The hall, built in the 1970s was designed and equipped for recording orchestral concert works having a technical control room, but as an acoustic concert platform had only very limited public address equipment. The largest element of work involved sound system infrastructure and equipment. The shortcomings with the public address have now been resolved with the help of the new RCF TTL33A line array loudspeakers. Two arrays with five TTL33A segments in each and two TTS 18A sub-bass units were floor mounted rather than flown with the arrays.
The TTL33A is a compact active box with 1250W of amplification (2 x 500W + 1 x 250W) 100° horizontal dispersion 15° max vertical (depending upon array configuration). "It's a joy to set up," said Stage Electrics' project manager Tim Cullen. "Following the RCF shape design CAD, the set-up of the angles and the config of the boxes couldn't be simpler, and wow, what an end result - fantastic sound."
A 144-way B gauge patchbay within the control room provides a centralised location from which to distribute microphone/signal tie lines from eight facility panels around the hall plus another within the over stage area dedicated to two Neumann KM183 and four DPA 4006 microphones. An XTA DP224 speaker management system (within the control room) provides access to the line arrays enabling them to run either full range or with sub-bass in use.
"The time scale was quite tight," said Stage Electrics' project manager Peter Coleman, "six weeks in the planning and a team of six for three weeks on site, given the scale of what's involved required a strong team, working closely together."
Stage Electrics' projects team also installed 36 channels of Zero Chilli Pro dimmer, 38 new lanterns, complete wiring installation, a CCTV system with four monitors and link to a web cam server, side hall tracks and acoustic curtains, a multi-zone (RCF) paging system to dressing rooms and public areas, a bespoke worktop control desk at the rear of the auditorium.
Phil Price from RCF UK comments: "This will be the first TTL33 Line Array used in a fixed installation in the UK, we are pleased to have been able to help Stage Electrics and The Conservatoire with what we believe is a ground-breaking and exciting new product."
(Lee Baldock)
