The team behind the Coronet re-launch includes Simon Parkes, the man who rescued the derelict Brixton Academy in the 1980s. Unsurprisingly, he has put live music at the core of the Coronet's new business plan, and wants to put the venue firmly on the touring circuit. So far, the club has hosted Franz Ferdinand, The Orb and Macy Gray, and is nurturing a commitment to showcasing new bands and avant-garde events.
Bernard Mani of Systems Etc has had a long relationship with the Coronet venue, hiring in PA systems on both short and long-term bases. He was the obvious candidate to design a permanent system for the venue, and has elected to install an Electro-Voice XLC compact line-array, with X-Line sub-bass reinforcement, and the new EV NetMax system control, supplied by Shuttlesound. Front-of-house control and monitor systems are also provided, featuring Midas Heritage consoles.
The installation at the Coronet features line-array hangs left and right of the proscenium arch stage. Each array includes 2x Xlc118 subwoofers at the top, above 8x Xlc127+ cabinets. Beneath the stage, there are 4x X-Subs together with a further 8x Xlc118 subs.
The system is controlled by one of the first EV NetMax N8000 processors in the UK, chosen by Bernard Mani because "it completely integrates the system, all the profiles of the EV cabinets are inside the NetMax, giving you a global picture instead of the jigsaw you'd get with several smaller individual controllers".
The EV NetMax N8000 is especially suitable for live music work, says the company. An extremely flexible audio control processor, it has probably the widest audio dynamic range of any system control devices on the market, together with superior A/D and D/A conversion technology and wideband electronics. Presented in a compact 2RU configuration, the N8000 can be configured in a number of ways; as a high-performance controller, with built-in scheduler, and fault-logging, or as part of a matrix, in conjunction with EV's IRIS-Net hardware, such as the RL Series remote amplifiers.
(Chris Henry)
