Radio Riot Delivers Arena-Scale Sound To Pub Circuit With Martin Audio BlacklineQ Series

Radio Riot, a three-piece pub and function band, is taking big-gig sonics to intimate rooms with Martin Audio's new Blackline Q Series loudspeakers. Frontman and guitarist David Preston selected the compact rig to ensure the band's high-energy, guitar-led set lands with impact regardless of venue size.

Preston has performed with bassist Luke Stephens and drummer Dean Fowler since his teens. "We did originals, covers, and an Oasis tribute band over the last 25 years together but around 9 years ago stopped because life got busy," he explains. "We all missed it, so we got back into it last year with Radio Riot."

Production values are central to the group's approach. "We want to create a big gig feel," he says. "Everything is mic'd up no matter what the venue, whether it's a small function room, a cricket club or a pub. We want the full show, every time."

Their set is enhanced with backing tracks carrying keys, strings and synths. "When we're doing songs like 'Bittersweet Symphony' or 'Town Called Malice,' we need those strings and keyboards to land properly," he notes. "We spent a year and a half building the show before we played our first gig."

Seeking big-show headroom from a system that would still fit in the boot of a car, Preston chose the passive BlacklineQ range with external amplification. "With self-powered systems, you sometimes hit limiters too early," he explains. "Stepping up to external amplification gives you much more headroom and quality and allows us to control the PA far better."

The current rig comprises a pair of Blackline Q15 tops with two Blackline Q118 subwoofers. The Q15 delivers a peak SPL of 133dB via a 15-inch LF driver with a 4-inch voice coil and a 1.4-inch exit HF compression driver with a 3-inch dome, coupled to a 70°–90° (horizontal) × 50° (vertical) Differential Dispersion horn for even audience coverage. The Q118 is a compact 18-inch sub extending response down to 38Hz with a 136dB peak SPL.

Preston says the combination delivers both punch and detail. "I love the top-end clarity that the Q15 delivers," says Preston. "And because we always mic up the full backline, the subs handle whatever we throw at them. The PA handles the whole band even when we have all the synths, keys, or full-range horn parts on the track as well, and we can still break the system down easily and load it into our cars."

Load-in speed and manageable weight were also priorities. "It's a system we can put up and power on quickly," he says. "The subs are light enough to lift into a car on your own, and even the 15s aren't unreasonably heavy—it's essentially a one-man operation. What we're running now is smaller than we had before but delivers the same power with considerably more clarity.

For control, Preston runs Martin Audio's System Engineer 8 software on a tablet, using the Linea Research amplifier's onboard DSP for tuning. "I do my main overall PA EQ within the amp rather than the mixer. The quality is more accurate and simply sounds better," he explains.

Ultimately, performance in the room is what matters. "Every venue we've played, the BlacklineQ covers the space exactly as we need it to," says Preston. "They're really good-sounding speakers with great definition." And on the investment: "If you're willing to spend a little more over a mid-range self-powered system, it really makes a difference," he concludes.

martin-audio.com/