NEWS FOCUS: Burning Man
NEWS FOCUS: Burning Man
Opposite: Funktion-One loudspeakers have become a regular fixture at the event. Below: Burning Man takes place at Black Rock City
in the Nevada Desert; The main system featured two stacks of three Funktion-One F221 bass enclosures.
BURNING MAN 2013
PEOPLE UNFAMILIAR WITH BURNING MAN OFTEN ASSUME THAT IT’S A REGULAR FESTIVAL - A MOSTLY
PASSIVE EXPERIENCE WHERE EVERYTHING IS PLANNED, ORCHESTRATED AND PRE-PACKAGED BY THE
EVENT PRODUCERS, FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE ATTENDEES. IN FACT, AT BURNING MAN, THE
OPPOSITE IS TRUE. THE PEOPLE WHO GO ARE NOT JUST ATTENDEES, BUT ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN EVERY
SENSE OF THE WORD. THEY CREATE THE CITY, THE INTERACTION, THE ART, THE PERFORMANCE AND
ULTIMATELY THE EXPERIENCE. TPi HIT THE NEVADA DESERT TO INVESTIGATE.
If you’ve never read up on Burning Man’s
history, you should; it’s quite remarkable.
It began with the spontaneous actions of
a few and has become the unrehearsed
movements of more than 68,000 people,
who flock to the Black Rock Desert in
northwest Nevada. This is where the art of
community meets a community of art.
Funktion-One enjoys an affinity with Burning
Man’s volition and is an eager participant through its distributor and rental network in
the US. This year, over the final days of August
and first flurry of September, the familiar sight
of its loudspeakers took their place amongst
the magical, pop-up destination known as Black
Rock City.
You don’t need to have visited the Nevada
desert to grasp a sense of the challenges it
might present to the health of professional
audio equipment. Searing daytime heat can be
met with near freezing pre-dawn temperatures.
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And the alkaline playa dust, with its mild
conductivity and partiality for an electrical fault
or two, isn’t exactly the amp rack’s best friend.
Concert promoters Insomniac are Burning
Man veterans, as are Sound Investment Audio
- Funktion-One’s US distributor. Fully versed in
the challenging conditions, the two companies
collaborated once again to bring the muchloved Insomniac Art Car to the playa.
Every evening it would begin its voyage
around the site to be met by people’s astounded
reactions. Sound Investment’s Dan Agne
explained: “We would roll out every evening.
People would be looking out for us. They’d say
to us that they could hear the Funktion-One
system all the way across the playa, which
was really cool. It’s certainly the most efficient
demonstration of audio in terms of output to
footprint - people were overwhelmed by how
much authority the system had when it got
rolling. It was smooth and long - it just sounded
very nice at all times.”
The main system featured two stacks of
three Funktion-One F221 bass enclosures, each
one with double 21-inch drivers. The mid /
highs were delivered by a custom arrangement
of Funktion-One Resolution 3SH horn-loaded
10-inch and one-inch loudspeakers. While
the F221’s were selected for their smooth and
efficient bass, the mid / highs were chosen for
their compact size, high sensitivity and sonic
quality. Onboard the Art Car, sound came via
Funktion-One AX88’s and another F221, with
Resolution 2SH skeletal speakers and MB212
bass for DJ monitoring.
The amp rack 70kW of power to the system,
but for that to be maintained throughout
Burning Man, precautions had to be taken.
“There’s fine highly-alkaline playa dust blowing
around and it gets into everything,” said Agne.
“Add heat to the formula and you can actually
melt solder points, which is obviously a big
problem for electronic gear in the desert.”
Working with partner, Todd Konecny, the
duo devised a vacuum-based cooling system for
the amp racks, which activated fans when the
equipment got too hot - this kept operational
temperatures at a safe level. The system used
XTA DP448 controllers and the three-phase
power distribution came from a generator trailer
towed behind the car.
The environmental challenges weren’t
enough to dissuade Funkworks either, who
returned to the playa with Funktion-One for
the third consecutive year. Led by owner, Brad
Mayer, and Head Field Technician, Cody Kane,
the Funktion-One rental partner delivered sound
to Distrikt - which Mayer describes as “a very
respected staple of Burning Man,” and Agne as
“the ultimate day party”.
Running from 11am to 8pm, Distrikt serves
up a predominantly house music diet to the
crowds that descend from every corner of the
festival. As the largest daytime sound stage
at Burning Man with a 100% gifted open bar
serving blended frozen drinks, it has quite a
draw. People fill the surrounding area, a third of
which is set aside for bicycles, and become part
of the whole people watching, frenzied dancing
burner experience.
