Passmores recently achieved Academy status and was rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted; last year, 67% of its students achieved the equivalent of five or more GCSEs at grades A-star to C.
Harlow-based company, Gig Gear, first provided the school with a mobile Peavey audio solution, and then carried out the more heavyweight Peavey installation in the facility's main hall.
"They wanted to be able to transport one of the systems, and despite the fact that it's mobile, we still managed to deliver a high-powered solution," explains Virgil Lund, UK sales development at Peavey. "We decided on QW2Fs for the tops, which have a two-inch compression driver, and then a two 18-inch Versarray sub underneath each side; it's a serious system."
Four Peavey PV15M floor wedges were also deployed as part of the mobile rig, which was powered using Crest Audio and Peavey amplification: one CC 2800, a CC 5500, and four Peavey CS 800s.
The school's main hall required a more significant audio solution, therefore six Versarray 112s, two Versarray 118s, and two Sanctuary SSE12s were deployed, all of which was powered by Crest Audio amplifiers (two CC 1800s, two CC 2800s, and a CC 4000), running with a VSX 26 as a DSP processor.
The installation wasn't entirely straightforward, however. The whole space required some acoustic treatment before the system could be integrated.
"Due to the hall's unusual oval design, the sound of the room at first was actually pretty terrible," reflects Lund. "But thankfully, the school agreed to drape the entire area before the PA was brought in, which helped minimize the nasty reflections. We then deployed two hangs of three 112s, along with two 118 cabinets, one positioned under each hang for the low end; and when commisioning was finished, it sounded fantastic."
Control is achieved via a racked 16FX console set on wheels, which allows users to easily accommodate the hall's two available mix positions, one of which is located at the front of the hall, the other at the back.
"All you need to do is wheel it into position, plug it into the XLR sockets on the wall, and it's ready to go," Lund concludes.
(Jim Evans)
