SOUND SENSE ISSUE008
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Kitzsteinhorn Ice Camp
Enjoying the coolest sound
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RIVAGE PM family adds new members
Bringing the best to more users
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Making waves in Tacoma
Superior sound for sailors
NEW
PM3
NEW
PM7
PM10
yamahaproaudio.com
PM5
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
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RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3
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Kitzsteinhorn Ice Camp
New digital mixing systems bring the best sound to even more productions
Cool surround sound with the Ice Symphonium
Mumbai rental companies lead the way RIVAGE PM7 makes an impact in India
Luxury entertainment in Rajot High end Indian cinema and restaurant installations choose Yamaha and NEXO loudspeakers
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Niavac's progress at the Peace Proms
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Church of Saint Sergius of Radonezh
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Making waves at Tacoma Yacht Club
A leading systems integrator in Northern Ireland takes its new RIVAGE PM7 system on tour
Radically improving the audio in a Moscow house of worship with VXL line arrray speakers
Superior sound for US sailors
The Factory Live Creating a successful new live venue with DZR and DXR XLF loudspeakers
owadays, describing any product as a 'game-changer' is in danger of slipping into misplaced over-use, in much the same way that someone describes a friend as a 'legend' when they've done them a favour. But when it comes to professional audio, over the years Yamaha has introduced products which truly are 'game-changers'. You do not need to look any further than the PM5D digital mixing console, if a true 'game-changer' is something which delivers what users both need and want, but goes further to become a de facto standard on technical riders throughout the world. The 2014 introduction of the RIVAGE PM10 digital mixing system was a big step forward for large scale live production, bringing with it a new world of audio quality, flexibility and userfriendliness - all backed with Yamaha's renowned reliability. Together with RIVAGE PM7, four years later, these were huge advances. But it's perhaps now that the true 'game-changers' have arrived. RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3 herald a new era, bringing the highest level of audio mixing within reach of a much wider range of venues and artists. With full RIVAGE PM system functionality and compatibility, premier league-level audio production is now within reach of many more.
SOUND SENSE Editor and Scribe:
Images in this issue: Front cover, P07 © Alexander Federico Papis; P04-P06 © Yamaha; P08-P09 © Jan Prins; P10-P13 © Karl Christmas; P14-P15 © Ashley Laurence (Time For Heroes Photography)
Robin Johnson | robin@9016.uk Commissioning Co-ordinator: Karl Christmas | karl.christmas@music.yamaha.com
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 © 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. To unsubscribe from receiving issues of Sound Sense, please contact dataprotection@europe.yamaha.com
Contributors: Roman Belyaev, Ferdinand Boogard, Karl Christmas, James Conlon, Steve Corr, Gerry Heeley, Chris Irvine, Andreas Juwan, Norbert Karlsböck, Sean McGuidwin, Jan Prins, Reece Stead, Tom Rundle. Executive Publisher: Ron Bakker | ron.bakker@music.yamaha.com
NEW PRODUCTS
RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3 bring the best sound to even more productions Yamaha has introduced exciting new additions to its range of professional audio products, the RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3 digital mixing systems. The launch of two new control surfaces and two new DSP engines gives sound engineers greater choice and flexibility for delivering optimum sound in a much wider range of applications, democratising high end audio as never before.
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he Yamaha RIVAGE PM series is highly regarded by professional engineers for its outstanding sonic quality and flexible control. RIVAGE PM10 and RIVAGE PM7 are already established as industry-leading digital mixing systems and now the new, physically smaller RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3 systems add new levels of versatility and scalability to full RIVAGE PM system functionality. The choice of two DSP engines with different mixing capacities, plus now a total of five control surfaces, gives engineers remarkable scope to create systems ideally tailored to a wide range of applications.
New control surfaces The core components of the new RIVAGE PM5 and RIVAGE PM3 are the CS-R5 and CS-R3 control surfaces. Both feature the same fader configuration as the rest of the RIVAGE PM series, with three bays of 12 faders each. The combination of touch screens and selected channel controls offers functionality and intuitive
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operation familiar to RIVAGE PM series users, while also offering easy entry for users of Yamaha’s CL and QL series consoles. The commonality of fader configuration also means the same layout can be maintained when using different control surfaces, for example on different days of a tour.
NEW PRODUCTS
Designed with multi-operator use in mind, the CS-R5 for RIVAGE PM5 systems features three 15" ultra-sensitive, extra bright capacitive touchscreens, suitable for daylight viewing, and a condensed selected channel section for smooth, intuitive operation. To maximize the advantage of the screens, the depth of the control surface has been reduced to bring them and the controls within easy reach for comfortable, stress-free operation while also improving sight lines. Meters located beside each fader offer precise dynamic metering and outstanding visibility, making fine adjustments easy. At just 42kg, the CS-R5 control surface is also remarkably lightweight, being easily carried and manoeuvred by just two people. The CS-R3 for RIVAGE PM3 systems packs full RIVAGE PM series functionality and performance into a console that measures just 1145mm wide, making it the most compact in the series, perfect for reducing seat kill in venues where the best performance is essential but space is at a premium. The CS-R3 has a single touch-panel display and condensed selected channel section of the same type used on the CS-R5. A comprehensive range of physical controllers also makes the CS-R3 a great choice for monitor applications.