Funkworks supplied eight Funktion-One
Resolution 4 loudspeakers, two F215 mid bass
speakers and partnered them with eight F221
bass enclosures for the main system. Two
Funktion-One Resolution 2’s and two more subs
covered a section of stage set-aside specifically
for the audience to dance on.
Though he wasn’t discouraged by the testing
conditions, Mayer knew special measures would
need to be taken to protect the system. “Dust
is a huge factor. We build a clean room out of
quarter inch plywood, so that the racks - full
of MC2 amplifiers and XTA processor on both
are sheltered. Thick clear plastic windows mean
we can see in. We create holes in the back, into
which we drop air conditioning units. The result
is little to no dust damage. The amp racks look
like two little R2-D2 units hard at work peering
back at us.”
In fact, the system worked so well, it
prompted some glowing gratitude from one of
Distrikt’s music directors and co-founders, Ben
Seagren: “Funkworks were on point from start
to finish with the Funktion-One system - even
when I decided to fire it up at 8am. I can’t wait
for next year, when we do it all over again.”
Success for Funkworks and for Burning Man
too, said Mayer: “I’m always quite impressed
to see the level of energy that these people are
willing to put in - physical labour, fuel or hiring
PA equipment. We’re talking about serious
budget, where there is little or no immediate
return on value. This year was a complete
success.”
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NEWS FOCUS: Burning Man
Below: Event promoters, Insomniac, are Burning Man veterans, as are Sound Investment Audio.
Fractal Planet enjoyed a prosperous year too.
Bringing together a truly global collaboration of
festival partners, it attracted big crowds to what
is one of the largest camps. Funktion-One rental
partner Team Infinity Project - led by Ian Rever
Ginsburg - brought a huge sound system to the
space.
Touring speakers for in-fill. Monitoring on stage
came from two Resolution 2’s, two more F121’s
and two RM18 point source stage monitor
wedges. A separate area called the Visionary Art
Dome used two white Resolution 1.5 speakers.
Two Funktion-One E25, four E-45 and six
E90 amplifiers - all manufactured by MC2 -
“Funktion-One enjoys an affinity with Burning Man’s volition and is
an eager participant - through its distributor and rental network in
the US...”
“Fractal Planet was one of the largest
scale sound camp / installations on the playa,
often drawing more than 4,000 people,” said
Ginsburg. “Because of this, a large system
was required. The entertainment included
mainly electronic music producers and DJs,
with constant fire performance artists and
professional dancers coming on stage too.
Also in the mix was the occasional live band,
instrumentalist or vocalist.”
The system utilised 16 Funktion-One
Resoultion 5 Touring speakers, eight F221 and
eight F121 bass enclosures and two Resoultion 4
50
provided the power to the main system. A Full
Fat Audio FFA6004 and E25 powered the Res
4’s and a FFA6004 was on the RM18’s. XTA
DP448 controllers handled the processing.
Ginsburg continued: “We felt that to deliver
the proper experience in audio we followed
suit, with Funktion-One’s advice to only use
the Formula Sound mixer and that no other
mixer was sufficient. The fullness, balance, and
clarity of the signal provided by this mixer is
unmatched in the industry. We utilised MC2
amps and XTA processing for the main system
as well as a combination of FFA and MC2 amps
for infill and monitoring duties. Everything was
mixed on a Midas Venice 160.”
Funktion-One’s David Bruml was also in
attendance and after experiencing another
camp - Ooligan Alley - first hand, he
commented: “At times the vibe at Ooligan
Alley was really electric. The DJ booth was the
cockpit of an aircraft, which provided a perfect
base for the conditions. Great music and sound
combined with lasers, propane bursts and
positive people dancing in the desert under
the stars provided great audio moments of
crowd unity. The system specification was six
Resolution 4 enclosures per side - three wide
two high - with F221 bass.”
Those who saw, heard and experienced
Burning Man 2013 aren’t likely to forget it in
a hurry. Many try to articulate what it is and
what it means, but fall in on themselves as they
search for words that will do it justice.
But they are bonded by that indefinable
experience and probably will be again next year.
Sound Investment’s Dan Agne reflected: “I think
Burning Man is one of the greatest spectacles
on earth. To even fathom what it actually is and
what it involves - you have to experience it in
person. On a world stage level, it’s just mindblowing.”
TPi
www.burningman.com
www.funktion-one.com