Irish indie rock and pop band “Walking On Cars’ has built its popularity by the time-
honoured method of outstanding musicianship, superb songwriting, and tireless
touring. Hailing from Kerry, Ireland, the group recently played its first headlining
show in Dublin’s 14,500-seat 3Arena.

This auspicious graduation from opening act to headliner required a PA (Public
Address) system with the fidelity and power to fill the arena. Limerick-based Murt
Whelan Sound, which handles the band’s touring sound needs, selected the X-Line
Advance line array system by Electro-Voice for the task. Taking the role of system
designer and project manager for the show, Managing Director Murt Whelan used
EASE Focus and LAPS room acoustics simulation software to ensure that every seat
in 3Arena was fully covered.

The system deployed consisted of two 18-box arrays of Electro-Voice X2/212-90
loudspeakers as main hangs, with an additional pair of 14-box arrays as outfills to
cover the side areas. X12-128 subwoofers from Electro-Voice provided the low
frequencies, with 34 of these powerful dual 18-inch speakers augmenting the main
arrays. To complete the coverage, four additional X2/212-90 loudspeakers were
spaced along the stage lip and atop the subwoofers for nearfield coverage of the
first few rows. On stage a pair of subwoofers was employed as drum fills, bringing
the total count of X-Line Advance loudspeakers to 104 – the largest deployment on
record for a single event.

The entire system was supervised via Electro-Voice IRIS-Net software, affording full
control of every component and function, from FIR (finite impulse response)
loudspeaker filter optimization to precise room signal processing via the Electro-
Voice N8000 digital matrix controller. Power was provided by a total of 48 Electro-
Voice TG7 amplifiers, outfitted with RCM-28 remote control modules to enable the
operator to monitor and control the entire system from a single computer interface.

Murt Whelan Sound is a longtime user of the Electro-Voice X-Line Advance, having
first purchased the system in 2014. One big advantage that Whelan enjoys about the
system is its scalability. In addition to the ability to handle concerts in large venues
like 3Arena, its components also excel at the many smaller events the company
provides throughout Ireland.

For “Walking On Cars’, the 3Arena gig represented a turning point in their career,
requiring the same professional production as a major tour. It was natural that the
group would turn to Murt Whelan Sound, which regularly provides for the band’s
touring sound requirements. Lighting, video and staging was provided by Joe Betts
of Made for Stage Ltd., rigging hire specialists from County Clare.

The Electro-Voice equipment included a N8000 NetMax digital matrix controller, X2-
212/90 line array loudspeakers, X12-128 dual 18-inch subwoofers and TG7
amplifiers with RCM-28 control modules.