Celebrating its 28th year, April Jazz brings the world’s top jazz artists to the Finnish city of Espoo from April 22 to 27. This year, acts such as Snarky Puppy, Angélique Kidjo, Tiempo Habana, and The Kenny Garrett Quintet are supported by more than 100 Meyer Sound loudspeakers at all three principal venues located in and around the Espoo Cultural Center.
2014 marks the April Jazz debut of Meyer Sound’s new MJF‑210 stage monitors, 10 of which were recently purchased by the Espoo Cultural Center, and will remain in its permanent inventory. Sound reinforcement support and equipment supply come from Espoo-based Studiotec, with logistical coordination by Antti Murto.
As the main venue for the festival, the April Jazz Arena features a JM‑1P arrayable loudspeaker system supporting artists such as the Omer Avital Quintet and The Pedrito Martinez Group. Erected on a grassy courtyard across from the cultural center, the covered venue features main arrays of five JM-1P loudspeakers each and six 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements. The system also features MINA line array loudspeakers for front fill and UPQ-1P loudspeakers for out fill. The foldback system includes 10 MJF-210 stage monitors, in addition to UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and 500-HP subwoofers for monitor side fill and UPJ-1P loudspeakers and a 650-P subwoofer for drum fill. Additional UPJ-1P loudspeakers are available for VIP area delays.
Inside the cultural center’s Tapiola Hall, performances are heard through a permanently installed house system comprising dual arrays of 12 M’elodie line array loudspeakers each, with dual flown arrays of three 500-HP subwoofers each and two 700-HP subwoofers on the ground. UPA-1P and UPM‑1P loudspeakers supply front fill and in-fill, with 10 MJF-210 stage monitors for artist foldback.
Also inside the cultural center, Louhi Hall is transformed into jazz club “Café Louhi.” The stage features dual arrays of eight MINA line array loudspeakers each with four 500-HP subwoofers, two flown and two on the ground. Galileo loudspeaker management systems supply drive and optimization at all three venues, with two Galileo 616 processors each at the April Jazz Arena and Tapiola Hall, and one at Louhi Hall.