Mariah Carey returned to China for the first time in seven years, playing two sold-out shows at HongKou Football Stadium in Shanghai. The shows marked the first large-system deployment of Cohesion in China, and the PA provided excellent output, vocal clarity, and coverage for the open-air stadium packed with adoring fans eager for the rare performance from the six-time Grammy Award winner.
Full-stadium coverage was of utmost significance for the two-night Shanghai performances, as the venue was completely sold out from stage-front seating to the upper bowls. The system needed to be designed without incorporating any of the field delay systems—a significant challenge for any PA in a soccer stadium. Furthermore, Carey’s signature whistle register, five-octave range, and legendary music needed to be faithfully reproduced with crystal-clear precision to each fan in the house.
The mainstage system was designed with an end stage configuration. The main hangs, comprising Cohesion CO12 left-right, were flanked by CO12 on the sides and by Cohesion CO8 rear hangs upstage of the side hangs. Cohesion CP218 II+ subwoofers were both hung behind the main arrays in gradient configuration and also stacked left and right in cardioid configuration under the aerial main system for further support. A dozen CO8 were placed on the stage for front fill, and an array of Cohesion CO10 flown stage left and right provided side fill. Two additional arrays of CO12 were flown as delays on the back of the upper bowl of the stadium. Jiangsu RenTian relied upon local vendor Shanghai AKUS to provide the audio, and Shanghai AKUS partnered with AirFusion Global to secure the Cohesion PA.
The result of such a robust audio system was a delighted crowd as Carey took them on a two-hour journey throughout her extensive and celebrated career. Due to the SPL density and efficiency of the CO Series, the audio system was able to maintain the SPL and spectral metrics even for the longest unsupported throws of the system—nearly 400 feet. The 270° hangs reinforced the near sides and along the sell line in the upper bowl, and the delays, hung closer to the seating sections, provided seamless coverage while eliminating noise to radiate outside of the venue.
“I’m so impressed by the entire frequency spectrum. The crossover is set so high that it’s out of the vocal range, so I get that clear high end. One of the coolest parts of this PA is how staggeringly good the subs, the lows, and low-mids are. Even if you have that clarity on the high end, it won’t mean anything if you can’t push the low end. I can shake a stadium with these subs. There’s power to spare, and I can push it without distortion.”
