Sound Sense Issue 7

SOUND SENSE ISSUE007

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Making connections

at the Network Bar, Dallas

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Stinkin' up the great indoors

Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls

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Going loco in Tilburg

Rail repurposed for readers

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

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Network Bar, Dallas

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Lalala Group's Alboroto

Making sound connections with a unique new business networking concept

Cocktails, celebrations and consistent sound

Integrated Systems Europe 2020 What's on show at the Amsterdam RAI?

The rebirth of LocHal Helping to get Tilburg's former locomotive repair facility back on the right track

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Lukewarm Water Live

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St John the Evangelist, London

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Rockin' 1000 That's Live Grows Again

RIVAGE PM7 monitors the big bottom of legendary Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls

Authentic voice amplification for a historic house of worship

RIVAGE PM goes airside in Milan

Blazing a trail for better fitness Keeping in shape with the MTX3 matrix processor

ound is a very powerful and remarkably versatile medium, which makes it all the more ironic that, for much of the time, people take it largely for granted.

This issue of Sound Sense looks at projects where sound is helping people to learn and be informed, providing an environment where business people can network, helping to get their bodies (and perhaps minds) into better physical condition and to practise their faith.

In contrast, it may seem that comedy like 'the majesty of rock' (the mystery of roll) of Derek Smalls is something that we shouldn't focus on too much, perhaps seeming a bit flippant for the multi-million Euro business that is the professional audio industry?

But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that making people smile (and laugh) is just as important a part of what our industry does. Our work helps people to forget their troubles and those of the world outside for a while., losing themselves in simply having fun. As Derek Smalls, Alboroto and Rockin' 1000 That's Live show, how we do that comes in a wide variety of forms.

Without fun people's lives are a lot poorer and, as the old saying goes, you don't go home humming the lights.

SOUND SENSE Editor and Scribe: Robin Johnson | robin@9016.uk

Images in this issue are courtesy of: Karl Christmas, David Lloyd Clubs, Flipside Soundsystem, Lalala Group, The Network Bar, Gabriele Nicotra, Marco Onofri, Jan Prins, Rockin' 1000 That's Live, Rob Shanahan.

Sound Sense is published by Yamaha Music Europe GmbH. Any views expressed within are those of the individual authors and contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

All contents Š 2020 Yamaha Music Europe GmbH or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher.

All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. The publishers cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information.

Commissioning Co-ordinator: Karl Christmas | karl.christmas@music.yamaha.com Contributors: Alessandro Arturi, Simon Askey, James Cooper, Karl Christmas, Chris Cruise, Giulia Giganti, Shotaro Kondo, Jacinto Lopez, Marcus-Michael Mueller, Gabriele Nicotra, Shigenobu Namikawa, Jan Prins, David Romano, Luis Salas, Bas van Tuijl, Dennis van der Vleuten, Mariko Yamashita.

Executive Publisher: Ron Bakker | ron.bakker@music.yamaha.com

COVER | STORY

Making sound connections at The Network Bar As one of the fastest growing US cities and the financial epicentre of Texas, Dallas is the ideal location to develop a new concept in business networking. In 2017, the Network Bar introduced a unique new concept - combining face-to-face and online networking with fine dining in a VIP meeting space. A flexible Yamaha audio system was installed to ensure the atmosphere is as high class as the food and décor.

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exas has a higher gross state product (GSP) than the GDP of several developed countries and the third largest of any country subdivision globally. With the state’s financial institutions centred on Dallas, it was the perfect location for a new type of networking experience.

“Dallas has the largest number of restaurants per capita anywhere in the US, so we needed to be different to anyone else. We needed to do it big,” says Network Bar co-founder David Romano.

“We decided to create a great restaurant with great food, but in a place where people could connect, to meet in comfort, a place where you could have meetings in conference rooms and office parties. We built a concept that encompassed all of that.”

At the heart of the Network

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Bar’s unique approach is an iOS and Android app which allows members to connect, wherever they are.

“We see what we do as a version of LinkedIn, but live.

