Joining the other Universal Studios sites in Hollywood, CA., Orlando, FL. and Osaka, Japan it incorporates 24 attractions, of which 18 are original or specially adapted for the park. Each of the seven themed zones is based on a blockbuster movie or television show, featuring their own specific attractions. With Universal Studios taking up 20 hectares of Resort World Sentosa's massive 49 hectares, excellent site-wide communications were essential.
Singapore based Electro-Acoustics Systems, the regional QSC distributors, were appointed to supply and install the entire sound reinforcement and background music system - and wasted no opportunity to put the company's new Q-Sys complete integrated system platform to the test.
A centralised processing architecture consisting of a QSC Audio Q-Sys Core 4000 system (the largest available) lies at the heart of the design. The audio DSP resides on a local network based on L2/L3 switching technology, for which the Core 4000 performs all the audio routing, audio playback (up to 128 tracks) and processing in addition to managing all the control functions throughout the entire signal chain - from audio inputs to loudspeakers.
With this centralised architecture, input and output connections can be installed close to their sources and destinations using Q-Sys I/O Frames, for which any input can be routed to any output without convoluted signal paths. Each of the Park's 41 I/O Frames house up to four I/O cards that can enable up to 16 channels of input or output in a single unit.
In the event, two Q-Sys Core 4000 systems were specified and installed to provide both Core and network redundancy. While the main Core 4000 system can support this, having had additional network switches and cabling added, in the event of network failure the Q-Sys components switch instantly and automatically to the back-up network, enabling the secondary core to take over. Further redundant I/O Frames have been added in high-priority areas.
The facility managers were all provided with system design training, although Q-Sys is intuitive to operate, without complicated, multi-level menus.
This was the first major project in Singapore to be installed with a Q-Sys set up, and in the countdown to final commissioning, the EAS software engineers were relieved to find that the designs were compiled and deployed very quickly.
Across the site, loudspeakers (many concealed or camouflaged) are powered by a total of 147 of QSC's CX amplifiers purpose-designed amplifiers. Divided between the 13 control rooms, these have been designed specifically to meet the needs of sound contractors in fixed installations.
Music tracks are played out to the various zones around the site by a Medialon Manager, which controls the playback and connects to all the devices via an Ethernet network. Pre-recorded music can be triggered using the scheduler (to ensure daily consistency).
(Jim Evans)
