Pioneer Pro Audio XY-Series systems deliver immersive experience at Dystopia festival, Belgium.
Dystopia is an electronic music festival that takes place at the historical 19th century fortress, Fort 3, in Borsbeek near Antwerp in Belgium. The first Dystopia took place in 2014 as a one-day event and has subsequently grown to spread over two days and three stages. The festival is mainly focused on house music and is proud of its alternative outlook and unique location. At this year’s renewal in June, rental companies Kage Audio and FOL Rental were engaged to supply audio systems for the Main, Techno and VIP stages and chose Pioneer Pro Audio XY-Series throughout.
On the Main Stage which featured The Magician, DJ Licious and Low Steppa amongst many others, 14 x XY-3B were deployed with 6 x XY-2, 4 x XY-122, 12 x XY-218HS and 4 x XY-128S. The DJ booth was equipped with 2 x XY-122 and 2 x XY 218S. On the smaller Techno Stage, which featured DJs such as Tach, Daoud and Ravenous, Kage Audio set up an immersive system based around 8 x horizontally mounted XY-122 and 4 x XY-218S, employing Sonic Emotion’s Wave 2 3D sound processor and a Digital Audio Denmark matrix. The system took full advantage of the 90° dispersion available across the XY range.
This setup offered a glimpse into the future use of immersive sound at live events. The technology enables engineers to deliver a carefully controlled and enhanced listening experience for the audience and Pioneer Pro Audio’s XY-Series provided the perfect vehicle for realising Kage Audio’s ambitions. The Techno Stage DJ booth utilised 2 x XY-122 and 2 x XY215S and the overall picture was completed on the VIP stage with 2 XY-122 and 2 x XY-115S.
Pioneer Pro Audio’s XY-Series systems are enjoying a busy summer, featuring at a range of festivals across a wide spectrum of genres. Whilst they are a go-to choice for electronic music events, more and more rental companies are tuning in to the power and versatility that can be harnessed just as usefully for live bands, with appearances at rock festivals very much on the increase.