In order for people to truly connect, we wanted them to be able to do it virtually, as well as at the Network Bar,” says David. “The app lets you see who’s at the bar at any given time, so you can introduce yourself in person. You can see all of your connections, what our 1500 members do and where they work.”

COVER | STORY

He continues, “You see people in here continually being interrupted, but it’s what they want. People come up to them and say ‘I saw you on the app. What do you do? This is what I do.’ It creates great dialogue. Combining the app with face-to-face networking is something that nobody has ever done.”

The Network Bar features a regular programme of inspirational speakers, networking events, sports and entertainment nights for members, so a high quality audio system was needed to mirror the VIP experience.

Dallas-based Crown Audio Video, Inc was chosen to install a distributed Yamaha system. 14 VXS8 full range, surface mount speakers and three VXS10ST subwoofers are installed throughout all areas, powered by XMV4280 and XMV4140 amplifiers. The system is managed by an MTX3 matrix processor, with EXi8 input expander.

“The system needed to be easily controlled, sound good and handle whatever we could throw at it,” says Chris Cruise, President and CEO at Crown Audio Video. “The main challenge was adapting it to the client’s needs, making it adjustable for how they were going to use the space.

“It is used for their main music source in all areas, so the MTX3 is programmed to auto play the curated music channel, with varying volume levels, that auto adjust depending on the amount of people in the venue. But it’s also able to support

the Network Bar’s role as a social event place, handling presentations from guest speakers and accepting inputs from DJs.”Designed to be very easy to use by the venue’s staff, the seamless, detailed sound from the Yamaha speakers is never intrusive, unless it’s called on to create a party atmosphere, when the VX series loudspeakers have plenty of capacity to deliver the necessary increased SPLs. Whatever the event, it adds a genuine touch of class to the Network Bar. “The client has been thrilled with the system and also love the support that we give them for any ongoing service needs,” says Chris.

A video about the Yamaha installation at The Network Bar can be seen on the Yamaha_ Global YouTube channel.

David Romano

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R E S TA U R A N T | R E P O R T

Alboroto hosts celebrations and cocktails Since 2015, the group of young entrepreneurial friends which owns Madrid’s Lalala Group has already opened 12 bar/restaurants. The latest, on the city’s fashionable Calle de la Princesa, features a Yamaha audio system which is keeping both customers and the city council happy.

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alala Group calls its venues ‘modern beerhouses’, which all follow a core theme, but each has a unique personality.

The latest venue - Alboroto - has a spacious dining area, two bars and a cocktail menu complemented by music which encourages patrons to enjoy upbeat, celebratory nights out. DJs maintain a lively atmosphere from Wednesday to Saturday, with live performances at weekends.

Being in an area with many bars and clubs, the owners wanted to ensure that Alboroto’s audio system would be as good - preferably better - than nearby venues. But it was vital that it would not exceed the SPL limits set by the city council.

AV company Salas Audiovisual, in collaboration with architects MR Arquitectos, recommended a Yamaha system with two precisely defined zones.

One covers Alboroto’s bars, which are closer to the entrance and programmed to deliver high quality sound at lower volume.

The second zone covers the dedicated DJ and live performance area, which has a small dance floor. Being further into the building, here a greater SPL is permitted.

The heart of the system is an MTX3 matrix processor, which matched Lalala Group’s

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demands in terms of audio quality and versatility, its limiters guaranteeing that the levels at the entrance comply with the noise regulations.

Four VXS8 speakers powered by a PX3 amplifier were chosen for this area, delivering a high quality, cost-effective solution from units that are inconspicuous enough not to impact on Alboroto’s visual design. In the dance and DJ area, four DXR12 powered loudspeakers and two DXS15mkII powered subwoofers were installed to provide plenty of quality and power to meet the demands of DJ sets and live performances.

Another challenge was that the system had to be easily managed by any member of staff.

The MTX3 was programmed with presets for different levels during the day, in the evenings and at the weekend, with Yamaha’s Wireless DCP app installed on an Android tablet providing very straightforward control.

