Cardioid Bass Tower

Innovative solutions are essential in challenging environments, particularly when blending electronic dance music with a 20-person orchestra. This was the task at hand for the Madame Loyal festival, held in Marseille's Grand Palais, a vast Art Deco colossus. To meet the unique acoustic demands, a custom-designed asymmetrical bass tower by Funktion One was deployed. This setup delivered powerful, controlled low-frequency impact for the audience while ensuring a perfectly neutral environment for the numerous on-stage microphones, preserving the delicate balance required for the live orchestra.

The deployment's success was truly remarkable, exemplified by the comfort experienced by the monitor engineers positioned directly behind the bass tower. Despite its proximity, the innovative design ensured a controlled and coherent sound environment, allowing seamless monitoring without interference from excessive bass energy.

These events are not organized merely for sound engineers to showcase their equipment; ultimately, what truly matters is the audience's experience. To gauge their impressions, we reached out to members of the audience. Many attendees who had previously attended live concerts in this hall noted that it had never sounded this good before, as poor intelligibility and definition were typically the norm. Here are a few standout comments: "I can recognize the lyrics." "We’re finally able to sing the bass notes." "Sound is punchy and well-defined." These reactions underscore the significant improvement in sound quality and its impact on the audience’s enjoyment.