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WE Audio's Turbosound Aspect® rig has enjoyed a busy summer, climaxing with the Jersey Festival in early September which saw the system receive ringing endorsements from both the festival organisers and the Jersey States Environmental Health Department.
2007 was the first year that the festival was held over two full days, with the audience capacity also increased to 10,000 per day. Highlights on stage included The Fratellis, Kasabian, Super Furry Animals, The Twang and Audio Bullys.
"Because of the greater capacity, we increased the size of the Aspect system," says WE Audio's Wayne Barker. "But the Environmental Health team also set stringent parameters that we had to work within to contain the sound within the arena."
WE Audio rigged a system that comprised 15 Aspect TA-890H mid-highs per side, flown three wide by five deep, with 15 ground stacked TA-890L lows and four TSW-218 subs per side. System control was by six XTA DPA448s, amplification was a combination of MC2 E25s and E45s, with a pair of Midas Heritage 3000 consoles at Front of House.
Monitors comprised 20 TFM-450s and four TFM-420s, with a double TFM-450/TQ-425 combination for drum fills. Sidefills were Aspect TA-880s, again with XTA system control and MC2 amps with a further pair of Heritage 3000 consoles.
"We had a limit of 102dB at FoH, which was 55m from the stage, but with strict limits on where sound levels had to drop off," says Wayne. "To contain the sound, we flew the Aspect rig high and pointed it down into the bowl of the arena, which worked really well. Aspect is brilliant for projecting sound where it needs to go, but no further."
Unlike the 2006 Jersey Festival, this year conditions were pretty much optimum for outdoor sound, being cool but comfortable with no significant wind or rain.
"We've had the rig out on a lot of events this summer, it really has been our ultimate year with Aspect," says Wayne. "By flying it high and pointing it down, we've had nothing but success with it. Even at the Exeter Festival, where we did a major event in the grounds of Killerton House in appalling weather, the system performed faultlessly and produced great sound."
Indeed, Jersey Live was the icing on what has been a very successful 2007 cake. "The organisers were really happy because of the clean, hi-fi sound in the arena, but there was also no spill," says Wayne. "The Environmental Health team was pleased and we didn't have a single complaint about noise, which shows just how directional the Aspect system is."
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