Ground Zero Sponsor Matt ‘˜thejoose’ Sprigg to go to Italy to compete in World Bass Race Finals!
Matt Sprigg, aka ‘˜thejoose’ on the Talk Audio forum boards is to take his acclaimed Project Big Black Shogun to Italy and go fight on a global stage in the hugely entertaining Bassrace contest format of the world-wide dB Drag race organisation.
Using really powerful sound systems, these dudes (and often their wives we have at least three couples in the UK basshead scene as it does seem to require a folie-a-deux to make it work!) pit both the sheer power and oddly, the delicacy of their own operational skill in running them, against each other as a head to head tournament.
They must declare which of the ten decibel ‘˜brackets they will compete in, say 129.9dB or 139.9dB or even more, up to the really big boys at 159.9dB. For the point is, they have to crank up their systems while both are connected to a lap-top computer that measures, via a calibrated bass pressure sensor in each car, exactly what the average Sound Pressure Level, or SPL is being raised inside the cabin.
They must not go over the limit of their ‘˜bracket’ or they are ‘˜bust’. So get over-excited and turn it up too far and pouf, yer out! So it is an odd mix of power and control and takes audio excellence in build, and really skilful use of the controls as whomsoever gets closest to the top of their ten-decibel bracket, without ‘˜busting, is the winner.
Now, Matt Sprigg was able to build PBB the way he really wanted it, originally through the brilliant marketing efforts of Connects2, who were the then distributors. I asked C2 nicely for Matt, having identified him as the sort of nutter who would happily understand the limits and benefits alike of being sponsored by a major brand, (like not doing the car audio equivalent of Britney Spears being photographed walking across a car park with the wrong kind of cola in her possession!) and deliver, heart, body and soul to get a result.
And he did. He won, amongst other things, a Demo Car of the Year award from the trade press publication, Mobile Electronics News as well as getting absolutely stonking success in all sorts of bass contests.
Held in the Centro Fiere Del Garda in Montichiari, Italy, it’s a two day road trip each way, leaving early Wednesday the 16th of March, stopping half way and crossing the Alps on day two! Friday is pitching up and registering and on Saturday they have a dB Drag event and then hold the invitation-only World Finals Bassrace event. To be an entrant you must have competed in your regional finals and get at least 75 points in your season.
There are four simultaneous World Finals locations: Daytona Beach, in Florida where this is part if the legendary Spring Break Nationals sound off. Dayton, Ohio and Serra Negra in Sao Paulo as well as Montichiari and all get hooked up via the internet to fight the finals.
The Italian winner will be crowned European champion and then immediately go up against the cars at the other four locations, live on the internet it’s just like they have really, really long microphone leads and are in adjacent lanes.
Four locations, four final-final cars, two rounds and a Global winner!
And we in the UK will be rooting for Matt and his lass, one, that PBB makes it over the Alps without overheating and two, that he returns with glory! I shall dare hope and believecan you imagine if we had a World Champion in the UK?
And the best part of it all is that the complete BassMeisters at Ground Zero in Germany are helping Matt do it. Not only are they helping out with some of his costs to enable him to afford to go (you don’t want to know how much it’s going to cost in fuel!) but have also put another sum on the table and if he places at all, he will earn that too, just exactly like he was a star footballer and this was the World Cup!
SO GO MATT!!
Here’s hoping thejoose puts the squeeze on!
Project Big Black Successes
UK dB Drag Extreme OS 3 Plus Champion (157.3dB)
UK 149.9dB Bassrace Champion
Talk Audio Bassrace League Champion
EMMA European Champion in ESPL ‘˜Master’ class
Propper Droppers Extreme UK Record Holder (156.8dB average, 1st ever 155+dB @ 20Hz – 156.3dB)
Magazine Covers Mobile Electronics News and ‘˜Copyright’ (street title)
Demo Car Of the Year M.E.N. Magazine (Bronze)
Meanwhile, Ground Zero are seeking new UK distribution, since Connects2 withdrew to concentrate on their core business of complex interfaces. I can happily introduce UK parties interested in picking up the brand, while it is still crackling with excitement. Furthermore, I know that PBB has spawned some other Ground Zero installs in the pipeline, which aughta be interesting, so you will get to read about them here.