
RG Jones Deploys Martin Audio Across Four Major Stages of Glastonbury posted: 08/07/2019
WPL Makes Festival Debut on New IICON Stage with Surround Sound
RG Jones Sound Engineering returned to Worthy Farm following its fallow year to deploy Martin Audio systems across four major stages of the Glastonbury Festival. While Martin Audio's premiere sound system, MLA, once again graced the Pyramid main stage as well as West Holts and the Genosys stage of Block9, Martin Audio's Wavefront Precision Longbow (WPL) made its festival debut on the stunning new IICON stage featuring an immersive 6.1 channel surround sound system designed by Simon Honywill.
The Pyramid stage bustled with electrifying performances throughout the three-day festival with Stormzy delivering an impassioned and historic headline set on the Friday, followed up by a barnstorming, hit filled, performance by The Killers on the Saturday and rounded off with a nostalgic tour de force by The Cure to close out Sunday night. In-between, the acts were their usual eclectic self with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Liam Gallagher, Janet Jackson to Bastille, as well as an emotional return for Kylie in the legend' Sunday afternoon slot.
Stormzy delivering an impassioned and historic headline set on the Friday
The system deployed on the Pyramid Stage was impressive in every respect, designed to maximise SPL levels and even coverage for the 150,000 strong audience while respecting offsite limits. A total of 72 MLA comprised the four main hangs with a further four MLA Compact arrays for infill flown from the proscenium arch. Eight delay positions in an inner and out ring consisted of MLA and MLA Compact arrays to optimise coverage across the expansive field. A massive broadside cardioid array of 38 MLX subwoofers stretched across the entire width of the stage to provide sub-bass support and control to the entire system.
The results overall were stunning, and for headliners The Killers it was reported they could play at 106dBA
Despite the glorious sunshine that bathed the festival this year, the site is susceptible to windy conditions and this year was no different with the wind changing from all points of the compass. But again this was something the PA system was able to confine with ease.
avy Ogilvy, FOH engineer for Tom Odell, said, I thought it was great, I expected the sound to get blown away in the wind but all the power stayed there, I'm very happy. This was further endorsed by Mike Timm, FOH engineer for George Ezra. I was really impressed with how it held up in the wind, it sounded great and the low end was good. Yet more praise came from Paul David Hagar, FOH Engineer for Miley Cyrus, The rig sounded great, even with the wind. Everyone on the crew was so nice and professional but you guys always are. Had a great time mixing on the system.
FOH engineer for George Ezra. I was really impressed with how it held up in the wind, it sounded great and the low end was good
Martin Audio's unique MLA technology enables very fine control of how each array covers its designated audience area. Acoustic cells housed within each cabinet are independently controlled by their own amplifier and DSP channel, a total of six in each MLA. This control allowed RG Jones to specify exactly what SPL and frequency response was required across the audience, with the intelligent software automatically controlling the array to produce that result. As Ben Milton, system tech, commented, This amounted to just a 3dB drop off over the 200m-plus long audience area, with incredibly even frequency response.
The results overall were stunning, and for headliners The Killers it was reported they could play at 106dBA - the first time such high levels have been achieved in the history of Glastonbury - while corresponding offsite levels registered as 62dBA, the limit being 65dBA. For The Killers, it was a resounding triumph, putting to rest their previous headline set in 2007 that was marred by sound problems and ultimately led to RG Jones and Martin Audio being installed as the audio providers for the Pyramid stage ever since.
Kenny Kaiser, FOH engineer for The Killers, had nothing but praise. I've been touring with MLA for the last five years, but I've not had much experience with it outdoors and I was a little scared. But this system was phenomenal, everything was there, and MLA still has a very long lifespan in my opinion.
Meanwhile, West Holts enjoyed some equally stellar performances from the likes of Lizzo, Janelle Monae, Jorja Smith, Wu Tang Clan and Jeff Goldblum, and thanks to an upgraded audio deployment those performances connected perfectly to the audience. This year, West Holts had 14 MLA per side, an out hang on house left of six MLA Compact and a house right outfill of eight MLA Compact which helped to extend coverage out to the Pathway to extend arena space. 21 MLX subwoofers deployed in a cardioid pattern kept noise on stage to a minimum but chest pumping energy to the audience. Two hangs of 16 MLA Compact delays were positioned 95 metres from the stage and extended coverage for another 75 metres before tapering off sharply using Martin Audio's unique Hard Avoid feature to prevent sound spilling into market stalls. As system tech, Jack Bowcher, commented, This was a massive improvement from two years ago, with better quality audio through the field and better containment as well.
West Holts enjoyed some equally stellar performances
This audio quality was further endorsed by Andrew Lorenzo, FOH engineer for Hollie Cook. MLA sounded really crisp to me, I didn't do anything to the graphic, it's been really well tuned by RG Jones on site and I found it really full in both the bottom and high top end which is what I need for reggae. But it wasn't harsh which is the other thing I noticed
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
UP NEXT: Sky presents a bold slate of new, premium acquired content
Sky reveals slate of newly acquired premium drama and comedy, as i...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
UP NEXT: Sky unveils an unmissable genre-spanning slate...
18/03/2026
Back to All News
Preparatevi Alla Terza E Ultima Stagione De La Legge di Lidia ...
18/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Drops Teaser and First Look Images for The Chestnut M...
18/03/2026
New Playout-to-Delivery Capabilities Elevate ATSC 3.0 Experiences, Lower DTV In...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...