Slayer played two sold-out shows on 1-2 May and easy sounding they are not. As Slayer proclaimed that God Hates Us All in support of their latest CD, all ears were tuned to the Mach SlingShot system.
The system is comprised of eight Mach MS1262 SlingShot top-boxes and four MS15X2 SlingShot fly-bass units with additional power coming from 12 Ballister subwoofers. Six Mach M12T full-range speakers are used for front-fill. Four compact Mach M1201T and four full-range M1502Ts are used as stage monitors. Control of the system comes from three Mach M20.06 loudspeaker management processors. Anaheim-based Integrated Media Systems installed the complete system.
Chris Wrightsman, production operations manager at The Grove, commented on the SlingShot’s Grove debut: "The debut show on the new Mach system totally blew everyone away. Slayer, we all knew, would be an extreme test of Mach's capabilities. It performed amazingly well, with everyone complimenting the system’s coverage, overall tonality, and ultimately for Slayer, bone-crushing volume."
High quality output isn’t the only benefit of the Mach system. Previously blocked by the earlier sound system’s large size, two large video screens remain fully visible due to the SlingShot’s smaller size. Now The Grove can use the video screens to their full potential. A compact system also meant that installation was simple compared to the previous heavy system. Besides use as a concert venue, The Grove offers event catering, conferences, themed events and a main room which accommodates awards ceremonies, sales meetings or product launches.
(Lee Baldock)
