A&H at Loughborough SU

Loughborough SU

technology news

allen & heath for loughborough su

technology, news, january 2007, COMMENTS

Loughborough student's union has recently completed an extensive refurbishment including an overhaul of its audio equipment, to provide a state-of-the-art multi-function entertainment venue for its students. All of the audio mixing equipment selected for the six rooms was from Allen & Heath.

LSU is one of the largest student union venues in the UK with a capacity of 3,400. Open seven nights a week, it plays host to a variety of DJ’s, bands and celebrity acts. The venue comprises a cocktail bar called Fusion; JC’s traditional pub; Cognito, a retro room with illuminated dance floor; the main room, Room 1, incorporating a large stage and dance floor; a backroom bar, Bar 1; and Piazza, a large adjoining area. The LSU team also host outdoor events, including the annual Freefest music concert.

“We handle a lot of different events at the SU, and can progress from an intimate acoustic gig in one of the bars to a 3,390 capacity dance club in one night, so flexibility is key to the success of our events. Also, the bar and technical staff are predominantly students so we needed good quality gear, which is robust and easy to use,” explains stage manager, Jim Brown. “Allen & Heath’s range of products ticked all the right boxes, giving us top quality DJ mixers; compact, portable mixers; larger consoles capable of managing live bands, and a sophisticated audio distribution system.”

A Xone:464 was installed in the 1.750 capacity Room 1, which hosts a variety of evnts including a weekly comedy club and regular DJs. There is also a mobile flight-cased Xone:62 for use in other areas, or if a top visiting DJ is playing on the main stage, which has recently included Pendulum, Kosheen, Dave Pearce, Scott Mills, Sara Cox, Spoony, Trevor Nelson and Time Westwood.

The venue has most recently upgraded its live rig with the installation of a 32-channel GL2800 multi-purpose live sound mixer, and matching 32-channel GL2800M dedicated monitor desk. The GL consoles are complemented by a KT and BSS graphic and EQ, Yamaha FX and Drawmer processors.

Brown comments: “The desks are incredible value and increase the scope of the events we can handle in house. Quite simply, where else can you get a monitor desk with the GL2800M’s feature set at that price?”

A Mixwizard handles the smaller acoustic gigs held in more intimate areas of the venue.

“It’s a good desk for squeezing in discreetly and has proved to be very reliable,” continues Brown.
All the venue’s PA set ups are routed through an iDR system, which enables signals from any of the sound booths - or the various plug-in points dispersed throughout the venue - to be routed to any of the rooms and a queue speaker system.

“The iDR has proved invaluable for the kind of events we host, as we often have several acts playing music to different areas requiring routing and level changes to be triggered at different times. The iDR has also helped tremendously in complying with noise agreements with local residents, enabling us to automatically turn off external speakers at 23:30. We’re very happy with the system.”

The iDR sits on the venue’s network, and, if needed, managers or technical staff can connect to and edit programming quickly and easily. Three Intelliplates are also installed around the venue to give bar managers control over volume and the ability to change the DJ feed to the PA in their area.

“This aspect of the system greatly reduces the demands on staff, as the iDR recalls programmed settings, reverting to a standard setting in the daytime, whereby TV is routed throughout the building, and recalling presets for the themed events in the evenings. Once you’ve established those presets, it’s pretty much ‘set and forget’,” concludes Brown.

All mixing products were supplied through LMC Audio.

From: January 2007 Issue

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