- So there we were, set up and ready to go at a corporate awards ceremony – and, like all these events, we were having our fair share of curve balls thrown at us. A simple request for a post-awards disco naturally turned into full event production and whatever could be changed at the last minute was – table layout, timeline, slides and now some unexpected performers we were not briefed on! 7744 74 What is it about these events that mean the organisers decide not to pass on key information?

Like the dancer, who suddenly appears from nowhere, asking for a compilation of songs from The Greatest Showman to dance to as the guests enter the main room? Of course, we are professionals and sudden changes are the norm, and our DJ (Carl) dealt with this change to his playlist in his usual calm manner. There was, though, yet another problem. The dancer was booked from 6:30 – 7:30, with the first half hour being fire breathing at the venue entrance, now abandoned due to poor weather (in February, who’d have known?), and the second half hour featuring dancing with a long ribbon tied to a stick as a dramatic focal point in the main event room as the guests entered.

This led to a highly entertaining conversation we’ve all heard a million times and which always results in that pleading look from a slightly ruffled hotel manager: “please help us solve this issue”. The venue and dancer were at an impasse. She was to leave at 7:30, however the guests weren’t due to enter until the moment she was going to pack up her stick ensemble and leave. No, she couldn’t stay on for an extra 10 minutes, another customer would be waiting.

And no, she couldn’t do the dancing in the lobby. Whilst it was a perfect space, and also very handily where all the guests were gathering, it had one fatal flaw. No sound system! Which meant no music, and this could only result in no dancing.

There’s something about us DJs which means we always end up being the font of all solutions. We had not booked the dancer. In fact, we were not even aware of there being one until she appeared in the main room where we were doing essential pre-event checks. Had we known a dancer was due to perform from 7 to 7:30 in an empty room, I’m confident we would have advised a change of strategy.

We had not caused the situation but, naturally, we needed to provide the solution. All this leads me on to the LD Systems MAUI 5 GO. In a freak moment of fortuitous, but unrealistic, thinking I had loaded the box containing a brandnew system onto my van earlier in the day. My thinking was that as we were getting to the venue very early, once setup we would have plenty of time to have a play and work out all the features of this extremely compact and flexible bit of kit in situ.

However, naturally, we had no spare time! LD SYSTEMS MAUI 5 GO All the last-minute unexpected changes had eaten into our buffer zone and the box was still very much sealed and where I had loaded it. So, at 7:05pm, with a fire eater/dancer booked and paid to do two tasks which were not going well, swallowed hard, and announced that we would put a PA system, which was spare and we just happened to have to hand, into the lobby.

We would play the required music and save the day. If you are not hearing The Cavalry Charge in your head then you have clearly not yet been in this position yourself, but don’t worry, you will be one day! There was, of course, one potential problem. In order to look anything like competent, this system (which, remember, we had never taken out of its box before) needed to be setup quickly.

Extremely quickly. And in a way which made us look like we knew what we were doing with our equipment. The main hurdle to this objective being achieved was that I had only vague idea that Bluetooth was supported, and that the MAUI 5 GO is a simple column PA that should (should!) be easy to work out in the allocated time which remember, was none. I still shudder at the thought of what could have gone wrong, but I bow in wonder to the designers of SLDTA SYYINSTGE MMOS BMILAEUI 5 GO LD Systems MAUI 5 GO the MAUI 5 GO.

From sealed box on a van to playing music in a venue lobby took exactly five minutes. Intuitive is a word used far too lightly in the technical industry in my humble opinion. However, for us to get music playing and sounding as good as it did, I with no reference to the manual, without scratching our heads or frowning at our inadvisable charge to the rescue, I think the ‘intuitive’ word sums up the MAUI 5 GO perfectly. The system comprises four parts, which slot together with an obvious ease.

Then, with a flick of the switch and pairing of a Bluetooth device, you have a sleek, powerful and very impressive column PA system capable of many uses playing music with a depth which belies its size. And it looks good. Really good. Especially in black.

I know white (which is also available) is a popular colour, particularly in the wedding industry, but the black version we had I think looks better. a Now that I am no longer under pressure, and have some time to take a detailed look, I can report that this is a – seriously flexible PA system packing a lot of features. In addition to that handy Bluetooth connectivity, you have a four-channel mixer featuring a variety of different input sockets. There’s a dedicated mic THE EARLY DAYS ystems MAUI 5 GO input, with a combination jack/ In addition to battery XLR socket located on the top LED indicators, panel of the sub, as well as a highis too rare on impedance jack input for direct PA systems, the connection of instruments such swappable.

Spare as keyboards or guitars. The main are available to Line input is provided via a stereo as well as a standalone pair of combination jack/XLR unit. These can be sockets positioned on the back in seconds and, with of the sub, while the Bluetooth charge time of just input has its own channel which battery life ranging also offers a mini-jack socket for 6 hours (DJ use) direct connection of an phone or (background music), tablet. In addition to main level achieve pretty and separate sub level controls, battery-powered PA there’s also a high-shelf filter for adjusting treble to the room Another very clever acoustics.

Overall, this is a very the battery system flexible system that gives you a the unit has over lot of control, allowing you to use charged, the unit it in a variety of spaces. shuts down the This feature will A look at the numbers tells us extend the battery that the MAUI 5 GO’s internal if you do manage amplification module offers a peak battery out, you output of 800 watts to generate another one. Yet a maximum SPL of 120dB, which – feature is that the from an incredibly compact system standby mode after weighing in at just less than 13kg – without having is some performance!

The sub unit automatically houses both the amplifier and an it does receive one. 8” low/mid frequency driver with a doubt prove handy 2” voice coil. Of the three column forget to switch the sections, the top piece houses the not in use. mid/hi arrangement of four 3” drivers, while the middle section is To sum up: what a passive spacer and the bottom the MAUI 5 GO is piece houses the rechargeable flexible, compact yet Lithium-ion battery pack… with a huge range of which can be used in Which brings me to the most of situations.

The interesting and unique feature of batteries along this product, its portable battery mode are easy to power. This is the difference offer major advances between the ‘standard’ MAUI 5 have seen before. and the new ‘GO’ version. For a bit MAUI 5 GO represents of a premium over the standard advancement in price, you get a whole lot more I’ve seen for some flexibility. Like any batterypowered PA, you can operate Used on their own, the MAUI 5 Go without power venue for a disco, once you have a charged battery. room for a wedding However, this version brings new a PA for a dancer and very clever features I’ve evening(!), the personally never seen before. perfect.

The battery 7766 76 power level usefulness of the standard MAUI something which 5 even more, giving you all the battery-powered control over a PA system you’ve battery itself is ever wished for. And you never battery sections know, one day it could even make buy separately, you look like a hero to your clients, charger just like it did for me! changed over a maximum 3 hours and between and 20 hours you can much unlimited time. feature of is the control charging.

Once automatically charging process. undoubtedly life, but, even to wear the can simply buy another clever PA will go into 15 minutes received a signal, restarting when This will noshould you unit off when you have with an extremely powerful PA connectivity, a wide variety swappable with standby overlook, but over what I Put simply, the the biggest PA technology time. in pairs, in a a ceremony and even as at a corporate MAUI 5 GO is extends the LD SYSTEMS MAUI 5 GO Novopro PS1XL & PS1XXL Pro Mobile ad 1.qxp_Layout 1 05/09/2018 12:18 Page 1