L-Acoustics Shines at Adelaide’s Summer Sounds Festival 2021

South Australia’s Summer Sounds Festival was a four-week outdoor concert series offering the joy of live sound to a 2,100-capacity audience. Eighteen shows ran the whole month of January, with festival-goers safely and comfortably spaced in ‘Party Pods’ that accommodated four to six people each. The festival celebrated Australian artistes such as Bernard Fanning, Spiderbait, and Hayden James. Through the collaboration of Five Four Entertainment, Groove Events, and Secret Sounds, the festival promoters looked to Adelaide-based L-Acoustics rental network partner Novatech to provide that dynamic live sound festival-goers have been craving.

 

Festival-goers could choose from VIP, Gold, Silver, or Bronze seating packages. VIP Pods occupied the first five rows and boasted an exclusive toilet block, faster drink service, and a choice of premium drinks.

With fans restricted to their Pods, the challenge of providing consistent, clear coverage to the whole audience area was crucial, so the Novatech team approached this festival with a precise and careful sound design. The main PA consisted of 12 K2 line array elements and eight SB28 subs per side, and four Kara for front fill hidden behind scrims. For delay, Novatech turned to their Syva colinear line source, cleverly rigged to the rear of the Party Pod, with Syva Sub tucked below. The slender but powerful Syva provided ample coverage for the pods in the back rows while ensuring clear views of the stage. The sound coverage for festival attendees was matched by the Novatech team, who provided the musicians on stage with 10 L-Acoustics X15 HIQ as fold back wedges, accompanied by two L-Acoustics SB18 subs to shake the bottom end.
 

Leko Novakovic, Managing Director at Novatech, was overwhelmed by the success of this new way of experiencing live music. “While some people were apprehensive about being ‘penned in’, all doubts were removed after the first weekend. About 80% of the feedback we’ve heard is that this is the way all festivals should be staged from now on, COVID or not. Most people want comfort and luxury, and to be able to sit down,” he explains. “The VIP and Gold sections are really nice, with their white picket fencing and vines, and everyone has tables and chairs. The Silver and Bronze pods that are further back are on raised decks, so everyone has good sightlines. Audiences need to experience this system for the first time to appreciate how great it is.”
 

Novakovic adds that this festival was made possible thanks to the support of the South Australia authorities, especially by the territory’s Health and Chief Public Health Office Professor Nicola Spurrier, which in turn got the nod of approval from South Australia’s Premier Steven Marshall.

The success of the Summer Sounds Festival demonstrates that close collaboration between promoters, providers, local authorities, and artistes allows for innovative and sustainable ways to experience live music during the pandemic.
 

About Novatech Creative Event Technology:

Novatech Creative Event Technology is one of Australia's leading and most respected audio visual production companies. Driven by a passion and commitment to staging exceptional events, we have the expertise, technology and resources to produce and stage truly unique conferences, gala dinners, product launches, road shows and concerts that surpass our client’s expectations. Our world-class team, cutting edge technology and in-depth experience across a wide range of venues provides you with the confidence and peace of mind when staging your next event.

About L-Acoustics
Founded in 1984 near Paris, France, L-Acoustics is the market leader in professional sound reinforcement technologies. With over 550 team members worldwide and offices in Paris, London, Los Angeles, and New York, L-Acoustics is present in over 80 countries via our network of Certified Providers. Focused on solutions that elevate the audience experience, more than 20% of L-Acoustics’ talent is devoted to R&D in the areas of acoustics, applications, mechanics, electronics, signal processing, and software development. In recognition of creating innovative professional sound technology, L-Acoustics was named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2020.
 

Recognized for pioneering the line source array, L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of the professional audio industry with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, a multidimensional, object-based approach to designing, mixing, and processing sound that results in extremely natural and intelligible audio, and a more vibrant, authentic connection between artists and their fans. Now also available for exceptional private sound spaces with L-Acoustics Creations designs.
 

L-Acoustics technologies can be heard in places like the Hollywood Bowl, Dickies Arena, Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich, or the Philharmonie de Paris, as well as the world’s top-grossing festivals, and on tour with world-class artists such as Mark Knopfler, Aerosmith, and P!NK.