HK Audio's LINEAR 5 MK2 Powers London Zoo Nights

HK Audio's LINEAR 5 MK2 loudspeakers have helped Alive Connected deliver clear, controlled sound at this year's London Zoo Nights, balancing audio quality for an audience of 3,000 with strict noise limits put in place to protect the animals.

The system was required to support performances from a West End production while ensuring levels stayed low enough to keep the zoo’s residents comfortable.

Alive Connected has worked with London Zoo for many years, providing AV support for major events. Faced with the acoustic challenges of the Zoo Nights series, the zoo once again called on the company to manage the complex sound requirements.

"When you're planning sound coverage, you need to not just look at where your speakers are pointing but also be mindful of where you are avoiding so that the combination of each element adds to a beautiful sound in the audience space and a far reduced sound in the avoidance zones. Sometimes that means using more elements to decrease the overall level of each speaker," explained Alive Connected's Dave Warner. "At London Zoo Nights we had a list of criteria including a restriction of 75dB to the nearest animals, in this case the flamingos and reptiles. So, we needed to position the speakers in a way to make sure we were confident it would sound great inside the audience area and be as quiet as possible outside."

Alive Connected had recently invested in the LINEAR 5 MK2 system for another job, but Warner decided the six-week outdoor programme would be an ideal opportunity to put it straight to work. "I realised it would be perfect because it has the directivity and punch we needed, looks smart, and for outside use has a weatherproof cover," recalled Warner. "When we set it up and tried it ahead of the first show, it sounded absolutely wonderful. It’s not too big, has great rejection at the back and you’ve still got enough headroom to cover a large space."

For the nightly performances, the team used LINEAR 5 MK2 115 XA cabinets as the main PA, with LINEAR 5 MK2 112 XA handling delay duties. "I went for the XA version to give me slightly wider coverage over the FOH version," explained Warner. "With the 70° dispersion on the 115 XA and 80° on the 112 XA it means I can get the required coverage and control without needing to double up on narrower dispersion boxes."

Each week's shows featured acoustic musicians, activities from the ZSL team, and a live acoustic set from an award-winning West End musical, with three singers and a guitarist performing songs from the production. "It went really well and the team at the zoo were really happy," stated Warner. "We kept within the noise limits, registering only 70dB by the flamingos. We were able to leave the system on site for six weeks and it worked perfectly every time."

hkaudio.com