"We needed to buy a line array system to keep up with the competition in Norway," says Belco Audio's sound engineer Erlend Stein. "We weren't the first company in Norway to purchase a line array system, but there aren't that many available in the country yet, and the Cohedra system is definitely the best solution for us."
Belco was particularly impressed by the system's enlarged near-field capabilities which it felt far exceeded that of other brands. "Cohedra is very good at reproducing vocals; it's easy to bring the vocals up on top of absolutely any kind of music, from heavy metal to pop," continues Stein. "It also has the best rigging hardware I've seen on a line array system so far, and it even allows you to adjust the angles while the speakers are up in the air."
Belco's Cohedra system has already been used at the Porsgrunn International Theatre (PIT) 2004 festival, for the opening act in the city square with an audience of 7,000 people, and at the Kragero Festivalen which featured some of Norway's most popular bands. According to Stein, Cohedra received positive feedback from sound engineers who were particularly impressed with the long near field throw, its vocal clarity and with the two 10" bass drivers within the CDR 210s. "We've already had some enquiries from other Norwegian rental companies who want to buy the system," he says. "It's perfect for the Norwegian market because lots of our venues are small and it's so compact and easy to fly."
(Lee Baldock)