Newly Acquired L-Acoustics L2 Arrays Power Katie Melua Performance at Poland’s Premier Ladies Jazz Festival Newly Acquired L-Acoustics L2 Arrays Power Katie Melua Performance at PolandR...
Krupski Sound’s flagship L Series system upgrade delivers “studio-like” precision for 21st anniversary celebration
GDYNIA, Poland – August 2025 – When Katie Melua’s technical rider specified L-Acoustics for her performance at Poland’s Energa Ladies Jazz Festival, they did so because her performance demands precise sound coverage at controlled SPL levels across the challenging 4,500 capacity Polsat Plus Arena. The response came through a strategic partnership between Polish rental company Krupski Sound and L-Acoustics Certified Partner Audio Plus, deploying flagship L2 arrays that transcended the venue’s difficult acoustics and marked a defining moment for regional sound production capabilities.
The 21st edition of Europe’s only recurring festival dedicated to female jazz artistry, which has brought together over 110,000 attendees and 600+ performers throughout its history, featured international stars including Katie Melua, Dionne Warwick, and Randy Crawford across four distinct venues.
From A Series Foundation to L2 Flagship: A Strategic Evolution
Krupski Sound’s path to L-Acoustics’ flagship technology is a carefully planned development of its partnership with Audio Plus, which began in 2023 when Krupski was persuaded by experienced systems engineer Krzysztof Polesiński to acquire L-Acoustics’ A-Series line array systems, designed to help growing audio rental companies build a professional reputation. Krupski expanded into KARA II systems for larger productions before reaching the current L-Series.
“Starting with A Series gave us the foundation to build our reputation for quality sound,” reflects Adam Krupski, owner of Krupski Sound. “This progression has been transformational for our business – we can now compete for the most demanding international touring productions whilst maintaining the personal service that’s always defined our approach.”
When Melua’s rider arrived specifying L-Acoustics with emphasis on even coverage throughout the venue, Krupski’s newly acquired L2 arrays positioned them to meet the most exacting technical requirements.
Precision Engineering Meets Complex Venue Demands
The Polsat Plus Arena presented multiple acoustic and logistical challenges: a glass panel separating the rear balcony from main seating, absence of rear wall diffusers, as well as a specially created suspended truss structure to accommodate the festival’s extensive lighting design, and a television production crew on-site broadcast the performances.
Audio Plus deployed experienced trainer Jerzy Kubiak to work alongside Krupski’s team, ensuring optimal system configuration and performance. “When you’re deploying a new system in challenging conditions, hands-on support makes all the difference to achieving the best results,” explains Pawel Kuhn, Marketing Director at Audio Plus.
The final configuration featured L/R main hangs of one L2 and one L2D per side, supported by seven Kara II units per side as out-fill arrays, and seven A10 units (five Focus, two Wide) for front-fill coverage. Twelve KS28 subwoofers were ground-stacked in cardioid pairs to control low-frequency directivity, with the entire system operating via Milan-AVB protocol through a P1 processor and AES/EBU redundancy.
Last-minute lighting design changes by the television production team required repositioning parts of the system – modifications handled seamlessly with the quick-to-rig L Series technology. Where traditional line array deployments might require additional crew members and extended rigging time, the L2’s streamlined design enabled Krupski’s team to execute rapid system adjustments while maintaining optimal coverage patterns.
Industry Recognition: From Technical Excellence to Artistic Impact
The L2 deployment exceeded performance expectations, delivering consistent tonal quality from front to back of the venue while maintaining the directional control essential for arena environments. “The consistent tonal quality of the sound coverage from the front to the back of the venue was remarkable,” praised Marcin Iszora, Technical Director of Ladies Jazz Festival. “It’s exactly what we needed for our production.”
“Initially, I was concerned about coverage adequacy with just two L2 modules per side,” explains Adam Krupski. “However, the system’s exceptional coverage uniformity and maintained sound quality throughout the venue, even at extended distances, exceeded our expectations. The L-Acoustics brand recognition also provides immediate credibility with touring productions – when artists and their technical teams see L-Acoustics on our inventory, there’s an instant confidence that transforms the entire production dialogue.”
Katie Melua’s response resonated beyond technical achievement. Taking to social media, she wrote: “Thank you for the most epic evening. I loved every second of that gig,” highlighting her crew as “genius technicians” while noting feedback from venue regulars: “On this trip I was told ‘that’s the best sound I’ve heard in this venue and I’ve been coming to shows here for years.'”
Front of House Engineer Bryony October delivered perhaps the ultimate validation: “An L-Acoustics sound system is always my first choice. The L Series is beautiful, it’s made this arena sound like a really nice studio. Nothing sounds as good.”
For more information on the Energa Ladies Jazz Festival, please visit www.ladiesjazz.pl. More information on Krupski Sound can be found at https://krupskisound.pl/ and Audio Plus at https://audioplus.pl/.
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