Sound production company Serpro Producciones (Monterrey, Mexico) recently provided Electro-Voice sound reinforcement for the very first Zero-Fest music festival, which attracted a crowd of nearly 30,000 to Parque Fundidora in Monterrey.
The show featured top local acts like Zoe, Kinky, and Jaguares, along with international artists Thievery Corporation, The Mars Volta, and Junkie XL. Renowned Latin American bands Calle 13 (Puerto Rico) and Fabulosos Cadillacs (Argentina) also appeared, with Fabulosos Cadillacs headlining the event.
Zero-Fest required two stages to accommodate its long line-up of performers. The festival’s Red Stage featured an EV X-Line system with two main hangs of 10 Xvls and two Xvlt per side, with low-end support via 12 ground-stacked Xsubs. The system was powered by P3000 amps and processed through a NetMax N8000 with FIR filters. The Black Stage also featured an X-Line system, with 14 Xvls and 2 Xvlt per side, with 16 ground-stacked Xsubs, all powered by TG7 amplifiers. EV’s latest innovation—FIR Drive—significantly enhanced the systems’ performance, adding FIR filters to the already formidable processing power of Serpro’s NetMax DSP/matrix controller and Tour Grade amps with RCM-26 modules.
Having two large stages and a steady stream of acts posed many production challenges. With the help of LAPS-II software, Serpro was able to predict how each stage would behave in relation to the other. Even with more than 20 bands with different setups, engineers, and Front of House equipment, Serpro’s EV rig helped them manage every performance flawlessly.
Nicolas Betancur, Sales Engineer, Bosch Communications Systems, Latin America, explains: “EV was the only option for Zero-Fest. Thanks to IRIS-Net, the system control was precise and the transitions between acts were seamless; thanks to the FIR-Drive-equipped NetMax system and TG amps, the sound quality and coverage was exceptional. This show would have been impossible if we didn’t have NetMax at the on one stage and the TG amps at the other. Serpro was very pleased with what EV did for their sound at Zero-Fest.�
Serpro’s EV equipment has helped them become one of Mexico’s most trusted and prominent sound companies. Serpro’s owner Renato Betancourt and Head Technician Rogelio Garcia are now trusted with providing sound to some of the world’s biggest names in entertainment, including Roger Waters, Motely Crue, and Pearl Jam, as well as the best Mexican and Latin American artists. But without Serpro, Nicholas Betancur admits Electro-Voice would not have nearly the presence it does in Latin America.
“Serpro is such an important partner for us in Mexico and Latin America,� says Betancur. “And their EV equipment is an important resource for the international tours that come through Mexico, and for local bands that put on shows across the country. It’s very much a team effort that keeps EV and Serpro thriving, and we’re thrilled that Serpro is happy with their EV products.�
Photo: George Georgallis
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