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SWG returns to Mobos with Martin Audio WPL line array

In a repeat of their deployment at Ovo Arena Wembley for the 25th Mobo Awards, SWG Events this time headed north with their Martin Audio WPL Line Array to the 12,500-capacity Utilita Arena in Sheffield for this year’s event.

The live performances ranged from UK rap to Afrobeats, Dancehall to Pop/R&B and Garage, with back-to-back performances from Soul II Soul, Ghetts, Sugababes, Cristale, Byron Messia, King Promise and Camidoh, plus a Garage set from DJ Spoony. The event was hosted by Babtunde Aleshe, Indiyah Polack and Zeze Mills.

It required SWG Events to increase the WPL box count from sixteen to eighteen elements for each of the main L/R hangs, compared with last time; but more significantly was the increased number of outhangs, comprising twelve-a-side WPC - all driven in 2-box resolution from iKon iK42s.

As with the previous Mobo Awards, which took place in November 2022, they chose an 18-box SXH218 sub array in end fire configuration, with three rows of six subwoofers delayed to a central point. “That works well in these arenas because you can achieve the broadside array coverage without intruding on the set design”, says Simon Purse, SWG Events’ Head of Audio. “It can sometimes be quite challenging with such a visually oriented set.”

To avoid interference with the LED screen the PA was trimmed at little higher than normal. Below, there was just a single stage but with a catwalk thrust on stage left, while on stage right there was a smaller thrust for the guest presenters. SWG Events turned their attention to the stage, providing a number of Martin Audio’s XE500 monitors for foldback and adding stage sidefills on each flank in the shape of Torus T1215 stacked on a pair of SXC118 cardioid subwoofers on each side.

Purse formed a tag team with freelance engineer Matt Pope, who handled system tech and alternated FOH duties. “Matt focused on the musical performance elements while I handled presenter mics and guests”, says Purse, adding “there were a lot of different intricacies, and the infrastructure behind the show was complex compared with a standard headline arena show.”

“We had our stage system, which was split to FOH and monitors, and another split to an OB truck, which was handling the live broadcast mix”, he continues. “Finally, there were further split heads to a TV truck that was dealing with the presenter microphones and presenter IEM units as well as a separate broadcast mix for presentation later in the week.”

Having received the CAD files from the venue, the SWG Head of Audio was able to plan ahead, arriving on site with all presets stored and ready to go. “For due diligence I then always take additional measurements”, says Purse. “You never know exactly what you will find so I was able to fine tune it and utilise the array snapshot feature to update my array optimisations.”

Crew included Will Fisher (monitors); Ian Williams (playback/comms); Phil Hughes (RF tech); Fraser Wilks, Sam Jones, Laura Evans (stage patch and general audio engineering); Mark Bott (SWG Operations Manager); and Henry Roper (SWG Production assistant. All worked under overall production manager Rob Smalldon of Marvellous Incorporated Ltd, as last year.

(Photos: Martin Audio/SWG Events)

www.martin-audio.com

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