When London-based rental company, Centre Stage, recently made a strategic move into high-end PA, with the purchase of 20 Martin Wavefront W8C/WSX stacks from distributors LMC Audio, they created a mighty stockholding of proprietary enclosures at their warehouse.

For Centre Stage proprietor, Graham Baker shares the Staples Corner facility he occupies in north west London with another W8C-based company, FX Music.

This will give the combined companies a joint stockholding of more than 50 W8C stacks — providing ample power to undertake large stadium and arena shows. And it’s already paying off.

In the past Centre Stage have specialised in one-off arts events shows and local authority events — and last summer provided coverage for Ms Dynamite at West Ham’s Upton
Park stadium.

Coincidentally, that was precisely who was on the bill when FX Music fielded 28 W8C tops and 24 WSX subwoofers this month — crosshired to another long-time Martin advocate, Encore PA. The event was a corporate Siemens event to launch their Xelibri fashion phone at the Old Billingsgate
Fish Market.

Sharing the bill were Shirley Bassey and Christine Aguillera, and while FX Music supplied the bulk of the PA, Encore provided all the DJ front end for production company,
Outer Sanctum.

FX Music was started by brothers, Dave and Alan Beck 18 years ago. Though they had been early adopters of some of Martin’s pioneering split bins it was only 15 months ago that they made the investment in Wavefront, ditching their old system in favour of 32 W8C’s and 24 WSX’s.

“We went with Martin primarily because they are a UK-based manufacturer ... and we’ve never regretted it,” said Dave. “It’s worked out very well and we are extremely happy. It’s about the best box purchase we’ve made.” >>

<< It has also given FX Music — who specialise in corporate event work as well as classical spectaculars and rock ’n’ roll — the facility to inter-hire with Martin’s other great London rental house, Capital Sound Hire … plus of course Centre Stage and Encore.

Over at Centre Stage, Graham Baker said he had been heavily influenced by the Beck Brothers’ decision to back Martin Audio, “It was they who introduced me to Martin Audio, and I must say I have always felt confident about their systems. The day FX Music went out and bought their 32 stacks the writing was on the wall.

“Principally the system sounds good, it trucks well, it’s easy to cross-hire — and the back-up is exceptional.

“We looked at other systems, and as we became increasingly aware of their problems, it quickly turned into a one horse race.”