“The main development focus for us has always been that, when customers have a budget, the best technical solution they can get is from NEXO. This is how we keep winning contracts for stadia. NEXO is not cheap but offers outstanding value for money: our creativity is concentrated on delivering benefits for our users.”
In 2015, NEXO started to put extra resources into its Engineering Support division. Under the direction of François Deffarges, the team of engineers doubled in size. “It was an essential step we had to take to add value into our brand. We always had good support, but, by creating a specific department, we are now able to offer a streamlined professional service. It is essential for NEXO in the space that we occupy in the market. We are a subsidiary of Yamaha, which does not compromise on service, so we are aligned with that gold standard.”
The service offered by NEXO’s Engineering Support (ES) is ’nose-to-tail‘, taking clients through from preliminary design to final tuning. Using a suite of software tools developed specially for the company, the team offers system design, technical support, diagnostics, the interfaces for remote and customised control, and tuning. Typically, a project will start life on the NEXO system designer’s desk. It will end with a NEXO ES Division engineer tuning and commissioning the system in the venue. Along the way, NEXO engineers will collaborate with internationally-recognised acoustic consultants and system integrators, local contractors, rigging manufacturers, and many other specialist suppliers for other technologies, such as screens, lighting, IT and safety equipment.
“The most essential part of the toolkit is our system modelling and prediction software, NS-1, which governs how you interact with the system at design stage. Apps like NeMo determine how the customer can interact with the system on site. We’ve designed NeMo to be very ergonomic, intuitive and fast, and it’s become a vital part of the user experience and how people interface with our systems. So much can be prepared offline; for example, custom pages can create an interface which will allow control of an entire stadium with very simple controls. 10 or 20 years ago, this required bespoke software to be written. Today we give it to you for nothing! NeMo is free, you can just download it from the AppStore.”
As pandemic safety restrictions cause severe contraction in the live entertainment market, a lot of suppliers from that sector (manufacturers, system designers, production companies) are being forced to seek new business opportunities in the sports market. Customers should remember that sound system set-ups for concert events, even very large ones, are founded on entirely different design criteria to those suited to a sports space which essentially operates ‘in the round’ rather than with a left/right stereo image. Regardless of the ‘stardust’ and glamour associated with providing concert touring systems for Beyoncé or U2, it is a different package of expertise and technology to that required for a fixed installation in a large stadium.
NEXO’s outstanding track record marks the company as one of the most experienced specialist suppliers for high-profile sports venues. The All-England Lawn Tennis Club (aka Wimbledon) and the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, the Stade de France in Paris, Optus Stadium in Perth, Toyota Stadium in Japan and Croke Park in Dublin are just a few of the globally-recognised sports locations on that list.
The NEXO range of sound reinforcement solutions includes point-source cabinets for small and intimate spaces, and complete line array ranges for stadium and arena ‘bowls’, ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 audience size. Designed and manufactured in France, NEXO loudspeakers are recognised for their exceptional clarity and musicality, and optimised for fixed installations in the built environment.
Most importantly for the architectural sector, NEXO has been a strategic business unit of the globally dominant Yamaha Corporation of Japan for the last 12 years. The security and peace of mind that comes from partnering with a rock-solid supplier is especially relevant in these difficult times, when supply chains can be fragile.
