Cape Town is regarded as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and it’s in the summer months that travellers from all over the world to marvel at the sights, sounds and the natural beauty of the southernmost tip of Africa. And no holiday in Cape Town is complete without taking in a show at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, dubbed the “Red Rocks” venue of South Africa.
Audio Engineering have been the sole service providers for the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens Summer Sunset Series since they began 20 years ago. The supply was initially four 15” speakers on poles and has grown to include a full Meyer Sound solution.
Based in Cape Town, Audio Engineering are a full service live-sound rental, technical supply, and operation and production company. Boasting a complete Meyer Sound rig they not only provide audio for the regular Summer Sunset Series of concerts but are also able to meet the rider requirements for top international artists. Most recent acts to perform at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens include Yusuf Cat Stevens, The Pixies, Texas and Johnny Clegg.
The company are currently using the Meyer Sound M3D and M’Elodie series PA and had this to say about it:
“The Meyer Sound products have been a revelation for us. The build-quality, longevity and consistency is nothing short of astounding.
The M3D’s are of a certain age now, but they are still so capable of delivering fantastic results that we wouldn’t hesitate investing in any Meyer Sound products for our business. We recently replaced a couple of drivers on the M3D’s and as a testament to the longevity, the boxes sound identical.
Meyer Sound are able to service their products well after they have been discontinued and in our experience that is something that very few manufacturers are capable of getting right.
Our experience at Kirstenbosch specifically, has been fantastic. The boxes are exposed to the harsh outdoor environment of Cape Towns’ weather for 4 months and all that is required of us is to give them a good cleaning at the end of each season.
The M3D’s and M’Elodies are able to cover this idiosyncratic venue better than we expected and with the use of MAPP XT prediction software and the Galileo System Processor, we are able to get results very quickly when on-site. The acts that we see at Kirstenbosch really run the gambit of variety and the Meyer Sound system has been able to deliver on everything from Hard Rock to Classical effortlessly.”
This season’s Kirstenbosch Summer Series kicks off soon with a line-up that includes a nice diversity of up and coming South African artists, and a great selection of established artists. The international acts have reached new levels of cool. Boney M, on the slopes of Table Mountain, just before Christmas? We can’t wait.
Kudos to Audio Engineering to being such an integral part of such a world class event, and we all hope this season, and the seasons to come continue to be the success they are now.