AMG prides itself on pushing the boundaries in live events for both large scale touring productions and providing only the very best and state of the art in-house facilities. Over the years, AMG has developed a strategy of multi-room formats and Sheffield is no exception with an overall capacity of 2,350 and a second, production complete venue (Carling Academy 2 Sheffield) for 400-600 persons.
“Choosing the right partners and equipment is vital to the success of any multi-purpose space…” says Group Operations Manager, Richard Maides “… at AMG we work on a venue by venue basis to ensure we spec each site accordingly to its core trade, welcoming the latest in new technology in an ever-changing environment..”
Audio
Carling Academy Sheffield is Liverpool-based ADLIB Audio’s first AMG project, for which they have specified and installed a Nexo Geo D sound system, with Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles.
The sound design was created by ADLIB’s Andy Dockerty in conjunction with Roger Kirby and Mark Burnley, working closely with AMG’s Group Technical Manager, Ed Jackson and Group Operations Manager, Richard Maides. The final system optimizes the venue’s requirements for the live environment with the diversity of a leading dance/club system.
Carling Academy Sheffield features a deep balcony wrapped around a dancehall style room, so the team chose traditional side hangs stage left and right, each comprising 9 elements of Nexo Geo D10. These are complimented by a block of 6 a-side ground stacked Nexo S2 subs. These can be moved and stored under the stage to accommodate visiting production and there are also extra loading points next to the house PA for touring systems.
To ensure excellent sound coverage across the main room’s voluminous interior, there’s over 40 peripheral speakers carefully positioned around the room, all manufactured by ADLIB.
This includes 24 x 600 Watt AA 1214’s and 6 AA218 dual subs. To get around any limited or low ceiling height issues, there are a combination of landscape mounted AA81s and AA218s, 16 in total and these cover the corners and approximately 15 metres under the balcony.
The G10s and the ADLIB cabinets are powered by a combination of CAMCO V6’s and Crown I-Tech & XTI amplifiers. Processing is via Soundweb London.
ADLIB has supplied a comprehensive monitor rig for Carling Academy Sheffield including Martin LE1500 wedges, selected because it’s an industry standard box that “does the business”, plus 2 Martin Blackline H3 tops and 2 S218 bass cabinets for side fills and ADLIB’s own AA215 dual 15 drum sub. They also supplied a vast selection of mics of all types and varieties.
For control in the main room there are 2 Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles, with outboard graphic equalisation and playback.
Carling Academy 2 Sheffield features 3 elements per side of Nexo Geo D10’s, run with ADLIB’s touring AA218 HL dual 18 subs. ADLIB AA1214s high powered boxes are used for wide outfil, and another Soundcraft Vi6 does both FOH and monitor mixes. There are also 6 sends of monitoring using Martin LE1500’s with Soundweb London and Nexo processors and a 48-way multicore in each room with monitor, record and split options.
The Academy has the diversity for a third smaller area, for stand-alone, intimate nights and can act as an additional room for a club set-up at the top of the venue. Here, audio is dealt with by AA218i dual 18 subs and AA1214s ? the smallest high-output box ADLIB makes.
DJ Equipment
ADLIB has also kitted out the DJ booths with Technics 1210s turntables, Pioneer CDJ 1000 MK3s and the brand new Allen & Heath 3D mixers in the main room and Xone 92s elsewhere.
Lighting
Academy Music Group is working with Bristol-based Utopium who has worked closely with AMG in several venues for its lighting installation, designed and co-ordinated with Angus Chinn using leading lighting brands including Robe moving lights and Avolites control.
“Sheffield is slightly different in that it is designed with a technical duality to function as both a live and a club venue, which gives it a challenging and exciting edge” says Chinn.
There are 3 straight over-stage trusses and 2 triangular trusses over the dancefloor, the latter can be lowered in to make the space more intimate if required.
The equipment available ? across both stage and dancefloor areas ? includes 8 Robe ColorSpot 700E ATs, 8 Robe ColorWash 575E AT Zooms, 6 Robe ColorSpot 250E ATs, 4 Robe REDBlinder 2·48s, 4 Martin Atomic Strobes, 8 bars of 6 PARs, 6 Source Four Juniors, a Look Solutions Unique water-based hazer and a Unique Viper high output smoke machine, 6 floor cans, 4 Studio Due CS4 moving ACL’s and a 1.2 metre mirror ball.
The idea is that this pool of lighting kit does not have fixed positions and can be shared and moved between over-stage and dancefloor rigs as required, giving incoming artists real flexibility” says AMG’s Group Technical Manager, Ed Jackson.
Chinn states, “I chose Robe moving lights again for all the same reasons that I have specified them in the past ? great reliability, lots of creative options and competitive pricing, plus excellent backup and support from Robe UK” who supplied the fixtures.
On the control side, Chinn again went for Avolites, with 2 Pearl Experts for the main room and one of the new Avo Pearl Tigers for Carling Academy 2 Sheffield.
The reason there are 2 consoles for Carling Academy Sheffield is to allow the FOH position (for the stage) to be completely and seamlessly struck for club nights when the lighting rig can be operated from a side position close to the DJ booth. Dimming in both Academy venues is LightProcessor Dimensions.
For the balcony and lounge areas, Chinn specified many of Anolis LED fixtures. Anolis ArcLine strips are strategically positioned between the reinforcement speakers around the rim of the balcony, giving a soft colour-changing glow to the area.
All 10 bars throughout the Academy are backlit with Anolis LED ArcLinks which can be patched into the main Avo consoles and run together with the stage and dancefloor lighting programme, or alternatively be controlled locally by DMX Light Switches.
The 400-600 capacity Carling Academy 2 is a positive step in continuing AMG’s policy for encouraging and developing new bands and artists to play in professionally equipped venues. Here Chinn specified 4 Robe ColorSpot 250E ATs and 4 Robe ClubScan 250’s, which are ideal fixtures for smaller spaces. There are also 2 Atomic strobes, 4 PAR 64 floor cans, 12 Anolis ArcSource 12 RGBs and 5 Anolis ArcLine Optic 36 RGB fixtures.
It is the first time Utopium has specified an Avolites Pearl Tiger for an installation. “I wanted to keep the Avo theme going, and the Tiger was ideal for Academy 2” adds Chinn. “It’s exactly the right size and it has the same operating system as the larger Pearls and virtually all professional LDs can operate a Pearl, not to mention the Avo service and back up”.
A/V
For the installation of the video system at Carling Academy Sheffield, AMG opted to work once again with Scott Wakelin, now of Dimension Audio, the leading supplier of specialist A/V and Audio services.
In recent years Academy Music Group has invested heavily in A/V technology and multiple screen relay across its venue estate as the demand for high quality visuals becomes a bigger part of live production.
The main stage at Carling Academy Sheffield features a 6-metre drop-down screen, using a Sanyo projector and a high resolution 3-chip camera focused on the stage.
Carling Academy 2 Sheffield features exactly the same facilities with a 3-metre drop-down screen over its stage and high resolution camera and projector.
Additionally, Carling Academy Sheffield features no less than 16 Samsung LCD 32” screens over bars and across the venue controlled by Kramer Video control equipment.
For more information:
Louise Stickland (ADLIB/Utopium/Robe/Avolites) louise@loosplat.com. T @ 44 7831 329888
Louise Kovacs (AMG / Carling Academy Sheffield) louise@academy-music-group.co.uk