“Once I saw the equipment installed and I could hear the results, I knew that the installation was going to be a complete success,” says Luis Salas, owner of Salas Audiovisual. “My client has been pleasantly surprised with the results, which further strengthens my relationship with Yamaha.”

ISE | 2020

Enterprise and entertainment the focus at ISE2020 As the Integrated Systems Europe show heads to Amsterdam for the last time, Yamaha is highlighting its support for both the entertainment and enterprise markets with its high end solutions

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aking place at the Amsterdam RAI from 11-14 February 2020, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) sees Yamaha exhibiting on Stand 3-C95, with the display of Unified Communications products underlining the close relationship between Yamaha’s pro audio and enterprise solutions.

Launched at the show, the new SWR2310 series network switches are designed to provide additional high quality options for Dante systems at larger live events, in theatres, shopping malls, stadiums, banqueting venues, schools, universities, large houses of worship and more.

The SWR2310-28GT (24 ports with four ports for SFP+) and SWR2310-18GT (16 ports with two ports for SFP+) provide solid backbone performance, supporting multiple channels of 96kHz Dante network via 10G uplink ports for the most stable connection to multiple devices. If long-distance transmission is needed, they can be combined with Yamaha’s new SFP optical modules or DAC direct attach cables for a maximum transmission distance of up to 10km.

The series is completed by the compact SWR2310-10G (8 ports with two ports for SFP, but without 10G uplink port).

Like Yamaha’s existing SWR/SWP series network switches, the SWR2310 models support the VLAN function and built-in Radius server* for intelligent security management, while dedicated Yamaha LAN Monitor software is available for status monitoring and fast troubleshooting.

Products from the Unified Communications portfolio on show will include conference phones, video sound bars and professional wireless conference microphones, that can be used together with Yamaha’s VXL speaker systems and audio processors.

Yamaha's industry-leading digital mixing systems will be on

show, including RIVAGE PM and the latest V5.5 firmware for CL/QL series digital mixers, which supports ProVisionaire Control/Touch, the latest Version 3.6.0 enabling complete control over the entire network chain, from mixers through to amplifiers (including Yamaha’s PC Series and the NEXO NXAMP4X4MK2), processors and speakers.

The new white models of the flagship DZR/CZR series loudspeakers and DXS XLF/CXS XLF subwoofers will also be shown in Europe for the first time, following their launch at the NAMM Show in January.

All DZR/CZR and DXS XLF/CXS XLF models will be available in white as well as the existing black finish, providing more options for a greater variety of uses, such as hotel banquets, houses of worship and auditoriums, where a high quality audio system needs to blend into the design of the space.

Yamaha will also be highlighting its wide-ranging Audioversity education content at ISE, with a variety of training sessions available on the stand. The company is also presenting two in the series of AVIXA Flashtracks short seminars at the Flashtracks stand 13-N110. These take place at 12 noon on Thursday 13 February and 11.30am on Friday 14. More details can be found at https://www.iseurope.org/avixa-flashtracks/

* The built-in Radius server will be supported from the next firmware update.

SOUND | SENSE

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I N S TA L L AT I O N | I N S P I R AT I O N

Art and cultural centre conversion signals full steam ahead for Tilburg's repurposed LocHal For 77 years the locomotive repair facility in the Dutch city of Tilburg was a vital part of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS, or Dutch Railways) network. Employing hundreds of local people, its 2009 closure had a profound effect on the area. But now the building is back on the right track, reborn as a major cultural and learning centre, with Yamaha audio systems helping to drive the train of new innovation forward.

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riginally opened in 1932, the impressive 90m by 60m steel and glass building was a busy workplace, playing an important role in local employment. When it closed, rather than demolish it there was a strong desire to ‘return the building to the Tilburg people’. It was decided to use it to form the centrepiece of a contemporary, fashionable new ‘railway zone’ in the city.

“Impressed by the enormous size of the space, the design team realised that it is more than just a building,” says Dennis van der Vleuten, owner of Klundert Audiovisueel, who was commissioned to install AV solutions in the redeveloped facility. “It is a part of the urban fabric of the city that, with its heavy construction and internal ambience that gets lighter the further up you go, would provide a fantastic spatial experience.”

