature of technology on the human spirit: “It’s a sinister monument to the terrifying realities of this digital, post-truth age that we find ourselves in,” he began. A mammoth 65ft sculpture of a head, it is “anonymised by a giant block that contains an LED wall entranced by the image of itself, and by the screens”. The visual spectacular was matched by an audio spectacular with Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision Longbow (WPL) making its festival debut in a stunning immersive 6.1-channel surround sound system designed by RG Jones’ Simon Honywill, Consultant Sound Engineer for the festival. WPL is Martin Audio’s new large-format optimised passive line array from the best-selling Wavefront Precision series. It offers an adaptable approach to optimisation of line arrays through scalable resolution where the user decides on the number of enclosures with dedicated amplifier channels that are required for the coverage, consistency and control of the space. “I thought rather than having this incredible structure and then just using straightforward left and right standard deployment, let’s go a bit crazy and do it in surround sound,” said Honywill. “So, we had six hangs of 10 WPL all pointing inwards with optimisation of the sound fields to maximise the experience through the space for a 15,000 crowd. A single 23m-long SHX218 sub array in a broadside cardioid pattern provided the thumping bass, but also control too. Each night there was a specially commissioned presentation where the stage structure is projection mapped combined with 6.1 surround audio, which worked highly effectively. Then for the DJ sets we used a Trinnov Altitude 32 system to effectively up mix the stereo output to the 6.1 surround system and the results of that, were frankly outstanding.” Trinnov Audio’s Benoit Munoz commented: “Live Sound is not a market Trinnov Audio addresses but thanks to Simon’s enthusiasm for our products, we get the chance to experiment and realise how relevant our technology would be for such application. We were really excited to contribute to this unique sound system, especially with such phenomenal results, and most certainly look forward to being there again next year.” This was endorsed by Gideon Berger: “This was an experimental design brief, but we’ve been really helped by Martin Audio, RG and Simon, who gave us demo suites to mix in, engineers on the ground to support, and the whole thing has been a pleasure to work with them.” Summing up, John Carroll, Managing Director of RG Jones, said: “It’s an honour and privilege for RG Jones to once again be at the forefront of the Glastonbury Festival. From headliners to all-night dance music, this was a triumphant year and we are so pleased with the feedback from audiences, engineers and organisers to what we were able to deliver. My thanks also go to Martin Audio, who provided such unwavering support in the planning and execution this year and we can’t wait for next year and the 50thAnniversary of Glastonbury Festival.” In closing, Dom Harter, Managing Director of Martin Audio added: “What sets Martin Audio apart is its signature sound that can faithfully
SOUTH EAST CORNER
As the principle Glastonbury stages grind to a halt after dark, Worthy Farm offers a vast array of entertainment options for nocturnal revellers, including legendary areas in the site’s South East corner – Shangri-La, Block9, The Common and Unfairground. Shangri-La, Glastonbury’s late-night party zone, was once again a maze of weird and wonderful stages and venues this year, each serving up its own unique vibe to festival-goers. While the area primarily came alive at night, The Truth Stage’s all-dayers saw the likes of Craig Charles, Norman Jay, and more take over the day duties. Sleaford Mods also performed as special guests on The Truth Stage. Created by designer-extraordinaire Block9, IICON, a colossal, anonymised head covered by projection and boasting a six-point ambisonic sound system, made its Worthy Farm debut this year. Working tightly with Block9 during the past year, Bild Studios provided the pre-consulting and installed the system on site, including the supply of disguise servers, Omnical and projection hardware, supported by Creative Technology. Martin Audio MLA Compact was once again deployed on the Block9’s Genosys stage, a massive, 70ft-high post-industrial piece of architecture draped with exotic plants and steaming tubes, at the centre of which was a DJ booth. System Tech, Sean Hatton, described the set-up: “We’ve got 10 MLA Compact aside with six DSX subs either side of stage,” he began. “The massive changes in temperature – from searing heat in the day to then 68
