Paradiso Gets The Point

Amsterdam’s Paradiso Club is unquestionably the city’s most famous monument to live music and over the years, many of the world’s leading bands have appeared in the former neo-gothic church.

Martin Audio has also enjoyed a long tenure in the 1650-capacity venue, its classic late 1980’s F2 two-box system eventually giving way to Wavefront technology, when the W8C was developed.

But as technology matured the venue sought a more efficient way of getting sound up to the balcony levels in the towering vaulted ceiling, removing some of the hotspotting and reverberance resulting from the groundstacked W8C and the small centre Blackline H2 cluster.

The Paradiso invited TM Audio in for a demo and were so impressed that they retained the system on approval for a week, during which time engineers for Joe Jackson and Black Crowes added their weight to the argument.

TM Audio specified two 12 x W8LM hangs — but the real bonus came with the introduction of the new Martin Audio WMX subs, which they knew would radically reduce the stage footprint.

The configuration of 12 x WMX is divided in three groups: three (L/R) outer subs on stage, driven stereo and crossed over at 100Hz are complemented by a pair each of L/C/R subs concealed under the stage apron, driven mono and all crossed over at 80Hz.

The two front stage W8LM six-deep arrays are each stacked on two of the WMX subs, far left and right on stage. The entire system is powered by MA amplificaton.

Both Jaap Pronk and Milan Jilicik are delighted with the result. “By designing the system in this way, we can accurately point the flown arrays where we want them, while the stage W8LM’s are used to bring the power down.”

Summarises Jilicik, “Bands now say that since it is a Martin Audio line array then they are happy to play through it. The new system provides us both with even coverage and much more clarity.”

The Paradiso is not restricted to its main stage. A second room, frequently used for record company showcases, holds 275, and is equipped with W8C’s, while four Martin Audio Blackline H2’s and four S18’s can be found in the smaller Room 3.