April 29 - May 2 6th Taihu Bay Music Festival
The just-concluded May Day holiday saw destinations across China shift into "overwhelming crowds" mode. According to statistics, a total of 274 million domestic tourist trips were made nationwide. The entertainment, catering, and tourism sectors all experienced significant growth, with music festivals becoming a major draw for regional cultural tourism. During this sizzling May Day holiday, offline live music performances saw a strong rebound. Damai listed over 1,500 events, covering more than 130 cities and 700 venues across the country. Star-studded lineups attracted countless music enthusiasts to the scenes, where they sang along passionately and danced to the beat. After three years of the pandemic, everyone was truly eager to break free!
Of course, Changzhou was also incredibly busy during this holiday! The sixth Taihu Bay Music Festival landed at Universal Cartoon Fun Valley, with popularity soaring—tickets sold out almost instantly as soon as they went on sale.
The "Taihu Bay Music Festival" is a core music IP meticulously developed by Taihu Bay. After years of accumulation, it has established strong market appeal and brand influence. Since the first edition was held in 2019, the Taihu Bay Music Festival has been renowned among music fans for its "strong lineup".
Super-luxury lineup
This year's event gathered a stellar lineup of beloved pop singers such as Joker Xue, Li Jian, and Vae Xu, alongside top mainland Chinese bands like Tong Young, New Pants, and Omnipotent Youth Society, as well as sought-after domestic rappers including HotDog, Chang Chen-yue, and Pharaoh. With a total of 52 independent musicians and top-tier bands converging in Changzhou to perform, the festival soared to No. 1 on Damai's list of best-selling May Day music festivals. From rap and rock to pop and folk—there was something for every music lover. Attendees freely chose their favorite sets, immersing themselves in a diverse sea of musical styles.
There were multiple internet-famous photo spots at the venue, allowing music fans to enjoy the music while taking photos, socializing, and gathering to their heart's content. Over four days, nearly 100,000 music fans flocked to the festival to celebrate.
This year's Taihu Bay Music Festival featured an expanded performance area, with a stage 30% larger and wider than the previous edition. Designed in the style of Coachella, the festival was supported by a professional audio team and equipped with top-tier L-Acoustics sound systems and DiGiCo mixing consoles. But that’s not all—Whirlwind, Rupert Neve, Bricasti Design, se, and UNIVERSAL TRUSS also joined forces on-site, using their expertise to create an electrifying music celebration that drove the crowd wild!
Behind the scenes of such large-scale live events, the sheer number of microphones and complex signal routing requirements present significant challenges. The PA console needs signals, the monitor console needs signals, and both primary and backup systems require separate feeds—all of which must be managed seamlessly.
A high-quality audio signal distributor (splitter) offers an efficient solution to these issues. If you’ve been struggling with signal loss from basic Y-cables, or dealing with crosstalk when daisy-chaining multiple devices, a reliable and well-designed audio splitter can eliminate these problems entirely.
Moreover, during live performances where transitions between artists and bands are tightly scheduled, a user-friendly and intuitive signal distributor saves crucial time and effort—letting you focus on delivering a flawless show.
At this year's Taihu Bay Music Festival, the Whirlwind Super Concert 56-channel audio splitter, renowned for having the world's most stable audio splitting system, was selected. Every component of the Whirlwind Super Concert 56-channel audio splitter—including electronic components, connectors, cables, casings, and solder joints—cannot be overlooked, as they are all essential to its "safe and stable" performance.
The Whirlwind Super Concert audio splitter features 56 input/output channels. Each microphone input is directly connected to a multi-core cable output (Main Out) and fed into two isolated multi-core cable outputs (ISO1 and ISO2) via top-of-the-line Whirlwind TRSP-2F transformers. Additionally, Whirlwind Super Concert is equipped with two return channels, which can be used not only for Click returns but also as backup channels, providing more flexible and secure application options.
When it comes to maintaining sound quality, why compromise on speed? You might wonder: “Is a 56-channel splitter system difficult to use?”, “Does it add unnecessary complications?”, or “Can it keep up under tight schedules?”.
