Capital Sound's Keith Davis (left) and Paul Timmins - with new W8L stacks and amp racks.
Leading sound production company, Capital Sound Hire, have purchased their second line array system inside a year. The company was unable to extend their long relationship with Martin Audio the first time around as the High Wycombe-based company was still developing their own system. But that recently changed. Explained managing director, Keith Davis: "We had a client who wanted to use a line array system last year, which forced us to go a different route. But once Martin were able to demo their new W8L we were convinced.

Trialing the W8L on the Hear & Now tour, Vodafone Ball and dates with Blue, the engineers noticed how impressive the system sounded. "Now everyone who hears it just goes ‘wow’." The different characteristics of the two proprietary line array systems Keith believes will increase their already heavy concert, classical and corporate work schedule even more. "The two systems go hand in hand," he says, "their characteristics sonically are entirely different."

However, the Martin W8L is compatible with the W8C, of which Cap Sound hold a substantial stock - which further justified their investment in the initial batch of 24 W8Ls and a further 16 WSX subs - along with 24 Martin MA4.2 amplifiers. Another advantage is the speed with which the W8L can be rigged and derigged. "It’s fantastic - we were taking these down at 10 minutes a side," says Davis. "It’s part of the reason everybody loves the system."

He continued: "Martin have really put some good thought into this and we are now toying with the idea of travelling these boxes in clusters of threes and fours . . . to make the set-up time even quicker."

(Lee Baldock)


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