The installation entailed delivering all the multicores, cables, stage boxes, patch bays, wall racks plus associated metalwork, and was overseen by Penn's Leon Whipp who heads the company's specialist wiring division.
Every centimetre of space in the characterful building has been utilised meaningfully in the conversion to serve as a busy and proactive recording environment offering a large control room, main space and mezzanine floor chamber.
Cat 5 connectors have been used throughout. A 48-way line system from the control room connects the recording spaces (Main Room and Mezzanine) via two stages, with a third stage box for the drum riser. Video monitor screens linking all three areas are also run via Cat 5 lines.
Leon completed the installation over the course of about a month, but the end-to-end time frame for the installation on site was around three days.
The physical proximity of Penn Elcom's HQ and factory facilities being just up the road on an industrial estate on the edge of Hastings was a great advantage, and this was where the multicores 1 x 16-way and two 12-way multicores were pre-built and prepped, all using Syntax connectors. Neutrik connectors were also utilized throughout the installation for the other terminations. "There was an emphasis on quality throughout," says Leon.
This is one of a number of such studio projects in which Leon has sourced materials from Penn's extensive stock of Penn / Comus cables. "The quality, reliability and breadth of the Penn ranges is great and the service excellent," comments Leon, who has also undertaken similar work via Culture Club and Blue's sound engineer Jimmy Sarikis and Tinie Tempah's engineer Raphael Williams among others.
(Jim Evans)
