Hackney Cabs – Pioneer Pro Audio XY-3B system drives outdoor stage for 5000 at Hackney Carnival…

This year’s Hackney carnival was the biggest to date, with its attendance expected to be confirmed as well above the 60,000 who attended in 2018. The borough was awash with colour as the streets played host to dancers, entertainers, food stalls, children’s areas and sound stations. To help generate the fantastic atmosphere of what was a very culturally diverse celebration, music played an integral part in the event, with seven sound stages around the Hackney Central area, one of which was supported by online radio station NTS and leading record label, Island Records. The stage was located in a large supermarket car park on Morning Lane and featured artists such as Wiley, Donaeo, Ms Banks, Lil C, Felix, Kemal, Rockers LDN And Dubplate Pearl.

NTS approached Pioneer Pro Audio with a view to providing a top quality sound system for what was effectively a day-festival brief, covering a broad range of live music styles. Keen to help, Pioneer Pro Audio in turn consulted with The Audio Group who set up and managed the sound throughout the event. The nature of the line-up demanded a system that was punchy, clear and could deliver plenty of rich bass and Pioneer Pro Audio’s XY Series comfortably took care of business.

The front of house system comprised 6 x XY-3B 3WAY Bi-amp speakers, complemented by 10 x XY-218HS dual 18-inch horn loaded subs, whilst the DJ booth was equipped with 2 x XPRS 12 full range active speakers and 2 x XPRS 115 reflex loaded active subs. A further XPRS 12 was used in wedge mode for MC monitoring.

NTS and Island Records were very pleased with the outcome – Rory Bowens, Head of Radio Production at NTS Radio commented: 

“The Pioneer Pro Audio system worked perfectly in the wide, outdoor setting, giving a weighty audio experience for a huge crowd of over 5000 attendees. The DJs using the system played a diverse range of genres, new and old: soul, reggaeton, dancehall, dub and hip-hop. On top of this, the NTS stage hosted live performances by Donaeo and Ms Banks, as well as a surprise appearance from Wiley. The system did justice to all the sets and performances we put it through, both planned and unplanned. The Audio Group worked tirelessly on the setup, supporting the  NTS production team throughout the event as required.”

 The adaptable and flexible XY-3B has been at the heart of a varied programme of events this summer, taking in a a wide range of genres. The system’s high quality, neutral voicing allows it to be fine-tuned for the widest variety of applications, something that has been quickly recognised by the market since its release a little over two years ago.

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