For the 5,000-plus people attending the recent Festival One in Hamilton, New Zealand, the return of live music went from being a vague promise to a welcome reality – a chance to party like it was 2019 and take in a full-fledged live experience again.
Undoubtedly, the audiences and artists who performed over the three-day festival were thrilled to be there. But it’s a fair bet nobody was happier than audio engineer Benny Masterton, who designed the system and – as one of very few engineers in attendance – mixed many of the artist’s sets. “After almost 12 months of ‘retirement’ it was an absolute pleasure,” Masterton says. “I haven’t done this for so long, so I felt a bit rusty, but it was exciting to have that side of my brain working. And I was happy we had an Adamson system because I personally love their PAs, and knew I’d get exactly what I needed out of it.”