Whirlwind Super Concert has the answer: absolutely not. The system includes integrated output snakes with five W1 multi-pin connectors, which are directly wired to color-coded fan-out tails. The distinct cable colors allow for instant identification. Additionally, the multi-core cable quick-disconnect system enables tool-free plug-and-play operation—making it a powerful advantage in large-scale productions.
In addition to audio signal distribution, impedance matching and balanced/unbalanced signal handling are also key concerns in live performance setups. In large music festivals, numerous common instruments are used—for example, most electroacoustic instruments output high-impedance signals, which are incompatible with mixing consoles. Forcing a connection not only compromises signal clarity and high-frequency details but also affects volume consistency. In such cases, we need to convert high-impedance signals to low-impedance ones. Considering that this festival’s stage was expanded by 30%, increasing the distance between instruments and equipment, and that the stage is filled with large screens, lighting, sound systems, and various machinery—all of which generate significant electromagnetic interference—these factors can distort signals from electroacoustic instruments and introduce noise. The Whirlwind Di2 solves these issues effortlessly. The Di2 is a wired dual-channel DI box suitable for any high-impedance, unbalanced electroacoustic instrument on stage. It ensures full compatibility between instrument signals and mixing consoles or PA systems without signal loss, preserving the instrument’s authentic tone. Users praise it for: *"Plump and elastic low frequencies without muddiness; full and solid midrange without harshness; clear and bright high frequencies without sharpness."*
With signal distribution sorted, impedance matching resolved, and issues of signal attenuation and interference in long-distance transmission addressed, let’s now dive into the most hardcore aspect: mixing. For sound engineers, mixing is a critical step, and the tools used can significantly impact both the efficiency of their work and the brilliance of the performance.
When it comes to mixing, the Rupert Neve Designs Master Buss Processor is an indispensable tool. This versatile VCA compression processor, the Neve Portico II MBP, features dual-channel compression (Feedforward and Feedback) and limiter functions, along with soundstage width expansion and a powerful Silk transformer saturation feature. While incredibly easy to use, it also ensures users can quickly achieve the quality and functionality required for bus processing. In live performance settings, the MBP is typically deployed on the main PA mixer’s bus. Signals first pass through the soundstage adjustment section to fine-tune width and depth, then are sent to Channels A and B, where dynamic adjustments and filtering can be applied in the compression stage. The MBP’s Link function allows parameters from Channel A to be mirrored to Channel B, creating a seamless, integrated workflow. Users can tailor SFE (Sonic Field Enhancement) soundstage adjustments to different needs, expanding the width and depth of the soundfield to achieve a reinforced, cohesive sonic landscape.
If the Rupert Neve Designs MBP Master Buss Processor is the sound engineer’s "left arm" for mixing, then the Bricasti Design M7 is the "right arm." The Bricasti Design M7 combines cutting-edge digital technology, DSP, advanced A/D conversion, and classic analog design to create a modern product that embodies timeless audio excellence. As a real-time algorithmic reverb processor, it offers over 200 unique reverb presets categorized by practical applications and desired effects, allowing users to quickly access high-quality sound settings. Users can also edit these presets to meet specific needs, providing unparalleled flexibility. Moreover, the Bricasti Design M7 features independent Analog and Digital modules, enabling seamless switching between the two domains to suit any creative workflow.
Behind such a large-scale music festival, the wonderful performances rely on many outstanding professional teams and high-quality audio equipment. "Ceiling-level" sound devices like the Whirlwind Super Concert (56-channel audio splitter), Whirlwind B120NRW (stage cable box), Whirlwind Di2 (dual-channel DI box), Rupert Neve Designs MBP, and Bricasti Design M7 (stereo reverb processor) serve as the cornerstones of the carnival. Safe, stable, and easy to use, they kept the four-day-and-night party going non-stop~ Finally, it's worth mentioning the sE brand microphones and UNIVERSAL TRUSS microphone stands that could be seen everywhere on the stage—no detail was overlooked. As a wrap, let's enjoy these "beautiful snapshots" of the performances to conclude today's sharing~ Friends, see you at the next party!
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