Nexo powers Korea’s K-Pop Dream
Published: ASIA
KOREA: With more than 40,000 people descending on Seoul’s World Cup stadium for this year’s Dream Concert, sound rental company Way Audio was tasked with providing the main PA. A Nexo STM modular line array comprising more than 100 enclosures across just the two main arrays was selected to provide coverage.
Marking its 20th anniversary, the Dream Concert has become Korea’s leading K-Pop event. This year more than 30 performing artists and groups took to the Dream Stage, which was set up across the long side of the stadium. With performances from leading K-Pop artists including Girls’ Generation, BEAST, EXO, 4Minute, B1A4, Apink, Girl’s Day and many more, tickets for the concert had reportedly sold out within minutes.
Way Audio is no stranger to the STM having acquired the system several years ago. However there was some uncertainty as to whether the system would be capable of providing the necessary throw from just the two main arrays alone.
‘On the first set-up day, we were all concerned whether the main stage PA could carry clear HF to the back of the audience area, but our concerns disappeared very quickly,’ explained Way Audio system designer Yun Chul Lee. ‘It was clear that the 18-set arrays would handle the throw quite easily and that we did not need delay speakers. The show sounded fantastic, even with the mad screaming fans.’
The PA featured left and right arrays each comprising 18 STM M46 main cabinets, 18 B112 bass cabinets and 18 S118 subwoofers that provided coverage all the way to the rear of the stadium (140m away). A further 18 Nexo Geo T cabinets and 12 CD18 subwoofers were deployed as side fills to extend coverage to all four corners of the wide audience area. The entire system was powered by 10 Nexo Universal Amp Racks (NUARs).
Mixing services for the show were also provided by Way Audio, with Mr Chul Kim at FOH and Jin Sung in charge of monitoring. The large monitoring system comprised PS15 enclosure as well as the manufacturer’s in-line monitors, the 45°N-12.