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Southard Audio deploys Martin Audio WPL at “DelFest”

One of the premier roots festivals in the US, “DelFest” has steadily evolved the technical infrastructure at its Allegany County Fairgrounds site in Cumberland, Maryland, since the event was originally established seventeen years ago. Supporting the multi-stage event with sound reinforcement from the very beginning has been Martin Audio partner Southard Audio. This year they fielded three Wavefront Precision systems - a WPL rig and two WPS hangs.

“We only switched to WPL and other Martin Audio systems at ‘DelFest’ post-Covid (from 2022) and it really shines for these applications”, notes Southard managing partner Jason Misterka. Their three-stage Martin Audio deployment was headed by the large-format WPL line array. The Grandstand system used 24 WPL for main PA (12 a-side) with eight WPL outfill stage right (to cover the grandstands), four XD15 frontfills, two CDD15 for outfills at the VIP tents, SXH218 subs, IK42 amps, THS sidefills, LE200 wedges and Linea Research monitor amps.

The large, covered Grandstand, set at an odd angle along one side of the 750 ft flat field, provided the real challenge. According to Misterka, “We needed to rig to a tall stage in order to cover the field. We also used an 8-box outfill array to cover the Grandstand, hung on our Applied LA12-25 towers.”

Meanwhile, the Potomac stage was populated with sixteen WPS (for main PA), four SXH218 subs, iK42 amps and a pair of CDD15 frontfills. This stage, in particular, has developed over the years into a full music stage (from little more than a band competition stage).

Unlike the other two stages, The Music Hall was set indoors, featuring a main PA comprising sixteen WPS (eight per side) on lifts, with eight SXC118 subwoofers, four Martin Audio FlexPoint FP12 as frontfills, driven by Martin Audio IK42 amps.

The “Hard Avoid” function was used on the stages of all three venues to keep it as quiet as possible for the string bands, while the SXH218 at the Grandstand stage was used in a in a L/R cardioid configuration. In the Music Hall, the tech team again activated “Hard Avoid” for the stage but also put more emphasis on avoiding “Non-Audience” areas and focusing the PA away from the back wall of the room given the reflection concerns. “We also used SXC118 at Music Hall”, says Misterka.

Southard Audio’s crew included Matthew Hudson, Chad Wyatt, Tim Reckley, David Pelikan, Bob McNichols, Phil Speiss, Michael Stover, Sven Giersmann, Tim Turner, Eric Shy, and Slim Prescott.

(Photos: DelFest/Martin Audio/Southard Audio)

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