M&L Sound Joins L-Acoustics as Newest Certified ProviderFor more than 35 years, M&L Sound of Knoxville, Tennessee has provided concert sound reinforcement, rental, and installation services throughout the mid-southern United States. Under the direction of president David Akers since 1989, the company has now crossed another significant milestone by joining L-Acoustics' rental network as the manufacturer's latest certified provider (CPr). "When grading all of the major loudspeaker brands and systems on the market by a specific set of criteria -- sound quality, weight-to-output ratio, phase coherency, vertical splay angles, horizontal coverage, ease of deployment, rental network strength, and quality of customer service -- L-Acoustics and its K2 clearly emerged as the winner on all fronts," notes M&L production manager Justin Slazas, who adds that the company's initial investment in the brand comprised 24 K2 and 12 ARCS WiFo enclosures, 16 SB28 subs, and 15 LA8 amplified controllers housed in five LA-RAKs. "Our current business model places a strong emphasis on providing 'stacks and racks' for festivals and concert venues across the Appalachians, and we needed a system that would be widely accepted and easily accessible through a healthy cross-rental program," he says. "L-Acoustics' K system has long ranked as one of the professional touring industry's most respected systems, showing up on probably 90 percent of the riders out there, and the manufacturer's rental network is second to none. Plus, K2 had the performance specs to more than meet our clients' needs, so we chose it as the platform for our company to grow with." In the short time that M&L Sound has had its L-Acoustics gear, the new CPr has had it out on a host of productions, including an Umphrey's McGee concert for 6,000 at US Cellular Center in Asheville, Knoxville's Big Ears Festival at Tennessee Theatre, and on the pool-deck-turned-nightclub of an Atlantis cruise through the Caribbean. Tapping into the inventories of fellow rental network companies, M&L also flew 52 K2 enclosures for Tony Robbins' "Unleash the Power Within" event featuring Pitbull at a local convention center filled with 10,000 people. "So far, we've cross-rented product with ESI in Tampa, Beach Sound in Miami, and Loud and Clear in Cincinnati, all of which have been a joy to work with," Slazas adds. "After having experience with all of the major speaker manufacturer networks -- or lack thereof -- L-Acoustics' rental network is by far the best experience all around. Anytime I have a need for more enclosures or amps, there are a lot more companies to 'play ball' with than any other network. And the quality of the companies on L-Acoustics' network is very high, which says a lot about the company's vetting process. Not just anyone can purchase a system; you have to be the right company with the right people, which ensures paramount consistency and a great experience for the client every time." 
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