The system comprises eight UL210 three-way bi-amped array elements and four TB115S subs supplemented by four DS12S front-fills and delays and a further six DS15s which are used either as stage monitors or extra fills depending on the application. Processing is courtesy of two APG DMS26 processors on a BVNet network which enables full remote system control and EQ.
Amplification is handled by two 4-channel C88:4 amplifiers from Lab.gruppen. It was installed by LR événement, a full service production company that also has a thriving installation wing. MD Sylvain Péchard, explained that Uniline had already been put through its paces at an open-air concert in front of 7,000 people. "Uniline is a brand new system from APG, so we were keen to try it out," he remarked.
"The first thing we noticed was how easy it was to fly - an array of six cabinets weighs just 260kgs, so we were able to fly it from a simple freestanding PA tower - no need for traditional scaffolding which is a lot more involved, and of course more expensive to put up. The three-point flying system made handling really easy, and in terms of performance, the system was magnificent. APG's DMS26 processor in conjunction with the amps gave us plenty of power and headroom to spare, and the PWAPG software interface gave us full system control from the FoH position. After such a positive experience, I had no hesitation in recommending Uniline to Odysséa."
The brief for the system was that it had to be compact for minimal visual intrusion; it needed to be sufficiently high quality to handle AV presentations and theatre shows and yet still have the power to cater for rock bands; finally, there was the budget to consider - value for money was a clear factor in the decision-making process.
Technical director Yannick Berthou also pointed out that there were a couple of technical issues to overcome. "The room is actually quite 'live' with a lot of reflections coming from the walls and other hard surfaces. Secondly, the auditorium has a very steep rake with a ceiling height of only 2.5m, so we had to make sure that we got the angle of the system just right in order to ensure homogenous coverage all the way to the back of the room. We also had to fit the subs under the stage so that they wouldn't be visible, but the APG subs are extremely compact, so it was a fairly straightforward exercise."
"In short, it's been a thoroughly positive experience working with APG on this project," concluded Berthou. "From the initial specification all the way through to final commissioning, APG has been a pleasure to work with, and so indeed has Uniline. The system is both powerful and accurate, and the design and the build quality of the UL210 is just exemplary. It's exactly what we were looking for."
(Jim Evans)
