Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
29/04/2024

Martin Audio WPS Delivers Power And Flexibility

News Image
The multi-use requirement of Cardiff Students' Union's Great Hall presented SWG Events with several challenges when designing and installing a frontline PA.

The venue is a multipurpose space with a capacity of 1500 and a variety of needs. Firstly, the PA system needed to meet the approval of incoming circuit bands and productions, and at the same time be completely adaptable to a wide range of events. Since live music events are hosted in more than one space within the building, the PA needed to be demountable and reappropriated together in various locations.

SWG Events successfully met the challenges presented to them, their pitch based around Martin Audio's premium Wavefront Precision WPS line array, which was ideally suited to the space. Joe Bailey, Account Manager at SWG Events, added: "With our strong ties to the Wavefront Precision product range in our busy rental inventory, we were confident we could provide a solution that not only offered a high-end experience to customers, but also one that would be well received by touring parties and promotors." He also affirmed that "the on-going goal is to assist the Students' Union in developing their already very strong status as a top live music venue in Cardiff."

These had been the requirements handed down by Head of Venues, Callam Thom. "This year the Great Hall enters into its 50th year of operation, as one of the oldest music venues in the Capital City. It is therefore crucial that we keep up with the demands of modern-day touring and the expectations of our audiences. To keep our name up there with the best venues, we wanted to offer a state-of-the-art system that is supported by a company with a wealth of experience. It feels right that our customers are given a sector-leading audio experience," he said.

"Furthermore, with our venue being so multi-use, going from live music to a nightclub to a conference, it was imperative that the solution was easily adjusted."

The Great Hall has recently seen significant development to the two accessible viewing balconies, vastly increasing the spaces available for those with additional viewing needs. The development provided an upper-level bar, toilets and viewing platforms—spaces that also had to be catered for with the sound system. SWG Head of Audio, Simon Purse sensed these challenges when confronted with a building that was "basically a big concrete square, with low balcony at the end, and the FOH position situated just under the bulkhead".

SWG based their design for the conventional pros arch system around six elements per side of WPS, driven in 2-box resolution from Martin Audio’s iK42 amplifiers. Eight SX218 subwoofers are placed in a broadside array, while also at the stage, four Blackline X8 fill gaps in the nearfield with two TORUS T1230 delivering out fill sound.

Given the low balcony overhang, a ring of four CDD8 provides under balcony delay and a further four CDD8 above the accessible viewing left and right-side balconies themselves, DSP for which i provided by a dedicated DX4.0 controller; this also brings the fills into the VU-NET control network.

Purse added: "While there are elements that are fixed, a lot of it is like a conventional flown touring system. Exams one day might be followed by a rock show, so it can be derigged and taken down or change shape, depending on the requirements of the venue. Even the stage is removable, making probably the most diverse room I've ever been in."

Martin Audio Product Support Engineer, Robin Dibble, assisted with tuning and time alignment which, being a reverberant concrete venue, was essential—despite the presence of drapes and acoustic treatment. Presets are programmed and stored, depending on the different scenarios.

Purse explained: "There is a snapshot for when the system is in its default live show mode, with all the time alignment EQ and settings loaded in that. For other events such as when a DJ is placed in the centre of the room, the PA is moved, new angles applied and given new optimisation. The system then resets back to its default state afterwards."

Bailey also emphasises that the system has performed well in the first academic year of the contract with over 50 live music events since installation in Autumn 2023, most of which are touring artists.

Following commissioning by Robin Dibble, SWG Events provided training to the in-house crew, while they are also providing crew for live music events from a system engineer point of view.
Finally, to ensure Wavefront Precision gets full utilisation, the system will come out during the University’s summer recess to be redeployed on SWG Events' vast roster of summer outdoor work, before returning to the Students’ Union for Freshers’ Week and the start of the Autumn term.

martin-audio.com
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

14/05/2024
Chyron LIVE Cloud-Native Live Production Platform Updated
Chyron has released a series of significant updates to its Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production platform that were demonstrated at the 2024 NAB Sh
13/03/2020
DTS1800 Fibre System For Live Events
Digital Television Systems have over 25 years' experience in Camera Control Systems. No wonder the DTS1800 Fibre System is the preferred Multi Camera
20/11/2015
Sound Companies Welcome Avid VENUE | S6L
Sound companies throughout Europe have welcomed the Avid VENUE | S6L live sound system, Avid has announced. John Smith, director of Kingdom Services,
18/06/2015
Strong Demand For Avid's VENUE | S6L
Avid has announced that sound companies around the world are embracing the recently announced VENUE | S6L live sound system, with significant orders a
24/09/2012
SXS Events Selects Allen & Heath iLive Digital Mixing System
SXS Events has selected an Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system from its hire stock to manage audio requirements on the 'Britain and Ireland's Ne
13/09/2007
Vinten's Pro-6hdv Pan And Tilt System Solution For Events
Camera support systems and accessories manufacturer Vinten showcased a range of innovative yet practical products at IBC 2007. Among them was the Vint
02/08/2021
UEFA Selects AVIWEST To Support Off-Venue Events
AVIWEST was selected by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to support selected off-venue events, including official team training and
14/09/2018
Sony Expands HDC Family With New Live Production System Cameras
Sony has expanded its HDC family with the reveal of four new live production system cameras at IBC. The next generation of system cameras (HDC-P50, HD
31/01/2019
ChyronHego Pairs TRACAB Optical Tracking System And CLICK Effects Graphics Authoring System
At separate football matches in Denmark and the Netherlands, ChyronHego has introduced a solution by pairing the company's TRACAB optical tracking sys
21/08/2015
Demand Continues For Avid VENUE | S6L
Significant orders are being placed for the Avid VENUE | S6L, ahead of its formal shipping date, by a number of Canadian sound companies, Avid has ann
01/10/2014
Endemol Deploys DIVArchive CSM System And DIVAdirector MAM System
Front Porch Digital has announced that global production powerhouse Endemol has deployed a DIVArchive® CSM system and DIVAdirector® media asset manage
15/08/2007
Cambridge Imaging System To Launch Digital TV System At IBC
Cambridge Imaging Systems, the digital archive management specialist, will launch T-Gate, a new, efficient way to manage enterprise digital TV, at IBC
26/07/2021
Martin Audio Provides Sound System For Polish Venue
Martin Audio has played a key role in the development of an exciting new restaurant in Warsaw. A selection of BlacklineX series loudspeakers was chose
19/02/2020
United Center Installs Ross Unified Venue Control System
Home to the Blackhawks (NHL) and the Bulls (NBA), the United Center in Chicago became a Ross customer in October of last year, installing a Ross Unifi
21/08/2018
Oslo Venue Takes Delivery Of DiGiCo SD12 System
Oslo venue Klubben i Røverstaden has taken delivery of its first DiGiCo SD12 system, supplied by Scandec. The new venue offers a broad range of concer