GrandWest upgrades with L-Acoustics K Series
- Details
In 2020, the venue underwent a complete refit of its PA system, with L-Acoustics K Series chosen for its ability to fulfil international touring riders and deliver quality audio.
“Our previous PA system was installed when the venue was built in 2007 and had served us well for almost 14 years. It had allowed us to establish the Grand Arena as the go to destination for well-known local and international artists and bands, corporate events, launches, conferences and spectacular banquets,” says Dave Lombard, events and entertainment manager at GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World. “As the previous system was coming to the end of its lifespan, we started planning for a new PA, a process that took about three years before we were able to push the button.”
In 2017, Johannesburg-based DWR Distribution launched a countrywide roadshow which created a great deal of excitement and was instrumental in kick-starting the process of upgrading the Grand Arena. The following year, DWR became L-Acoustics’ certified provider distributor for South Africa and, with the loudspeaker brand already on the list of preferred upgrade options, conversations with the Grand Arena team amplified, moving the project further along.
“The brief from the client was very specific; the system had to be of the highest quality, extremely rider-friendly and have a lifespan of at least 10 to 15 years,” says Duncan Riley, director at DWR. “But the specifics of the design were left to us, so our brand manager, Richard Smith, started work on a system design with the help of Julien Laval, Application Project Manager and Consultant Liaison at L-Acoustics. From start to finish, the whole project was a great team effort.”
The layout of the Grand Arena and the type of shows it hosts dictated the general direction of the system design. “For the most part, it will be used in a concert configuration as a typical stereo system with complimentary side fills, front fills and subs,” explains Riley. “But an important additional criterion was that the system could be broken up and flown in the round for certain sporting events, like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and boxing.”
The initial brief evolved over the years, with the Arena benefitting from new products, such as Kara II, which were released close to the time of closing the deal.
The final configuration comprises left right hangs of 12 K2 and two Kara II, plus two K1-SB subs. Six Kara II per side are deployed as out-fill, with a further centre hang of four Kara II. Front-fill is delivered by eight Kiva II. Solid low-end reinforcement is achieved with six ground-stacked KS28 subs per side and 12 X12 are included for stage monitoring. System processing is via two P1 processors, with four LS10 switches providing the highest quality Milan-AVB signal distribution to the LA12X and LA4X amplified controllers powering the system. Two DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles with two SD-Racks fitted with 32-Bit cards handle mixing duties.
The installation took just five days to complete, including basic operational training for Grand Arena’s in-house team, with Johnny Scholtz acting as DWR’s overall project manager and client liaison for the project; Kyle Robson handling console installation; Chris Pugh taking care of the L-Acoustics system preparation, installation, and tuning; and Andrew Pettit assisting with installation and acting as DWR Cape Town contact for technical assistance. Venue staff were also on hand to help where necessary.
“From a technical point of view, it all went very smoothly,” says Riley. “COVID-19 proved a big challenge in terms of timelines and logistics, but we still managed to get everything in place and set up in under a week.”
The Grand Arena’s first show with its new system, and in fact its first show since the halt on large-scale events just over 18 months ago, was the Miss South Africa Pageant on 16 October 2021, which played to a limited capacity audience.