Reopened in 2019 and renamed LocHal, the building has been converted into a modern, sustainable art and cultural centre, featuring a relocated Tilburg Central

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Library as well as spaces for meetings, education, hospitality, artistic and cultural development, a cafe and more. Each space has been carefully designed to reflect and complement all of the others, while keeping links to LocHal’s industrial past.

Dennis is currently working with de Bibliotheek Midden-

I N S TA L L AT I O N | I N S P I R AT I O N

Brabant (which runs the library) and Kunstloc Brabant, a cultural development organisation which assists everyone from school students to professional artists. He has installed a number of

audio and video installations through the building, with more in the pipeline.

He has chosen Yamaha audio systems for a number of spaces, thanks to their ease of use and long-term reliability. “My customers want great quality, but they do not want equipment that is complicated to use.

It must sound great and straightforward for anyone to get the best from,” he says.

In De Stemmingmakerij, a room for meetings and AV presentations, four VXS8 fullrange, surface-mount speakers are installed as a stereo system, arranged to seamlessly cover

the room, which is wider than it is deep. Powered by an XMV4180 multi-channel amplifier and managed by an MTX3 matrix processor, when a microphone is used the two middle speakers are automatically lowered in volume, maximising gain before feedback.

Future Lab is a room for large, complex AV presentations and one of six themed ‘laboratories’ at LocHal, designed to inspire learning. Here the audio system comprises a pair of Yamaha VXS8 surface-mount loudspeakers, powered by a PX3 power amplifier with system management by another MTX3.

Finally - for now, anyway - the KunstLoc Mesa Mine training room has an audio system comprising a pair of Yamaha VXS5 loudspeakers, powered by an MA2030a mixer amplifier with inputs from a wireless microphone and laptops for presentations.

“The renovation of LocHal was a huge project and it is still ongoing, in terms of further developing the facilities and installing more high quality AV systems to give users the best facilities,” says Dennis. “It gives Tilburg a unique location where people and information come together to learn, do business, research, create, innovate, exhibit and present. It is a place where the future is central, where the latest technology is essential, but without losing sight of its past.”

Dennis van der Vleuten

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LIVE | LEGEND

Famed for his struggles with stage props and attempts to smuggle vegetables through airport security, former Spinal Tap bass guitarist Derek Smalls delighted fans by inviting them to ‘rock til you sit’ at Lukewarm Water Live, a 'one date tour' of the US West Coast.

A RIVAGE PM7 digital mixing system helped to deliver the majesty of rock.

Stinkin’ up the great indoors with Derek Smalls

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6 years after it first hit cinema screens, This Is Spinal Tap still resonates with the rock music industry, its comedic look at the world of touring a byword for artist excess and the mishaps of life on the road.

Its longevity was aided by the soundtrack, two further 'real' Spinal Tap albums and live shows, performed by the film's stars Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel) and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls).

In 2018 Shearer recorded a Derek Smalls solo album - Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing) - and in 2019 headed out on a 'one date tour' of the US west coast with a star-studded line-up, a full symphony orchestra and a RIVAGE PM7 digital mixing system on monitors.

“This was the first time I mixed a show on it, but it is instantly familiar,” says monitor engineer Gabriele Nicotra, who has also worked with Ed Sheeran, Mark Ronson, John Grant, Lorde, Siouxsie Sioux and Judith Owen. “My first day on it was the first day of production rehearsals. It was so comfortable that nobody was aware that I was learning a new control surface!”

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As a show with comedy at its heart, some of the production made life a little more complicated for Gabriele than a ‘straight’ rock’n’roll tour. But the RIVAGE PM7 system played its part in making things as smooth as possible.

“The live orchestra was mainly for the ‘wow factor’, as we had a recorded orchestra on playback that we mixed it with. We featured the live orchestra more on quieter numbers, as they were really tight, they had great intonation and the bleed was not too noticeable on those songs,” says Gabriele.

To add to the fun, there was also a ‘live satellite linkup’ with the Hungarian Studio Orchestra..

