United Arab Emirates celebrates 40th National Day with Electro-Voice
January 25th, 2012
Electro-Voice press release
Each year on December 1, the United Arab Emirates celebrate their independence. The celebrations were especially lavish in 2011, as December 2 marked...
January 25th, 2012
Each year on December 1, the United Arab Emirates celebrate their independence. The celebrations were especially lavish in 2011, as December 2 marked the formal 40th anniversary of the coming together of the seven emirates to form the UAE. A comprehensive program of cultural and sporting events kicked off on December 1 to make this a true jubilee event.
The organizers entrusted responsibility for providing the sound reinforcement at two of the most important functions to Sound On Stage Events. Through its combination of outstanding know-how and state-of-the-art equipment, the Dubai-based company has established itself as one of the region's premier addresses in the pro audio sector. For this year's celebrations, the team from Sound On Stage Events was responsible for prestige stage productions in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, where well-known Arab artists performed with ensembles of up to 45 musicians.
The event in the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre in the nation's capital drew over 10,000 visitors. The main PA comprised 12 Electro-Voice X-Line line array elements and 6 Xsubs, whilst 14 XLD281 very compact line array elements served as side and front fills and 16 Xw12 monitors (along with Plasma P1 and Plasma P2 drum fills) rounded off the sonic image. The power was provided by 24 TG7 and TG5 amplifiers. The integrated RCM-26 modules afforded the Sound On Stage Events team the luxury of remote control and supervision.
"We wanted to make sure that all those who attended would retain positive memories of this event," says Mazen Saad, co-owner and managing director of Sound On Stage Events. "The competition in the market is stiff, which is why, whatever the production, we do our utmost to deliver the finest sound quality possible." Sound On Stage Events has already had outstanding experiences with X-Line, and that’s why it was the first choice for this prestigious event, as Rawad Saad, technical manager, co-owner and sound engineer for this production explains: "Our calculations showed that the X-Line was ideally suited to the demands of this event. Unlike rival systems, it offered optimal coverage and plenty of headroom – and even required fewer boxes!"
In Al Ain, the second largest city in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, the celebrations were scarcely less lavish, and once again it was Sound On Stage Events using Electro-Voice equipment that set the tone. The audience of 3,000 in front of the open-air stage in the Al Ain Heritage Village, for example, was served by a main PA comprising 16 Electro-Voice XLD281 line array elements and 4 Xsubs, complimented by 4 Rx 112/75 (front fill), 12 RX 115/75 (monitors and side fills), and TG and P3000 amplifiers. "The XLD system combined with the TG amps delivered a level of performance at the open-air stage in Al Ain that was more than remarkable," reports Rawad Saad, "whilst the director of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Committee, our client in the nation's capital, told us that of all the stages in Abu Dhabi, ours had the best sound – something of which we are rather proud and that allows us to approach future events with even greater confidence and motivation."
