Event Acoustics, part of the Ampco Flashlight Group, can be found in Hall 8 on stand H04, where visitors can get up close and personal with the pioneering new features of MeTrao 2.0.
The MeTrao 2.0 provides audio professionals and event organizers with a quick and easy way to measure and observe the increasingly strict sound level regulations prevalent today.
Designed from real life experience gained managing the sound levels of various large-scale Dutch and Belgian festivals such as North Sea Jazz and Laundry Days, Event Acoustics developed the system's latest useful features based on challenges that arose at such events.
"What is unique about our system is its level of sensitivity," says Peter van der Greer, senior consultant for Event Acoustics. "Today it can highlight which stage of a multi-stage festival is causing a problem and in some cases what frequencies or combination of frequencies are causing the regulation noise levels of an event to be breached. This means any issue can be pinpointed and solved at the exact source, rather than changing the overall volume levels of all 20 stages.
"When we first got involved with Lowlands festival in 2009 they had been trying to solve the problem of the reduction of the noise limit in the environment from 64 dB(A) to 50 dB(A) at 11pm by creating a 15 minute break and lowering the levels in all the tents. At the same time the organiser wanted the dance tents louder. As soon as we came on board with MeTrao it was sorted - festival management were stood behind us watching and were in awe of how quickly we solved it!"
The MeTrao can identify the frequency level of the problematic stage from up to a kilometre away, even at a levels of up to 15db below background level. It's also a one-stop shop multi sensor tool for measuring a range of other factors, including wind and compression, which mitigates the need for extensive control rooms full of different systems.
"The system is also an energy and money saving tool as it can even tell festival food vendors how much energy they're using, enabling them to adapt for the following year," continues van der Geer.
A further problem-solving feature of the MeTrao 2.0 is that it can aid communication between event engineers and project managers through its chat system. Messages are logged and change colour when acknowledged and responded to. This can help keep everything running smoothly on a networked system and ensures a number of different regulations are adhered to from one place.
This active control system not only works for events but has also been implemented in the city of Rotterdam as a means to keep noise complaints to a minimum. Numerous city centre bars and clubs have purchased the MeTrao system to alert the DJ/venue manager when the noise is close to unacceptable levels so they can make the necessary adjustments. This has seen neighbourhood complaints reduced by a whopping 60% in the past two years.
Alongside Me Trao 2.0, Event Acoustics will be exhibiting TexLnt, its modular low frequency baffle system. The special drapes, which increase the absorption of bass tones of less than 100 Hz by over seven times, are now fully certified to the German B1 fire-rating certificate according to the German standard DIN 4102. This equals the French M1 and the UK class 0.
"The new certification is fantastic, as it means we can offer the TexLnt system globally. We're the only manufacturer with this level of approval," says van der Geer.
This is good news for venues and audiences everywhere, as even with the best sound systems and engineers, the complaints about sound quality are not unheard of. This is often combatted with the use of conventional drapes, however