“Good old SMPTE, still going strong!” smiles Gabriele. “It was all part of the comedy of the show and was, of course, prerecorded and synced with timecode. We might be taking this show to festivals, where we won't have the luxury of having a live orchestra, so I suspect the whole show might have a ‘live via satellite’ orchestra there.”

This was also how some of the special guests who could not be at the show appeared.

LIVE | LEGEND

“With names like Donald Fagen, Steve Vai, Snarky Puppy, Rick Wakeman and Jane Lynch involved in recording the album, Harry didn’t want to miss the opportunity of having them as part of the show. ‘Live via satellite’ was a neat solution to involve as many people as possible,” says Gabriele.

“It was a challenge to keep track of the special guests who did appear live, like Steve Lukather from Toto, Dweezil Zappa and Waddy Wachtel, who all had very limited rehearsal time. I had to make sure I could make them feel comfortable while still focusing on Derek, the band and the orchestra.

“Luckily I had two assistants - Emily Arnold and Sean Herman from the show’s audio rental company Sound Image - who worked very hard with me to make it all happen.”

The show’s climax was the Spinal Tap classic Big Bottom, featuring an unprecedented number of bass guitars on stage at the same time.

“We had never rehearsed it with all the guests, which made for an interesting experience on the day,” says Gabriele. “I was able to copy and reuse the guest mixes from the other parts of the show, so they all had a workable mix. The new Isolate feature on the RIVAGE PM7, paired with Recall Safe, made it easy to pick and mix certain parts of various snapshots to copy into the final scene on the fly.”

Emily Arnold, Gabriele Nicotra and Sean Herman with the RIVAGE PM7 system

It may have only been a 'one-date tour' but there were plenty of comedy moments. “Harry is a very funny guy, as is the show’s musical director CJ Vanston, and we all laughed so much.

Staying focused on the job proved a little complicated at times, but that is a good problem to have,” Gabriele smiles.

In the serious business of audio production, however, the RIVAGE PM7 system delivered everything Gabriele needed.

“It is what we have all been waiting for, it’s incredibly powerful and versatile. Since the days of the PM1D, we all had to accept limitations or learn to use different consoles from different manufacturers. These all came with some kind of compromise - be it less stability, less ‘fun’ factor or less sonic quality,” he says.

“It has given me more of what I already liked about the CL series. I love the higher sample rate, the new plug-ins and the Rupert Neve Designs SILK texture control. I also love the higher channel count. I did a show with Derek in January this year, using a CL5, and it was maxed out before even adding an orchestra, so we had to share in-ear mixes for all the guests appearing on stage.”

“I also love the extra user-defined keys with screens. This meant that, for the first time ever, my console had no marking tape anywhere on it! Having way more user-defined fader banks also allowed me to program it to always have the channels I needed for each specific section right there in front of me.”

He concludes, “The RIVAGE PM system puts Yamaha back in the driving seat. It unifies the best features we have all learned to expect, introduces some excellent new ones and gives us more of what we liked from previous Yamaha models.

And that’s all while keeping the interface familiar enough so that anybody with experience on previous models can easily navigate around it.

“Now that I have experienced it, I will always want to use it.”

SOUND | SENSE

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WORSHIP | AUDIO

St John the Evangelist gains an authentic human touch VXL series slimline, column-type line array speakers are proving very popular at houses of worship, where ambient spaces need tightly-controlled, high quality audio.

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We wanted a system that would amplify speech authentically, rather than sound like a PA system

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mproving the sound at the church of St John the Evangelist in Walworth. London, was difficult because it is Grade II listed. But systems integrator Flipside Soundsystem was equal to the task, assisted by Yamaha’s VXL series line array loudspeakers.

“The existing sound system was about 20 years old, only partly operational and the sound it did produce was tinny and artificial,” says the church’s assistant priest Simon Askey. “We wanted a system that would amplify speech authentically, rather than sound like a PA system, and that could be used by those who wanted to use either fixed or wireless microphones.”

