APG’s new UNILINE MAX line array series was at the heart of a busy summer season of sublime sound in Europe.
The Place aux Artistes Festival in Albi, southern France, stands out as a showcase of UNILINE MAX versatile capabilities. Set in the UNESCO-listed episcopal city, the 17ᵉ edition of the festival (15 July to 16 August 2025) welcomed over 60,000 spectators to 40+ concerts spread across the town’s most iconic historic and cultural sites.
Behind the audio design stood DHT Audio, the rental and staging company directed by Damien Granier, who chose a 100 % APG setup for the entire event. From intimate riverbank performances to large-scale open-air shows on the Place du Vigan, every stage benefited from the same precise and powerful sonic signature.
On the main stage, where tributes to artists such as Queen, Tina Turner and Jean-Jacques Goldman drew crowds of up to 5,000 people, DHT Audio deployed an optimised UNILINE MAX configuration, comprising six UM210 line array speakers and four UM121 subs per side, complemented by SPOT 2.6 point-source speakers and DX stage monitors for front-fills.
“The listening experience of the UM210 proved very convincing,” explained Granier. “The coverage was even, the reach impressive, and the sound delivered energy and detail at every frequency.”
In the more intimate setting of the Place du Château, the same system adapted to a lighter format, with five UM210 and two UM121 per side, with similar results: sound projection and sonic consistency that satisfied both the artists and the FOH engineers.
Beyond the main systems, DHT Audio relied on a complete APG ecosystem: iX8 and SPOT 2.6 point-source speakers for fills and reinforcement, DX15, iX12 and SMX15 for versatile coverage and stage monitoring, and DA8 and DA12 amplifiers designed by Powersoft for APG and managed via Armonía Plus software.
From jazz and chanson by the river to classical evenings in the gardens of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum and world music on the Place du Château, the UNILINE MAX adapted to every configuration with ease. Artists expressed their appreciation for the comfort and precision of the stage sound, while technical teams praised the system’s headroom and sonic coherence.
It was close technical collaboration between APG and DHT throughout that helped to achieve this success, with APG’s sales team providing consulting and system design assistance to determine the best configuration, to its R&D department supporting during setup and throughout technical operations.
The new Uniline Max system also made its mark at a series of high-profile events in France and Spain, bringing warmth and precision to a private cabaret-style event for 1,500 guests in Bordeaux. In Spain, the Víncula Rock Festival kicked off the summer of festivals in May, with sound courtesy of OdBS, who relied on 16x UM210 loudspeakers to deliver the power demanded by open-air rock. A few days later, French rental stager Moov’ Event dropped the APG beat at the Arverne Reggae Festival using a six UM210 per side and 10x UM121 configuration, which earned praise from legendary music producer Mad Professor, who described the system simply as “true sound reinforcement.” The following weekend, Moov’ Event treated punters to APG’s precision at the Pride Festival in Lyon.
Bordering Belgium, the city of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux hosted the Festival de l’Eau in July, where rental stager ACS GROUP demonstrated the capabilities of the UNILINE MAX in front of a 5,000 crowd. Over the summer, from Festival Bobital’s intimate indoor show in Britany (courtesy of FREHEL SONO) to Patrick Fiori’s 60,000-strong outdoor concert in Valenciennes (also by ACS GROUP), the UNILINE MAX delivered consistent quality and reliability, confirming its flexibility and scalability from small gatherings to major productions.
The 2025 summer festival season also marked a decade-long partnership between APG and DHT Audio. “Looking back, the choice of APG has always been the right one,” reflected Granier. “From fixed installations to festivals, the brand has supported us since the very beginning. Their trust and commitment mirror the values we share around precision, passion and reliability.”
As the collaboration between APG and DHT Audio continues to deepen, with APG inventory expansion plans already underway, the summer of 2025 confirmed that UNILINE MAX is far more than a workhorse sound system.
