Liverpool, UK based ADLIB’s specialist installations division has completed the first live music venue installation with an L-ACOUSTICS KARAi system in the UK at the newly refurbished 1000 capacity Leeds University venue, Stylus.
The venue is located in the basement building complex beneath the famous Refectory, a gig renowned for hosting some landmark live performances in its day.
ADLIB has been involved in various capacities with Leeds University Students Union, who run all the venues on the campus, for some time, and were one of the companies asked to propose a new sound design and system for Stylus, which was complied by ADLIB’s Roger Kirby and John Hughes. Although the project funding process was initiated before his arrival in Leeds, the installation was all coordinated for the Union by Technical Manager, Ryan Esson.
As we all know, although L-ACOUSTICS are not necessarily the lowest cost loudspeaker options, it is most certainly "One of the best, specifically for the room and the venues requirements, and very well respected by engineers that have used the systems”. confirms Roger Kirby, adding that the lower cost of the new L-ACOUSTICS architectural series are a little more budget friendly.
Esson and his team already had an idea of what they wanted, and were initially considering an L-ACOUSTICS dV-DOSC system, as the plans predated the launch of KARAi.
The KARAi boxes are similar to the dV’s in cabinet format however they offer a consistent horizontal pattern which significantly improves coverage close to the stage explains Kirby. Stylus with its low ceiling trim, definitely also benefits from the extended low end frequency response of the KARAi loudspeakers to smoothly cover the multi-leveled floor.
ADLIB set up the two systems side-by-side for a comparative test at their warehouse in Liverpool and invited Esson and his colleagues to listen. From that experience, they made their choice.
There is a central well in front of the stage at Stylus and a raised platform around the edge of the room with the bar at the back. It’s a good layout for an intimate feeling gig, with the stage itself measuring 10 meters wide by 5 deep and a somewhat challenged 4.5 metres of headroom from stage floor to ceiling!
The new system – with 6 KARAi's a side - is flown above Stylus’s existing box truss which facilitates the rigging of all the venue's lighting fixtures. The lighting truss assembly is 8 metres wide and extends back from the rear of the stage beyond the front of house position approximately 15 metres.
To aid the KARAi's HF patterns being fully effective for the room, the flying points had to be positioned extremely carefully, plus ADLIB had to come up with a low profile solution to optimise the arrays due to the limited headroom, so the Adlib installations team headed by Alex Burke added 4 x 3m sections of Prolyte truss, plus all the essential rigging
”The main sonic requirements for the audio was smooth & even coverage delivered with impact for varied events" says Kirby.
For full delivery of the sound image in Stylus detailed consideration of the KARA high-mid contour was essential as the system needed to have as flat and balanced a response as possible, whilst simultaneously “retaining the 'musical signature' of any amplified content.
With the KARAi L-ACOUSTICS has managed to control the horizontal coverage pattern with a "Staggering level" of uniformity, on-axis. Off-axis the system gain and spectral balance is identical …. "So well done to them!” elucidates Kirby.
Two L-ACOUSTICS 12XTi's are flown as centre stage down fills to cover the triangular area at the barrier position where all ‘die-hard’ music fans want to have their fun!
To fit the 10 x L-ACOUSTICS SB18i subs under the stage ADLIB did a bit of lateral thinking, followed by some serious deconstructive work! The stage was reinforced to reduce the resonance by adding various layers of dense materials around each of 5 sub-stage chambers which were custom built for the subs.
The SB18i’s which are configured as five stacks, sit just below the front line of the musician’s feet for a live band stage set up. An untreated stage could have potentially generated numerous acoustic problems and this element of the project took serious thought at the time, and they are “very pleased” with the results, reports Kirby.
All the L-ACOUSTICS speakers are driven by their LA8 amps and may be controlled via the LA Network Manager. ADLIB would like to thank Stuart Down, Germain Simon and the rest of the team at L-ACOUSTICS for their support during the installation project.
The first full on gigs will take place during when the new term kicks off in September.
Work started in May and the actual on site physical installation took place during the last week in July.
ADLIB are no strangers in providing both touring and fixed installation solutions of the L-Acoustics loudspeaker systems and were one of a number of successful UK companies pitching system designs to the University.
Ryan Esson explains the back-story of how proposal plans for a new audio system in Stylus were launched by his predecessor way back in 2006. Although there were a number of interested companies vying for a piece of the action, ADLIB were in the front seat when he arrived in April 2010, a situation that he was extremely comfortable with having used the company for numerous projects whist working in the rental market. "I had always been impressed with their work" he comments.
“I had lots of confidence in ADLIB right from the outset, and as it has all unfolded, I have built up a really good rapport with Roger and John over the last year. This is another key reason that ADLIB was chosen as a partner in the first place, for their great communication skills as well as their ability to design and install a fantastic sounding system!"
He also mentions that John Hughes was invaluable in recognising and dealing with the idiosyncrasies of educational institution financing, helping to secure the final investment with the proposal and generally to deliver the project from start to finish with "Incredible levels of excellence".
Having recently completed the L-ACOUSTICS System Integrator Training ADLIB is now one of only two in the country.
ADLIB will be hosting L-ACOUSTICS open days on 15th & 16th February 2012. For more information please contact nickturner@adlibsolutions.co.uk