Turnpike Reggae Festival Boosts Sound Coverage

The Turnpike Reggae Festival returned to Germany in August, bringing two days of roots reggae, modern reggae and dancehall to Herzebrock-Clarholz near Gütersloh.

For this year's event, production supplier MA Holtewert expanded its existing HK Audio system to provide greater audience coverage and additional low-frequency performance.

The volunteer-run festival, organised by non-profit Turnpike e. V., featured artists including Chuck Fenda, Dr. Ring Ding, Akeem Garrison and Teacha Dee. Alongside the music, the event offered camping, Caribbean food and a family-friendly atmosphere under its 'GET REGGAE!' motto. Profits from the festival are donated to clubs and organisations in the surrounding region.

MA Holtewert supplied the festival's stage, lighting and sound and has used HK Audio's COSMO system for a number of years. For Turnpike, the production company worked with HK Audio to expand its existing setup, with the focus on improving coverage and increasing low-end output.

The resulting system comprised 12 COSMO C 10 and eight C 6 mid/high units, supplemented by four CS 218 and four CF 118 subwoofers. CONTOUR X CX 210 loudspeakers were deployed for frontfill, while CX 12 units provided stage monitoring.

The additional subwoofers were used to give the festival's reggae programme greater low-frequency impact, while the expanded system helped maintain more consistent sound coverage across the audience area. On stage, the CX 12 monitors provided monitoring for performers throughout the event.

Akeem Garrison highlighted the importance of the monitoring and overall sound quality to the performers: "You can only perform at 100% when the sound is also at 100%."

The festival also provided an opportunity for HK Audio to work closely with MA Holtewert as part of its ongoing relationships with regional rental companies. Rather than replacing the existing system, the approach focused on extending its capabilities to meet the specific requirements of the event.

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