How to resolve AdBlock issue? HK Audio for Summer in the City 2026
HK Audio systems were at the heart of Summer in the City 2026, the annual open-air concert series held at Schlossplatz in St. Wendel, Germany. Taking place on Wednesdays from early July until 5 August, the free concert series welcomed between 1,500 and 2,500 visitors to each of its six events. Acts including The Gambles, Noize and Take 4 performed during the programme, before Lightsight brought the series to a close.
Sound reinforcement was handled by Eventservice Schmitt, led by Dennis Schmitt, working on behalf of Willi Maas GmbH and Café le Journal. With Schlossplatz covering a large and geographically varied area, Schmitt needed a system capable of delivering powerful, even coverage across the audience without creating excessive sound levels immediately in front of the stage. Umbrellas and vendor stands positioned around the square presented a further obstacle, while the raised areas towards the rear of the site also needed to be reached effectively.
For each event, Schmitt deployed four HK Audio LTS 5 loudspeakers and four L SUB 4000 subwoofers, supplemented by between four and six LINEAR 5 112 X loudspeakers where required. The system was powered by two Lab.Gruppen FP10000Q and between two and three Lab.Gruppen IPD 2400 amplifiers. Two of the LTS 5 units were used to address the near field, while the remaining pair were positioned significantly higher on tripods. This allowed Schmitt to project sound above the umbrellas and vendor stands and towards the elevated audience areas at the rear of Schlossplatz.
“The area we need to cover is very expansive, so it is important to achieve even and powerful sound distribution without making it too loud in the near field,” explains Schmitt. “By positioning two of the LTS 5 loudspeakers higher, I can reach the elevated areas at the rear of the square over the umbrellas and stands. If you exclude the areas directly underneath those structures, where the physics make balanced coverage extremely difficult, the results were outstanding.”
The versatility of the HK Audio system was also important, with the concert series encompassing musical styles ranging from rock ’n’ roll, hard rock, soul and funk to electronic music from a live DJ. “The system’s ease of use was one of the main reasons for choosing it,” Schmitt continues. “It requires relatively few components, can be set up quickly and delivers excellent sound quality and outstanding reliability. I was completely satisfied with its performance across the different styles of music and will continue to use the same configuration for future events.”
For Schmitt, the system’s combination of performance and cost-effectiveness is a particular advantage, allowing Eventservice Schmitt to scale its sound reinforcement offering for different productions without compromising on quality. “What impresses me most about HK Audio is the outstanding value for money,” he says. “It allows me to scale systems cost-effectively while maintaining the quality and reliability each event requires. In this performance class, HK Audio delivers sound quality that continues to impress me. Combined with powerful Lab.Gruppen amplifiers, the result is a system that performs with impact and clarity at both smaller events and larger open-air gatherings.”
HK Audio’s regional proximity is another benefit for the St. Wendel-based events company, with the manufacturer’s headquarters in nearby St. Wendel and Eventservice Schmitt based in Freisen. “The fact that HK Audio is virtually on our doorstep is another reason I value the brand,” adds Schmitt. “With this setup, I can achieve excellent results from a sensible investment. Cost-effectiveness is a genuine selling point, but it does not come at the expense of performance.”
The system received consistently positive feedback throughout Summer in the City 2026, not only from the client and visiting artists but also from fellow event technology professionals attending the concerts. “The client was highly satisfied and the bands were thrilled,” concludes Schmitt. “Several colleagues from the event technology industry also approached me on site, and the consensus was very clear: it is a great system at a reasonable price.”