St John’s tall, vaulted timber ceilings and unusual cast iron columns give the building an air of grandeur and Victorian innovation. So it was very important not to impact on that.

“Church systems need to be a number of things. They need to be visually as inconspicuous as possible, but deliver high speech intelligibility, while coping with often very lively acoustic spaces,” says Flipside managing director James Cooper.

“Control-wise, they need to be extremely easy to use, but also resilient to curious ‘knob-twiddlers’.

“At St John’s, the system would be primarily used for worship, meaning spoken word with perhaps a small amount of choral music played back from time to time. Occasionally, the church is used for outside groups and weddings, where more music playback is needed. So we were asked to design a system primarily for church use, but also to cater for music applications, with perhaps the odd instrument being plugged in.”

James chose a pair of Yamaha VXL1-24 line array speakers, mounted each side of the chancel arch, each with a VXS10 subwoofer, used to complement the VXL1s for music playback applications.

A Yamaha MTX3 matrix processor takes inputs from four fixed and two wireless microphones, all managed by the MTX3’s onboard Dan Dugan automixing, which eliminates any potential feedback issues.

A single DCP4V4S wall-mounted controller has an on/off switch and volume control for the wired mics, radio mics, a CD player and a pair of RCA system inputs. Together with the Dan Dugan automixing, it makes system control very simple for church staff, with the system locked off at the MTX3 to prevent unauthorised tampering.

“The new Yamaha VXL range is brilliant for this sort of application and meant that we could achieve very similar decibel levels at the front and back rows of pews, which are 17 metres apart.”

“We were impressed that Flipside didn’t try to sell us an off the shelf product, but something tailored to our particular situation and needs,” says Simon. “The system works well, with the voice amplification sounding more like human voices in a theatre, than a PA system in a church. What you hear is the natural intonation, which was lost on the old system.

“I also particularly like the fact that the equipment meant they could go to great lengths make the system ‘disappear’ in the building.”

ROCKIN' | ROLLIN'

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he first Rockin’ 1000 That’s Live was held in 2015 to get the attention of Foo Fighters and convince them to play a gig in Cesena, Italy - a mission which proved successful. But it proved so enjoyable for the participants that it has become an annual event and has since spawned similar gatherings in other European countries.

After two years at Stadio Artemio Franchi in Firenze, this year the Italian event had grown again, becoming such a national phenomenon that it took place on the runway of Linate airport, Milan - more than 600km from Cesena.

The scale of Rockin’1000 That’s Live means that the sound has to be managed by a highly professional team. Yamaha Music Europe’s Italy branch were on site in Milan as technical partners, with Alessandro Arturi, Marco Giovanetti and the rest of the crew facing the major task of mixing Front of House and monitors for over a thousand singers, guitarists, bass guitarists, drummers, keyboard and wind players.

This year, the event’s biggest digital mixing system yet comprised a RIVAGE PM10 with CS-R10 and CS-R10-S control surfaces to manage the Front of House mix. A RIVAGE PM7 system was used for the monitor mixes, with five RPio622 I/O racks providing 304 inputs and 96 outputs. The system was based on a TWINLANe network, with Dante distributing the audio to the PA amplifiers and to multitrack recording via two RMio64-D Dante/MADI I/O racks. A QL1 digital mixer was also provided for the conductor, who was busy keeping all the musicians in time.

Groups of each type of instrument were assembled

Rockin’ 1000 That’s Live Grows Again Every October over a thousand musicians gather together in Italy to perform as the ‘biggest rock band in the world’. Yamaha digital mixing is a permanent fixture, with RIVAGE PM10 and PM7 systems in use at the 2019 event.

symmetrically throughout the space to provide an even soundfield and avoid spill or feedback as much as possible. Inputs to the system were from a large number of microphones - either close miked or one microphone between two or three instruments, while the singers had one microphone between two. Each group of instruments had its own monitor mix, fed to the individual musicians via wireless headphones.

“Rockin' 1000 That’s Live is a unique event and Yamaha RIVAGE PM systems are ideal to manage the sound because of their high channel count, flexibility and reliability,” says Alessandro.

