RCF arrays deliver soundscape at Great Exhibition
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The installation of 40 of these compact elements was sensitively carried out by RCF partner Nitelites, to contour the curvilinear glass and stainless superstructure of the building. Its purpose is to reproduce a newly commissioned work by Sheffield-based ‘sound sculptor’ Mark Fell, called Protomusic #1.
The installation was carried out in just three days and involves bespoke mounting bracketry, manufactured in house by Nitelites, enabling each speaker to be optimised at the correct tilt angle, while remaining discreet.
Fell’s soundscape of real world sounds that represent the north of England, have been reproduced by 60 traditional instruments from around the world by Royal Northern Sinfonia, as well as non-professional players and independent musicians, in what amounts to three hours’ worth of material, recorded over a two-month period.
The soundscape plays using a non-repetitive algorithm at low-level from 10am to 9pm daily, with each of the 40 speakers receiving its own independent feed.
Sage Gateshead already enjoys a close relationship with RCF as Nitelites have previously installed flagship RCF systems in their two main rooms. For at the end of the exhibition, Sage Gateshead will take ownership and repurpose a quantity of the boxes while the remainder will be returned to Nitelites’ hire inventory.
Clair Willis, Sage Gateshead’s, technical manager, says: “We have a number of halls in which we stage events and the PA is receiving positive feedback. It was based on this experience that I suggested the use of RCF within this project.”
Tracing the background to the commission, she said, “With the opening of the Exhibition, the organisation had wanted something to animate the concourse and Mark’s idea was selected by the programming team as the immersive experience it wanted.”
Nitelites’ project manager Ed Gamble, adds: “To convince Mark about the merits of the HDL6 we shipped him a unit to try out.”
Fell picks up the story of his latest excursion into psychoacoustics and his love affair with the HDL6-A. “Within about 15 minutes of setting up the speaker in my studio and playing different sounds through it I knew that it was exactly what I needed,” he says.
Gamble added that the speaker’s 100° x 10° vertical coverage was perfect for the project, focusing the sound on the listener. “Because of the control pattern, HDL6-A provides a seamless audio experience from area to area along the concourse. The other benefits of using the HDL6-A are the weight and size, which are incredible.”
The Great Exhibition of the North is run by the NewcastleGateshead Initiative and will continue until 9 September. It is expected to bring a £184m boost to the North East’s economy.
(Jim Evans)
