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In celebration of reaching the quarter century milestone, Space organised a 14-hour party, which encapsulated so much of what makes the venue great. To help make that happen, they called on some old friends, who brought their technical knowhow and pioneering equipment to a special outdoor stage. Followingaformatthatisusuallyreservedfortheclub’sacclaimedopeningandclosingparties,theSpace25thAnniversarysawtheclub’susualsix-roomofferingextendedwiththeadditionofanoutsidespace.Ittransformedthealreadyexuberantvenueintoacarnival-likesetting. Funktion-One’sTonyAndrewstravelledouttoIbizathreedaysbeforetheevent-thiswashissecondtripofthesummer.InMay,Andrewsledanupdateofthevenue,whichincluded

upgradestotheexistingsystemsandanewinstallationforSunsetTerrace.Forthefirsttimeinitshistory,everyroominSpacehasaFunktion-Onespeakersystem.ThelastdaysofthattripwerespentpreparingfortheOpeningParty,whereheintroducedacompletelynewgenerationofproductstotheoutdoorstage. SpacehasaspecialmeaningtohimandtoFunktion-One.“PepeRoselló-theowner-andIhavethiscommonality,”explainedAndrews.“Webothshareadesireforthepeopletohaveasmuchofagoodtimeaspossible.HereallyenjoysseeingthepeoplehappyanddancingandsodoI. “Forme,havingallthesedifferentroomsanddifferentchallengesandbeingpersonallyinvolvedhasallowedmetoexperiment.I’mtrusted.IdowhatIthinkisnecessaryandeverytimeIdowhatIwant,itworks,sothesedays

SPACE IBIZA HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS. ALL THOSE PEOPLE, ALL THAT MUSIC AND ALL THOSE EUPHORIC NIGHTS THAT HAVE TUMBLED INTO BLISSFUL MORNINGS. AFTER TWO-AND-A-HALF DECADES, THE MOST FAMOUS NIGHTCLUB IN THE WORLD IS AT THE TOP OF ITS GAME; RECENTLY CROWNED DJ MAG’S ‘BEST CLUB IN THE WORLD’ FOR THE FIFTH TIME IN EIGHT YEARS, ADORED BY CLUBBERS ON EVERY CONTINENT AND AN INSPIRATION TO VENUE OPERATORS ALL OVER THE GLOBE. TPi SAW THE PARTY.

it’snotevenaquestion.Throughit,I’velearnedquitealot,whichI’veappliedtootherprojects. “It’ssomewherewecantryoutnewthings,andwedo,andSpacegetssomeofthenewestideasfirst.Inthatrespectandformanyotherreasons,itisaveryimportantvenueforus.” AndrewsworkedcloselywithFullFatAudio’sDaveMillard,theSpacetechnicalteamandProjectAudio,whosuppliedallthesoundequipment.Thesystem,whichwascustom-designedusingsomeofFunktion-One’slatestproducts,wasshippedoverfromtheUKspecificallyfortheevent. Duetoitsopennature,therewasapressing

needfortheoutdoorsoundtobeasdefinedaspossible.Whiletheeventrightlyexpectedplentyofenergyandimpactintheaudiencearea,thesoundneededtobeascontainedaspossible,inordertoavoiddisturbanceofthesurroundingenvironment.BothoftheseaimswouldbeachievedusingtheperformanceattributesofthenewFunktion-Onemid-highloudspeakers. EachsideofthestagehadfourFunktion-OneEvo7EHs,configuredliketwoinwardfacing‘L’shapes.AsingleFunktion-OneEvo6SHoneithersideprovidednearfieldcoverageforthefrontrowsoftheaudience.Bassreinforcementcomprisedacentralmono-blockofFunktion-

OneF121single21-inchenclosuresandfourF215Mk2soneitherside. DelaysconsistingoffourFunktion-OneEvo7EHsandsixBR121bassreflexspeakerswerepositionedabouthalfwayupthespace-thepointatwhichtheaudiencebegantofanouttowiderarea.Onstage,aFunktion-OnePSM318system,drivenwithFFA-6004andFFA-10000amplifiers,tookcareofmonitoring. Funktion-One’sEvo7EHandEvo6SHbothcombineanaxehead-loaded,custom10-inchdriverandahornloaded1.4-inchcompressiondriver.WhiletheEvo7EHisanenclosurewitha35°dispersionangle,theEvo6SHisaskeletal

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EVENT FOCUS: Space Turns 25

SPACE’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Opposite: Funktion-One’s loudspeakers were the PA of choice for the dance island’s Space celebration. Full Fat Audio’s FFA-6004 and FFA-10000 amplifiers powered the main PA system. Below: The space technical team with Funktion-One’s Tony Andrews during set up for the 12-hour long gig.

