VENUE PROFILE: THE ROUNDHOUSE

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC VENUES IN LONDON, CAMDEN’S ROUNDHOUSE HAS RECENTLY BEEN KITTED OUT WITH STATE OF THE ART SOUND CONFIGURATION…

Originally a Victorian train turntable, it’s fair to say that in terms of iconic gig venues, Camden’s Roundhouse is up there with London’s most beloved. First re-fitted and opened as a performance venue back in 1964, the space fell into disuse until 1996, when it was reborn at the peak of Cool Britannia. With its distinctive circular shape and ring of 24 cast-iron Doric columns within the space, the venue is never in danger of feeling generic. Playing host to around 250 events per year, the Roundhouse holds gigs, awards, performing arts shows and other live events nightly.

In 2019, sound engineering outfit DeltaLive were appointed the venue’s principal sound supplier, and scale the venue’s sound setup according to the needs of each event. We spoke to DeltaLive’s Roundhouse Account Manager Cara Smith to learn more…

AMI: Can you give us a little background on DeltaLive and the other venues you’ve installed at

Cara Smith: DeltaLive have been at the forefront of the audio industry for over 30 years, with a heavy focus on supporting venues directly in London. For over 20 years we managed our installed PA system and audio elements for shows at the Royal Albert Hall, which we upgraded several times during our tenancy and installed alternative tailor-made systems for larger productions. We are particularly proud to have supported the BBC Proms over many of these years in this location. We also offer event specific support at many other accredited venues across London, including Outernet, Tate Museums (Modern and Britain), The National Gallery and Kew Gardens, to mention just a few.

AMI: When did you get the call to take on sound supply to The Roundhouse?

We went through a three-month tender process at the beginning of 2019, after which we were awarded and took over the contract in April of that year.

AMI: Can you tell us what the biggest challenges were when first gauging The Roundhouse as a space, what were the main issues with previous setups there?

As the venue was a conversion and not originally designed to be a live music space, we had to approach it completely differently from any other venue. Luckily we have great experience working in unconventional spaces so we were able to predict how the space would respond to certain PA setups, and over time really fine-tune how we approach it. Our engineers have also been able to learn how the space reacts in different temperatures, or with/without a crowd for example, and therefore pass that expertise onto every touring engineer that comes in and help them achieve a great sound for their show.

AMI: You equipped the venue with an L-Acoustics K2 loudspeaker setup, what made you choose this approach?

L-Acoustics are at the top of all touring riders, especially K2, so it was a no-brainer for us to use it as our main system. Although we don’t need the system to throw as far as it’s capable of, for the types of events that come through the Roundhouse, we really needed the punch and dynamic range that K2 gives you.

AMI: How frequently do you have to modify the setup there?

We usually modify the system on a monthly basis, whether it’s adjusting the angles of the main hangs to ensure all tables are fully covered on a gala dinner, or removing the main system entirely and installing a bespoke system for an in the round performance. When we did the initial install we knew the infrastructure would need to be flexible so we ensured its design would make any modifications as easy as possible, including the ability to change the standard stereo system into an L-ISA immersive system.

AMI: What other tech is pivotal to The Roundhouse setup?

Our main control package in The Roundhouse is DiGiCo which is just as easy and flexible to use as L-Acoustics, and again is very rider friendly for all the tours that come through the venue. The two SD12 desks we have onsite offer the capability to cover the majority of events we work on, and with DiGiCo certain elements can be easily added to or upgraded if an event requires much more.