Jazz in all its various forms performed on a number of stages at the Blohm+Voss shipyard attracts thousands of visitors from the city and beyond to the German port of Hamburg each July for ELBJAZZ which, this year, featured headliners Snarky Puppy, Tom Jones, Jamie Cullum and Greentea Peng.
In 2026, sound for the festival’s Hamburg Stage was overseen by full-service event technology provider Sound Linear from Paderborn, with an all NEXO sound system deployed for FOH and stage.
“Basically, this is an industrial site with large buildings around us, some of them with challenging surfaces” reports Sound Linear PA Systems Engineer Philipp Bock, responsible for the optimal calibration of the system.
“So, we have to make sure we keep the acoustics under control, especially the reflections. Together with NEXO we created a simulation to see how the sound would propagate across the site.
“We chose the GEO M10 because of its compact design. It’s a perfect fit for this kind of music. Along with LS18 subs we’ve achieved an excellent overall sound and with NEXO P8s covering the near field, we definitely achieve very good coverage here.
“The GEO M is a highly versatile system. We’ve already used it for rock shows, jazz shows, speech reinforcement and other applications. It also works very well as an out fill system at very large festivals.”
Commenting from the mixing position on the first day of the festival, FOH engineer Christian Mayntz says; “The particular challenge at this location is that we are right next to a building with a wall that causes reflections.
“We are also outdoors in the harbour. It is always a little windy, but the system tech did an excellent job tuning and setting up the system. So far, I’m very happy with it.”
At the side of the Hamburg Stage, Monitor Mixer Arthur Koll is similarly satisfied with the performance of the NEXO wedges.
“I’m running 10 monitor mixes into 12 NEXO P12s with 60° x 60° horns. This lets us cover the musicians very precisely and keep the whole set up under control.
“The tent covering the stage is the main challenge. It’s extremely reflective so you have to use monitors with a narrow dispersion very deliberately. I think that worked very well.”
Amplification for the PA system and monitors come from NEXO NXAMP Powered TD Controllers, connected and configured via Dante. FOH sound is mixed on a Yamaha DM7 with a Yamaha Rivage PM5 used for monitors.
The GEO M system with amplification was supplied and set up by M.A.S. Service from Buchholz with monitors provided by NEXO rental partner IT’s A BIRD from Ottersberg.
“We chose this system because it is ideal for jazz and acoustic instruments, especially in terms of clarity with the ability to cut through, and the natural sound it reproduces” says Christian in conclusion.
“We’ve already had the first few acts, and I think you can see it in the audience’s reaction. People stay and listen and are clearly impressed.”
For further information on Sound Linear, visit sound-linear.de
For further information on M.A.S. Service, visit: mas-buchholz.de
For further information on IT’s A BIRD, visit: itsabird.de
