The inaugural Montreux Jazz Festival Miami made waves this March, marking the legendary festival’s first venture onto US shores in decades. The event presented diverse musical performances against a backdrop of breathtaking waterfront vistas, with world-class sound from the Montreux Jazz Festival Miami’s Official Sound Partner, Meyer Sound.

The intimate 1,500-person festival at The Hangar at Regatta Harbour, showcased an eclectic lineup led by headliners Jon Batiste, Daniela Mercury, and Daryl Hall, topped off each night with legendary Montreux Jam Sessions. Set against the sparkling waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami’s Coconut Grove, The Hangar offered a unique concert setting that echoed the festival’s tradition of showcasing musical brilliance against stunning scenery.

The Hangar — built in 1918 as the first continental naval air station in the United States — is rich in history and raw industrial charm. But the cavernous 20,000-square-foot space, with its thin corrugated metal walls and vast expanses of windows, also presented significant acoustic challenges.

For 38 years, Meyer Sound has been the Strategic Partner and Official Sound Provider of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. So it was only fitting that the company was chosen to provide premium sound for the inaugural Miami edition, led by the ace production team of Jeremy Arditi, co-chair of Montreux Festival Miami and Sig Greenbaum, festival director for MJF Miami.

Navigating the venue’s acoustical intricacies, Pete Diaz Productions A1s Richard Gomez and Oliver Quintero worked with Meyer Sound’s sales and technical support services to optimize the audio experience for performers and audiences alike.

The Hangar was equipped with nine Meyer Sound LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers and four 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements per side, with LEOPARD and 900-LFC side fills; MJF-210 and MJF-212A stage monitors; and ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers as front fills, out fills, and delays. Systems were driven by Galileo GALAXY 816 and Callisto 616 processors.

Through advanced sound mapping via Meyer Sound’s MAPP 3D sound system design tool, along with strategic system configurations, the team was able to overcome the venue’s acoustical challenges, controlling bass and minimizing reverberation to ensure that every performance sounded pristine, from soulful ballads to bombastic rocking grooves.

“Acts varied a lot,” said Peter Diaz, owner of Pete Diaz Productions, which supplied sound for the event. “We had a lot of jazz musicians that were just a piano and a vocal. Then we had bigger-sounding acts like Cimafunk and Daniela Mercury. The Wailers were probably the ones that had the most bass — we had to tweak the low end a lot with MAPP 3D in order to eliminate rattling of the venue.” Meyer Sound’s 2100-LFCs, configured in a cardioid array, delivered the powerful bass integral to the reggae legends’ music, while ensuring low end was both controlled and defined.

Visiting engineers were impressed by The Hangar’s sonic transformation. “I was told there would be a DiGiCo Quantum 338 console along with a Meyer LEOPARD line array at front of house, so I was excited going into the gig,” noted Full Circle Sound LLC Owner/Operator Rex Marshall, who mixed FOH for Cimafunk.

“I know this ‘warehouse sound’ all too well. It’s typically very difficult to create a mix everyone in the audience will enjoy,” he says. “We started soundchecking and my anxiety instantly went away. The subs were tight and the vocals were extremely clear…these boxes have great coverage. It was a very pleasant experience being able to mix on the Meyer LEOPARD rig.”

Outside, a VIP stage showcased DJ sets hosted by Dante’s Hi-Fi, a vinyl listening bar. Meyer Sound LEOPARD compact linear array loudspeakers, stacked four per side along with two 900-LFC compact low-frequency elements, flanked the stage, with ULTRA-X40 and 900-LFCs used as fills.

Diaz, whose company has been a Meyer Sound partner for more than 30 years, adds that Meyer Sound’s self-powered systems make it easy for him to be agile at any event. “Our company is so used to using self-powered speakers and the fact that we can just put them wherever we want at the drop of a dime. We don’t want to work any other way.”

By blending cutting-edge technology with artistic vision, the Miami festival team has honored the Montreux legacy while forging a new chapter in the festival’s storied history.

“The organizers were really excited about how amazing everything sounded,” added Diaz. “I think we really represented the Montreux brand well, and we were able to encompass the Montreux feeling in Miami.”

“Going into a literal hangar with the reputation of the Montreux Jazz Festival on the line was a daunting task,” concluded Greenbaum, “but the Meyer Sound team quickly put my concerns to rest with their brilliant sound design and unwavering dedication to excellence.”

Meyer Sound