The Ministry of Sound has selected a Martin Audio Blackline monitoring system to meet the high-system specification of its newly-commissioned DTS 5.1 Digital Surround DJ station and multi-channel sound system — the first in the world.

The cutting-edge booth — relocated to the far end of the main room in the famous London club — is the first
to incorporate eight decks, along with seven sound mixers
and seven other input sources in a DTS Surround Sound environment.

Aware that other superclubs had adopted the Blackline F12 for their house booths, the Ministry of Sound decided to go one better, and on the recommendation of ProMedia Systems’ Matt Bate, the venue’s technical consultant Keith Hardy ordered five F15’s, to be run in conjunction with an S218 — creating the highest-impact combination in the Blackline series. The 6kW system is controlled from a BSS
Soundweb device.

The F15’s are arranged in the traditional 5.1 configuration, with the centre speaker mounted horizontally, horn down. The mighty sub is recessed in an enclosure at the centre rear.

Commented Martin Audio sales manager, Simon Bull, “The requirement at the Ministry is comprehensive owing to the 5.1 digital surround sound design. Using the F15’s makes this one serious system, which underlines the importance now given to DJ monitoring.”

He emphasised that ProMedia Systems’ Matt Bate had been instrumental in raising the Ministry of Sound’s awareness to Blackline. “He is very pro-Blackline, having specified the series recently at the Player in Northampton and installed a massive quad system at the new Leeds University Stylus dance venue.”

Footnote: Martin Audio also supported the Ministry’s premium outside event, when for the second year running the club took over the Millennium Dome for a 14-hour New Year’s Eve Dance Party.

Capital Sound Hire dug deep into their inventory of Martin Audio Wavefront 8C enclosures to provide sound reinforcement, although due to other W8 commitments in St Georges Square, Glasgow, and the necessity to match each mid/high box with a low-end enclosure, Cap Sound were required to sub-hire an additional 14 WSX subwoofers from the new Martin Wavefront inventory of London-based FX Music to fulfil their remit to the Ministry of Sound.

Four separate arenas — ‘Smoove’, ‘World Dance’, ‘Rulin’ and ‘Ministry Of Sound’ — were set up, and among the world-class DJs involved in the spinning marathon were Judge Jules, Dave Pearce, Alex P, Brandon Block, Adam F, Tiesto, Dream Teem, Norris Da Boss Windross, Pied Piper, Fabio and Grooverider.

Capital Sound Hire were contracted to kit out Smoove and World Dance — filling the two massive, 9,000-capacity 8-pole Khyam tents with powerful Martin Wavefront stacks.

Ministry technicians
with Matt Bate (in hat)