One of the latest construction projects, centred on the Denbeigh district of modern Milton Keynes, is stadium:mk - a football stadium, arena and retail / hotel development. stadium:mk is also home to MK Dons, the football club famously (and controversially) moved from its former home and incarnation as Wimbledon FC, whose chairman Pete Winkelman is the mastermind behind the stadium development.
As a former music industry producer, and previously the owner of Great Linford Manor recording studios, it's unsurprising that Winkelman has taken a keen interest in the stadium's acoustics and audio system, going to great lengths to ensure that the sound quality is as high as possible for both football matches and other events at what is intended to be a true multi-purpose venue.
Winkelman asked live sound engineer 'Big' Mick Hughes to recommend a suitable mixing console to maintain the audio integrity of the high quality Meyer / BSS PA system.
Despite being more used to life behind much larger consoles, Hughes recommended the Yamaha LS9-16, not only for its sound quality but also its versatility and ease of use. Its ability to store and instantly recall settings means that it is very fast to set up for any number of different events, which may well have inexperienced users at the helm.
The first use of the console illustrated the flexibility required from the system, as the Alan Ball Memorial Cup match was played between a celebrity-strewn England XI and a Rest Of The World XI.
The new audio system has received many favourable comments, with Pete Winkelman noting: "Putting the Yamaha LS9-16 at the front end has enhanced our quality and control of the Stadium sound system - our fans noticed the improvement straight away."
(Jim Evans)
