Sound Division Sitaaray installation

Sitaaray interior shot

technology news

Sound division Group completes intricate Sitaaray

technology, news, february 2007, COMMENTS

The Sound Division Group (SDG) have completed a flexible installation at a technologically elaborate two tier-multifunctional venue. The venue, which features a 5.1 cinema, dance venue, art gallery and corporate entertainment, is Sitaaray, the Drury Lane restaurant addition to Rohit Khattar’s Tamarai venue

Central to Sitaaray’s design is the slowly colour-changing lotus in the stairwell provides the curtain raiser to an inventive use of LED throughout the venue. SDG have installed X-Chip LED strips around the walls of the three restaurant areas and the Lotus Lounge to provide an atmospheric colour changing effect, all centrally controlled from the dedicated AR12 unit located behind the bar.

SDG have divided the two floors into ten separate sound zones, with JBL Control series speakers, powered by Crown Xs series amplification, driven by a complex BSS Soundweb London DSP routing system and mode switcher. Sound reinforcement for the main entertainment space consists of four JBL Control 30’s, front left, front right, back left, back right configured for club sound, and one AE series AL6125 2 x 15in sub.

A further Control 29AV centre speaker, positioned behind the main 10ft wide electric cinema screen, comes into play when the venue operates in cinema mode, and a Lexicon MC4 surround sound processor, under Soundweb command, decodes all the standard cinema formats to generate the 5.1 sound system required.

Around the bar area are four JBL Control 28s and an AE series AL6115 single 15in sub. Various quantities of JBLControl 25AV speakers have been specified for the three restaurant areas and Lotus Lounge. But the real ‘intelligence’ of the system is provided by the BSS Soundweb London software system - designed by specialist Soundweb programmer Martin Barbour. An HP Procurve in the main rack forms the basis of the network, split into two VLAN’s - one for Harman Pro’s proprietary HiQnet communication, and the other for CobraNet, running at 48kHz and 2.66ms latency.
The CobraNet-compatible Soundweb London BLU-80 handles all routing and processing responsibilities, with two BLU-32 break-in/break-out devices providing CobraNet on and off ramps to facilitate the large number of inputs and outputs in the system. A BLU-10 ‘Jellyfish’ is also supplied for local remote control of Sitaaray.

Controlled by London Architect software, any sound source can be routed to any zone in the building. The video sources are switched via a Kramer 16 x 16 matrix unit - along with a manual patch panel - linked to Soundweb London via RS232, with London Architect again providing the user interface.
“The DSP routing was the most complex part of the installation in terms of client requirements and budget,” said SDG managing director, David Graham. “The client wanted to be able to show any one of the 16 video inputs to any of the 16 screens located around both Tamarai and Sataaray in any configuration.”

Via a network of Elca video distribution amplifiers most the inputs to the Kramer are also routed directly to two Edirol V4 video four-channel mixers, with the ouputs then routed back into the Kramer switching unit.

Confronting the posse of DJs and VJs is an easy-to-navigate set-up with full monitoring via a Numark VM03 3-screen monitor, which allows them to see inputs and outputs, and a master status graphic display overhead. Tamarai also sees the first installation of Pioneer’s new DVJ-X1, which has the same functionality as the CDJ-1000 MkII but with the added capacity to play back DVDs as well as CDs, working in tandem with a Pioneer DJM-800 mixer. High-definition capabilities are offered by Denon’s DVD 3910 HDMI player. Aside from the DVD’s resident VJ Piku carries a series of visual loops on his laptop and uses Resolume VJ editing software.

From: February 2007 Issue

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