Now 18 years old, the ship has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment, which has seen major changes across the entire ship, from cabins to kitchens through to entertainment systems. Thomson's consultants provided the specifications and a list of equipment to Live Business International (LBI) who were brought in to provide system design and schematics, installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance. The LBI team, with Gerry Logue as technical project manager, thus either fitted from scratch, or refitted, 12 entertainment areas.
The Broadway (main show lounge) features a full theatre sound, lighting and video projection installation. The audio system for this 500-capacity room, is based around a variety of loudspeaker types, reflecting the diversity of shows staged there. Meyer UPM-1P and UMS-1P sub bass were specified, along with JBL SRX SR4735X and Apogee AE2s2 loudspeakers, a pair of Renkus-Heinz TSC mid/top cabinets with matching sub-bass and four Martin LE350A monitors. Power for the system is provided by Crest and Apogee amplifiers, controlled by BSS Soundwebs and an FCS960 dual graphic. The mixer, retained from the existing system, is a Soundcraft 8000, whilst the rack includes a Yamaha SPX990, Lexicon MPX500, Tascam DA88 track and a Sony minidisc and CD player. For microphones, LBI specified Shure wireless and hand-held systems.
The well-featured and flexible lighting system that cruise ships tend to require, comprises Strand Mini Ms, Par cans, modular floodlights and profiles, with Pulsar Chromabank LED lighting bars, ETC Source Four Junior zooms and Pars, Coemar Ribalta 3 floodlights, TAS1500 strobes, Martin MAC 300s, Clay Paky Shadow followspots, Jem foggers and an Avolites Azure lighting desk.
The High Spirits Club houses a disco and live band area, plus karaoke systems and video screens. The differing requirements of these called for a relatively complex system, with club dancefloor lighting and a separate rig for live acts. To serve the various interactive entertainment events - a speech sound reinforcement system was also an important part of the specification. At the heart of this is the new BSS Soundweb Lite - one of its first installations - which reconfigures the system between its disco and live band modes. The system includes Meyer UPM powered speakers, complemented by Bose, Martin and JBL, with QSC and C Audio amplification, Shure microphones, Sony media players and a Soundcraft Spirit Live mixer.
The Pool deck is one of the ship's most popular entertainment areas, with an outdoor stage featuring Litestructures decking and a completely weatherproof sound and lighting system. The lighting in this area consists principally of Par cans, while the loudspeakers are Technomad Chicagos and Berlins, linked with EV and JBL floor monitors, all powered by QSC amplifiers, with a Spirit mixer and Shure microphones completing the line-up.
The control hardware sits in portable racks, enabling it simply to be wheeled out and plugged in to the loudspeaker and lighting systems. "It was a question of designing a system that could withstand the worst the weather could throw at it, while delivering excellent sound and lighting quality," explains LBI's Roland Hemming. "This solution gives the operators plenty of flexibility and it's extremely robust and reliable."
The Health Club features a zoned system, which provides sound for both the gym and treatment rooms. The outdoor aerobics area has an interesting twist - the sound rack is located indoors, so the aerobic teacher wears a Denon RC41 infra-red wristwatch remote control which controls the CD player via an infra-red sensor mounted in the rack - an unusu