EVENT FOCUS: Space Turns 25

speakerwith50°dispersion. ProjectAudio’sJasonBacondiscussedtheset-up:“ItcametolightearlierthisyearthatwewereinapositiontostartusingthenewspeakersthatFunktion-Onehavebeenworkingon-thelatestproductshaveblownmeaway.Withsomeuptodatemodificationsdone,wearenowpotentiallyinpossessionofthemostpotentsoundsystemontheplanet.Iftherewasevera‘nextlevel’wehavecertainlyarrivedatitthisyear.” FourFFA-6004andsixFFA-10000amplifierspoweredthemainsystem,whileaCadacCDC4consolewasusedatFOHandXTAprocessingcontrolledthesystem,managingthecrossovers.AlsospecificallyrequestedwasanewXTADP544dynamicaudiomanagementsystemtotunepartofthesystem. XTAflewoutRichardFlemingtohelpwiththetuning.“Iflewinaheadoftheopeningpartytoassistwiththetuningofthesunterracesystem,specificallythedynamicEQ

sections.IworkedwithDave[Millard]andTony[Andrews]-gotthe544on-lineonthelaptopandendedupwiththemostawesomeDJsoundI’veeverheard.Youcouldhavepointedthematthecrowdandusedthemalonetheywere

sopowerfulandclean!”ProjectAudioholdsalargeinventoryofFFAproductandhasusedtheamplifiermanufacturer’skitsinceitstartedout11yearsago. FFA’sDaveMillardcommented:“ThelocalcrewwereajoytoworkwithandthehightemperaturesoftheBalearicislandmadeachangefromtheUKclimateweareaccustomed

too.Alltheequipmentperformedasitshould,withnotechnicalissuestoreport.Thesystemprovedverypowerful,witheffortlesssoundacrossthewholearena.Thisproducedanexcellentatmospherefromthedancingcrowd.”

Asshowtimeapproachedforthelivegig,AndrewstookcontroloftheFOHdeskfortheopeningperformanceandendedupmixingtheentireshow.ThoughhewasunfamiliarwiththelayoutoftheCadacCDC4desk,hewasimpressedwithitsperformance.“WehadthejoysofaCadacdigitaldesk,whichsoundsverygood.It’saminidigitaldeskanditsounds

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EVENT FOCUS: Space Turns 25

Below: Full Fat Audio’s Dave Millard with a Cadac CDC4 console; Fat Boy Slim with Space owner, Pepe Roselló.

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EVENT FOCUS: Space Turns 25

Below: XTA’s Richard Flemming with Project Audio’s Georgi Yankov; The 25th birthday went off in style as dancers adorned the stage; Cadac was the desk manufacturer of choice; Tony Andrews’ long-standing affiliation with the island has allowed Funktion-One productcs to be embraced in Ibiza’s headonistic but now highly technical dance music culture.

decent-it’soneofthefew.Welikedit.Iactuallymixedthewholeshow,includingtheflamencodancers,whowerestupendous.” Theflamencodancers’performancewasoneofmanyhighlightsfromtheshow.Theyperformedtoahousebackingtrackthathadbeenarrangedwithoutpercussion.Theirmovementswerecapturedbythemic’dupstage,formingabeatthatwasthenmixedintothetrack.“Re-masteringistoopompousaword,”saidAndrews.“Butitwasbloodygood.ThefusionoftraditionalSpanishflamencowiththemodernBalearicbeatsthatSpaceissowellknownforworkedbrilliantly.” ForSpace’s‘OpeningFiesta’inMay,theFunktion-OneclubrigwasfrontedwithaCadacLIVE1analogueconsole.ProjectAudio’sGeorgeYankovstated:“WeusedtheLIVE1ontheopeningpartybutforthe25thAnniversaryweneededtowirelessmicatroupeofflamencodancersonstageandusesomeeffectsonthem,sowewentwiththeCDCfourforthat. “ItwasarealpleasuretouseboththeanalogueLIVE1anddigitalCDC4.Theaudio

performanceofbothconsolesisequallyexcellent.Icannotrecallanotherdesksotransparentandwithsomuchdriveandfinesse.TheCDC4reallyallowstheaudiotobreatheandjustdoesnotsounddigitalatall.Everynuanceofarecordingorliveinputcanbeheard,withevensubtlechangestothecontrols.Bassperformanceisexcitingwitheverynoteprecise.Buildqualityisalsofirstclassanduserinteractionisstraightforward.” ThefinalperformanceoftheoutdoorshowcamecourtesyofownerPepeRoselló,whochosethreetrackstofinishwith.Inorder,theywere:The Wall byPinkFloyd,TheFifthDimension’sAge of the Aquariusand,finally,ImaginebyJohnLennon.“Somebodysaidtomeattheendofit,wellthatwasanIbizamoment,”recallsAndrews.“Whenitstopped,nobodyleft.Everybodywasquitehappywheretheywere-itwasquiteuncanny.Theyknewitwasoverbuttheyjusthungaroundwitheachotherforawhile,whichwasagoodindicationthatpeoplehadenjoyedagoodmessage.“ Reflectingontheeventandparticularlythe

audioperformance,Andrewssaid:“Thesoundwasmorecontained,alotmorepowerful,moretransparentandspacious.Ididn’tfeelliketherewasanythinglackinganywhere.Weareabletoworkatadecentlevel,whichissomethingthat’snothappeningintheUK.” ProjectAudio’sJasonBaconsadded:“Therewasagreatdealofpraisefromalltheproductionteamandpartypeoplethankingusforsuchanamazingsoundsystem.It’salwaysapleasuretoworkalongsideTonyandDaveaswehavedonesoformany,manyyears.Toarriveatthepointofitbeingthebestyou’veeverheardisamilestoneforusandtheaudioindustry.Itcertainlyputsalotofpleasureintosomethingthatwehavealotofpassionfor.”Here’stothenext25yearsofeuphoria...TPi

Photos: Ana Ruiz De Villota www.spaceibiza.com

www.funktion-one.comwww.fullfataudio.com

www.cadac-sound.comwww.audiocore.co.uk

“There was a great deal of praise from all the production team and party people thanking us for such an amazing sound system...”