The new Abercorn opened its doors to reveal a spacious world of wooden floors, cream leather seats and magnolia and maroon walls. In addition to its comfortable lounge and circular bar, there is a 280-cover restaurant at the rear, a separate 120-seat banqueting area upstairs and two glass encased private VIP dining areas for 10. Wander into any of the nine zoned lounge and dining areas and you will be confronted with a superior audio and visual media experience that would do any home cinema proud - designed and installed by the Sound Division Group.
This was owners' goal when they first trawled the internet to search for specialist technical services - and discovered the North London based solution providers. "I had intended getting several quotes, but was so comfortable with [Sound Division MD] David Graham that I didn't see the need," he said. "Aside from doing a first class job they have responded very quickly any time we have needed it."
The owner wanted cutting edge technology to route multiple sources, with a 3D capability.
Different feeds would be provided to seven new-generation, super-thin glass-fronted Samsung displays, with LED-backlit HD screens; these include one of the latest Samsung D8000 3D Smart TVs, installed in the VIP lounge area.
The four largest 55in displays are elegantly recessed into the walls and placed strategically around the main bar lounges to create maximum impact, while a 46in screen has been deployed in the private bar and 37in displays can be found in each of the two private dining rooms. All take Sky inputs, Freeview and DVD, which required Sound Division to design a cabling infrastructure around HDMI over Cat 6 at the top end and VGA for simple computer presentations.
But it is the two retractable large 16:9 format projection screens, measuring up to 11.5ft, with an 8.5ft drop, which dominate, providing large-format viewing theatres for patrons in both the downstairs dining room and upstairs function suite. These display impressive HDMI picture quality from matching Optoma EH1020 full HD projectors.
With DJ plug-in facilities and a portable PA system for live entertainment in the upstairs banqueting suite, alongside various MP3 and CD formats, the audio switching and routing matrix needed to be as comprehensive as the video. Thus David Graham took the decision to bring in his networks specialist Dean Osborne to design an easy-to-operate GUI across the nine zones, and enlist BSS Audio and Kramer to provide technical support for their respective disciplines (and ensure that their devices interfaced with each other).
Stated Osborne, "I had to integrate the two and make the A/V work as one system in the most cost-effective, and easy-to-navigate way possible. Kramer have excellent technical support and they provided all serial codes for each command, and these we programmed in as a parameter preset in Soundweb."
This high level of control is necessary in a multipurpose venue, and the giant Samsung 19" touch screen control panel - which even includes onscreen EQ adjustment - is duplicated on a second laptop PC in the manager's office on the second floor, to enable the sound and visual sources being distributed throughout the premises to be closely monitored.
As a result Sound Division have supplied two 6-way Kramer VS-66 HDMI 6 x 6 matrix switchers and two Soundweb London BLU-100 fixed 12-in/8-out digital DSP's, which provide all zoning, equalization, presets and system protection - with a series of cost-efficient BLU-BOB and BLU-BIB I/O output expanders, increasing the capacity.
The installation is run in
