A Day at the Races—How a WLA-28A System Brought a Fireworks Show to Life

The Wharfdale Pro line array system sites track side on a clear, sunny day.
(Image credit: Wharfdale Pro)

Fireworks displays require high-powered audio and Wharfedale Pro provided the right gear to supplement a recent pyrotechnic event at Huntingdon Racecourse. The integration team at Sound Junkies deployed a Wharfedale Pro WLA-28A Active Line Array system to support one of the largest fireworks displays in the region, organized by Komodo Events in support of the Magpas Air Ambulance.

The back of a Wharfdale Pro system sits track side on a sunny day.

(Image credit: Wharfdale Pro)

“We needed a system that would be easy to transport but would deliver consistent coverage across a wide landscape," said a member of Sound Junkies. "It also needed the dynamic ’grunt’ to deliver above the explosions of some very powerful fireworks. The WLA-28A active system was a great solution as we could set it up quickly with the minimum number of long cable runs. The simplicity of using the internal DSP also made the system tuning very straightforward. It’s a cliché but the system really is practical and powerful.”

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Due to the large-scale nature of the event, the WLA-28A system was deployed in three ground stacks along the 100-metre field of view. The main left and right stacks comprised four WLA-28A elements and two WLA-28SUBA active subwoofers, while the central stack used four WLA-28A alongside four WLA-218BA Dual 18-inch active subs. This configuration overcame the challenge of delivering extreme coverage across a wide outdoor space. Furthermore, all elements in the active system used their own internal DSP presets. The combination of Wharfedale Pro’s powerful active system alongside choreographed fireworks ensured a spectacular event, enjoyed by a crowd of thousands.

A firework explodes in red at a race track.

(Image credit: Wharfdale Pro)

“It was a pleasure to work with the Sound Junkies team to bring the WLA-28A system to such a fantastic event," said Wharfedale Pro systems and solutions manager Alex Lane. "The long throw speaker placement and wide audience area made for a tricky installation, but the wide dispersion system and ground stacked arrays rose to the challenge well. The best bit was to see the huge smiles from the Sound Junkies team who were impressed at the system's sonic performance and competitive price point."

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