RCF ignites Latin Festival of Salsa at the Mexico City Arena

The first Latin Festival of Salsa at the Mexico City Arena hosted some of the greatest exponents of this musical genre. These included Víctor Manuelle, who has received numerous awards during his wide ranging musical career, such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards; Puerto Rican artist, Eddie Santiago, who boasts an an extensive international career; Oscar de León, the Venezuelan artist who is known worldwide as the Pharaoh of Salsa, and special guests such as the Sonora Dynamite of Lucho Argain.

The Mexico City Arena is one of the biggest indoor venues in the World, with a capacity of 22,300 seats and 128 suites, with around 100 meters distance from the loudspeaker array bumper to the rearmost seat (depending on the height of the array). Officially opened in 2012, it’s one of the most important concert venues in México.

“We needed smooth coverage and a lot of Sound Pressure Level because we knew all the people were going to be dancing and screaming with Salsa music,” states Rodrigo Lopez, the Festival’s sound system engineer. “Using RCF was great in such a difficult venue as this, because we get a flat eq response system, with broadband 0° phase response. FiRPHASE was so helpful in obtaining that crispy high-frequency response in those furthest seats, so they could hear Salsa music as it should.”

In addition to the complete upgrade of the internal DSP processing of the TT and HDL systems with the new FiRPHASE, three FIR EQ settings are available on each RDNet zone for a precise tonal shaping on high frequencies.

FiRPHASE was so helpful in obtaining that crispy high-frequency response in those furthest seats, so they could hear Salsa music as it should

“RDNET is such a powerful tool, and it helped a lot to do all the alignment and tuning of the system, so band operators don`t have to EQ much on their mixes.”

The sound was so powerful and intelligible that the Arena CDMX production management has now appointed the rental company responsible, Soundset Producciones, as one of the in-house choices.

“I’ve been using RCF for five years now; it’s my top choice.” Lopez continues. “It always appears at the top of my riders, and it has been growing in acceptance and importance. Last year we used RCF for artists like Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and Bobby McFerrin at the International Jazz Fest in La Rivera Maya (first time for the RCF TT+ Systems). The organizers were so pleased that we are going to do eight further events in that area and one International Jazz Fest in Spain.”

RCF Products Used

40 RCF TTL 55-A Main

28 RCF HDL 50-A Side Fill

12 RCF TTL 33-A Delay

12 RCF TTL 33-A Front Fill

18 RCF TTS 56-A Subs Gradient Cardioid Configuration

The entire system was connected to the RDNet Network Management

“I’ve been using RCF for five years now; it’s my top choice.”