“They deliver excellent sound quality, combined with the straightforward user interface that means such a complex production is manageable. The production and sound engineers were all very happy with the great sound and really appreciated the flexibility of the system.”

“

They deliver excellent sound quality combined with the straightforward use which means such a complex production is manageable

”

SOUND | SENSE

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FITNESS | FOCUS

Blazing a trail for better fitness Fitness is a competitive business, with major gym brands always looking for new and innovative ways to keep their members in shape. UK industry leader David Lloyd Clubs has devised Blaze, a cardio, strength and combat fitness class that uses purpose-built studios with bespoke sound and lighting to inspire a high octane workout. Yamaha MTX3 matrix processors fuel the soundtrack.

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ith 99 UK fitness clubs, 15 more across mainland Europe and over half a million members, David Lloyd Clubs is a major player in the fitness market. Blaze is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout which has proved a major success with members.

Providing UK and Europe-wide solutions, Audio/Visual specialist Hutchison Technologies is David Lloyd Clubs’ preferred technology integrator and has chosen the Yamaha MTX3 matrix processor to provide flexible control of audio levels (both locally and remotely) and to precisely tune the voice of live instructors to the environment of each Blaze studio.

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“After the initial Blaze installations, we looked at how we could improve the concept as it was rolled out further,” says Hutchison Technologies technical development manager Bas van Tuijl. “They were a great success, but we felt there were some areas of the audio that could be improved.”

Many of the Blaze installations are in former squash courts, with up to 6m of open space above the ceiling tiles, so the sound has to be tightly controlled. With experience of specifying the MTX3 for other projects, the Hutchison Technologies team realised that it could deliver the required level of control, but also offer other advantages, including its remote control capability.

“The MTX3 allows for very straightforward user control, locking out features to prevent unauthorised changes and user error,” he says. “With clubs throughout the UK and in Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Italy, its remote TCP/IP control capability also means that we can remotely manage and provide system diagnostics in any of the installations, direct from our office.

FITNESS | FOCUS

Over 50 David Lloyd Clubs now have Blaze studios, with three class durations - 45 or 55 minute, plus an 18 minute taster. Instructors can choose from a selection of pre-mixed music tracks and are given the choice of three new ones every month. There are also themed weeks, which are co-ordinated across all of the clubs.

Each Blaze studio features 21-36 stations, with the sound and lighting choreographed to deliver maximum impact... and inspiration. Audio inputs comprise a server which hosts the music, a headset microphone for the instructor, an aux input and fire alarm relay.

The system is controlled by a bespoke iPad application, designed by Hutchison Technologies, which features a customised user interface to select each of the three classes, faders for “Because of the spaces that the Blaze installations the music and headset mic, plus buttons are in, there has been the occasional issue with for class start, emergency finish and system feedback, but the MTX3’s feedback suppressor demonstration. Locking the iPad automatically has solved it.” shuts the system down, while a Yamaha With a tough delivery schedule of three DCP1V4S surface-mount controller is also systems to be handed over each week, the provided for manual control of the audio system, logistics of the project have been considerable. if needed.

Racks are built at Hutchison Technologies’ “The MTX3 restricts the system to an agreed premises, with skilled company staff installing SPL, with EQ on a site-by-site basis,” says Bas. and commissioning every system throughout the UK and Europe.

“Our approach has paid off with how efficiently we are able to build and install the systems, and we are now moving smoothly from the second generation of Blaze installations to the third,” says Bas. “David Lloyd Clubs members feed off the atmosphere in the sessions and the concept has proved very popular. They tend to be active on social media and the reaction there has been extremely positive.”

“The MTX3 allows customers to add flexible DSP to system designs with negligible changes to budget,” says Alex Warren, sales manager UK and RoI for Yamaha Commercial Audio. “We are very happy that Hutchison Technologies’ has specified it for such a high profile series of installations, highlighting how its features, scalability and renowned reliability ensure the return on investment for customers is maximised.”

SOUND | SENSE

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Live Depends on Us Your mixes. Our consoles.

RIVAGE PM10 Digital Mixing System

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