In 2007, an £8.5 million modernising refit was completed. In 2009, Belfast City Council supervised the selection and installation of a line-array sound reinforcement system, cleverly specifying a level of portability within the design so that elements of the system could 'float' between Ulster Hall and its sister venue, the Waterfront Hall.
A lengthy tendering process culminated in the contract being awarded to Belfast sound rental and installation company Park Audio, regular suppliers to the Waterfront Hall. "At the Waterfront, we've successfully hired in Electro-Voice systems for all sorts of shows, and I've used Park Audio's EV XLC line-array for big outdoor concerts such as PLM Promotions' shows with The Chemical Brothers and the Prodigy," explains David Sinton, the production and stage manager. "When it came to the unique environment of the Ulster Hall, the EV XLD cabinets seemed ideal, and they're very compact boxes, easy to move about as part of a floating system."
The package supplied by Park Audio includes 18 XLD281 enclosures, subbass cabinets, EV ZX5 monitors, CP Series amplifiers, EV DC-One controllers and a number of Klark-Teknik Square One graphics. This inventory has been divided into three: six XLD281s plus two subs are permanently moored in the Studio Theatre at the Waterfront Hall, a similar system has been installed into the Ulster Hall, and the remaining enclosures 'float' between the two venues.
The classic Victorian design of the Ulster Hall includes a galleried balcony that runs around most of the hall. Low-profile hangs each with three super compact XLD281 cabinets have been flown some 25ft above stalls level on either side of the stage. The subs are ground-stacked. When the occasion demands it, additional XLD cabinets can be deployed from the floating system, and stacked on top of the subs.
Park Audio's Glenn Gamble describes the Ulster Hall's acoustics as "perfect - it is a very easy hall to EQ. This new system will really expand the capability of the venue, and, because of the interchangeability between Ulster and Waterfront Halls, we have really maximized the effectiveness of the budget. Although there are many different sound engineers coming through the door, they pretty much say the same thing, which is that they can't believe those wee boxes are doing all that."
Founded nearly 10 years ago, Park Audio Productions originally earned its living from small dance events and live bands; today it is the single largest rental provider of high-spec line array sound systems in Northern Ireland. "We've had a long association with Electro-Voice, dating back to the early 1990s," recalls Glenn Gamble, "we know the quality of EV products and what they can achieve for us, and we know the level of support we can expect from Shuttlesound, so we've stepped up to become an official Electro-Voice dealer and installer."
(Jim Evans)
