Electro-Voice

• Over 5,000 music-lovers attended the second Burghauser Konzertsommer this August
• The programme included Peter Cornelius, Roger Cicero, Hansi Hinterseer, and the ‘Night of Musicals’
• MSE Tontechnik provided the sound reinforcement, relying on equipment from Electro-Voice

Running from August 5-8, this year saw the second edition of the Burghauser Konzertsommer mini-festival, featuring four evenings, four genres, and a setting with which few others in the world can compare: the inner courtyard of “the longest castle in the world,” Burghausen Castle. With acclaimed performances by jazz star Roger Cicero and his band, Austrian bard Peter Cornelius, German Volksmusik charmer Hansi Hinterseer, and the similarly well-received ‘Night of Musicals’ gala, it was a formula that proved successful once again this year. Despite the wet and cold weather, organizers Creative Concerts were pleased to welcome 5,000 visitors.

This year as last, the festival’s sound production was the responsibility of a team from rental company MSE Tontechnik. As well as the sheer variety of the acts performing, the medieval venue—a 60 x 20 metre courtyard—also posed challenges for the crew of technicians: since the gates were so small, the equipment actually had to be transferred to a smaller transporter for the last kilometre of the route, and high trees and the risk of reflections from the castle walls further complicated the task. “It’s no easy matter here,” commented MSE chief Johannes Schilling, “to deliver sufficient information in the midrange and high-frequency area, as well as a clear bass foundation to the furthest rows.”

MSE Tontechnik’s specialists were, however, familiar with the problem from previous events—and knew exactly how to solve it: “The compact XLVC line-array system with XLD281 loudspeakers from Electro-Voice is ideal for the purpose,” Schilling says. “It also carries long distances. In this case, the furthest row was over 60 metres away, yet, even there, the sound was powerful and precise.” The quality of the projection, in fact, was something that startled other sound engineers attending the event. “They were amazed also at how much bass pressure the eight-inch woofers of the twenty-four XLD enclosures were able to generate,” he added.

For their main PA, the MSE Tontechnik crew opted for twelve flown EV XLD281 array modules per side, with nearfield coverage provided by four EV T221M loudspeakers. EV Xi-1152/64F loudspeakers served as outfills; twelve EV Xsubs reinforced the bass.

Delivering reproduction at once detailed and rich in dynamics, it was a setup that showed the lively swing of Roger Cicero and his band to the best advantage, as well as the subtle tones of singer/songwriter Peter Cornelius; that oozed Broadway flair throughout the ‘Night of the Musicals’, and warmth and good cheer when Hansi Hinterseer took to the stage. “The XLD is extremely versatile,” remarked Schilling, “—and, thankfully, robust! There was a downpour during the Roger Cicero’s performance, but neither the equipment nor the morale of the audience took the hit.”

Stefan Löwen, the head of Creative Concerts, summed things up nicely: “High-quality equipment that functions flawlessly gives us organizers one less thing to worry about. That’s why MSE-Tontechnik will be my first choice for next year’s event as well.”