Clearwing Productions recently provided sound reinforcement for the eighth annual Electric Zoo Festival in the form of L-Acoustics K1, K2 and Kara PA systems.

The two largest stages – Main and Riverside – particularly benefitted from the deployment of L-Acoustics’ new KS28 reference subwoofers powered by LA12X amplified controllers housed in LA-RAK II touring racks.

The festival, which took place in Randall’s Island Park in New York City over the Labour Day weekend, attracted a reported 83,000 electronic dance music fans with a lineup featuring many of the genre’s finest, including Tiësto, Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Bassnectar, Porter Robinson, Steve Aoki and many others. According to festival organisers, this year’s event marked the highest attendance since 2013, included a fully sold-out Sunday crowd of 33,000, and drew ticket holders from 90 countries and all 50 US states.

This year, Electric Zoo adopted a “Wild Island” theme. The outdoor Main Stage, constructed in the shape of a giant cobra rearing back to strike, featured two main PA hangs, each comprising 12 L-Acoustics K1 plus two K2 down fills, backed by separate arrays of eight K1-SB LF extension cabinets, all powered by LA8 amplified controllers. Down below, a dozen KS28 subs per side were grouped in fours, flipped upright with 1.5-foot spacing between them—with eight more located in the centre, configured as an end-fire array—all powered by LA12X amplified controllers. Six groundstacked K2s per side plus a dozen ARCS II provided additional fill.

On the outdoor Riverside Stage, which was encircled by an enormous, writhing octopus, the setup included eight K1 plus four K2 down fills flown per side, together with 16 KS28 subs. Two stacks of three Kara provided front-fill, while a pair of ARCS II per side handled out-fill. The Hilltop Arena tent, made over to look like an arctic icescape, featured six K2 per side with 12 SB28 subs, together with four ARCS II for fill, with five LA-RAKs driving the system. For the tented Sunday School Grove, decorated like a tropical jungle canopy, Clearwing supplied a main system of six Kara per side plus eight SB28 subs, with fill provided by two ARCS Wide, and with four X15 HiQ delays.

Robert Hegge, who served as Riverside Stage’s tech along with Jeff Mayer, was impressed with the new subs: “Every time I take out the KS28s, I’m more impressed with them,” he said. “I still find myself being caught off guard by the extended low frequency response, which is a lot of fun. They have much better transient response compared to the SB28, and they get much louder while still maintaining a tight, clean sound. Even when ground stacking, the integrated rigging allows you to securely lock blocks of subs together, which saves a lot of time compared to messing with ratchet straps.”

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