New DSP engines The ‘brains’ of any RIVAGE PM system is the DSP engine. The two new units comprise the DSP-RX (120 inputs, 48 mix buses, 24 matrixes) and the DSP-RX-EX (288 inputs, 72 mix buses, 36 matrixes).
If you start with the DSP-RX and later need more capacity, a DEK-DSP-RX expansion board can be added to upgrade the DSP-RX to full DSP-RX-EX specifications. The new DSP engines also allow DSP mirroring* - two DSP-RX engines or two DSP-RX-EX engines can be used in mirrored configuration for situations where failsafe redundancy is required. If a problem occurs in one DSP engine, the second one takes over so the show can go on.
Firmware version 4.0 Firmware version 4.0 for the entire RIVAGE PM series will be released simultaneously with the RIVAGE PM5 and PM3 hardware. It provides a number of important user interface and function updates, including increasing the I/O count of RIVAGE PM7 to 144 inputs and 36 matrix outputs and the addition of the premium SP2016 reverb plugin from Eventide. As well as a large selection of top-quality presets, the SP2016 allows detailed editing for engineers who want to customize their sound. ”The lush, distinct reverbs of the original Eventide SP2016 have been used in countless hit records for nearly 40 years. The original reverb can be heard on albums by Adele, Mariah Carey, Eminem and more,” says Ray Maxwell, Eventide vice president of sales and marketing. “Eventide is honoured to partner with Yamaha to bring the signature reverbs from the SP2016 (Room, Stereo Room and Hi-Density Plate) to the RIVAGE PM series with V4.0 software. Users will have a faithful recreation of the original rack processor using state of the art analogue component modelling to capture the unique sound of this widely acclaimed reverb.”
The RIVAGE PM ecosystem All RIVAGE PM systems use the same DSP engines*, the same I/O racks, and the same firmware. This means that, whatever control surface is used, the sound, features and basic operation remain consistent. The system’s Dual Console function makes it possible to use a second control surface as a sidecar. Any control surface can be used for a Front of House mix, as a monitor console or a sidecar, depending on the user requirements. Like the flagship RIVAGE PM10 and PM7, the PM5 and PM3 offer direct compatibility with two audio networks:
Yamaha’s TWINLANe - which can simultaneously carry up to 400 audio channels with extremely low latency - and Audinate’s Dante, which is standard in CL and QL series digital consoles and a range of other Yamaha pro audio products. The RIVAGE PM5 and PM3 fully inherit the underlying Yamaha RIVAGE PM philosophy that any compatible I/O rack can be used to capture the on-stage sound accurately, without colouration, allowing creative touches to be added as required.
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NEW PRODUCTS
* RIVAGE PM7 features an integrated DSP engine, and does not support DSP mirroring.
Firmware version 4.0 also allows control of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA systems. For every mono or stereo input channel, L-ISA Objects or Groups can be controlled direct from the RIVAGE PM control surface. Masahiro Ikeda, senior general manager of the Yamaha Professional Audio Business Division says, “The availability of two DSP engines with different mixing capacities, plus the two new control surfaces, offers greatly expanded flexibility to create systems that are ideally suited to applications of just about any scale. “Together with the RIVAGE PM10 and PM7 systems, Yamaha now has a
mixing ecosystem which will deliver the ultimate flexibility, performance and expandability demanded by the highest level events to every space - from the biggest stadiums and festivals right through to compact theatres and clubs where space should not mean compromising on sound. And all including the ease of use and reliability that Yamaha is renowned for. “We believe these new products are a true game-changer, and will continue to develop and add features to the RIVAGE PM series based on feedback from end users. We will also continue to work with third parties to add premium plugins, like the Eventide SP2016 reverb.”
Quotes from RIVAGE PM mixing engineers “The Yamaha RIVAGE PM system lets you concentrate fully on mixing the show and the band can trust me completely to do the best I can in the circumstances of that day. Importantly, it lets me do anything I want to do, anything I can imagine. There are a lot of things on RIVAGE PM that I can’t get from anything else I’ve tried,” Ian Beveridge, Foo Fighters (PM10)
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“With so many inputs and outputs on a complex show like this, the reliability made us that bit more relaxed,” Julien Fehlmann, Fetes De Vignerons (PM10) "The flawless digital audio integration between Yamaha RIVAGE PM and Nuage systems offered a virtually endless range of possibilities that afforded the event to be a world away from that of 1999," Julien Fehlmann, Fetes De Vignerons (PM10)
"The sheer amount of buses and the way they can be used, the sound quality, the amount of EQs, the Premium Rack and the way that we can insert effects and send them any way we want are huge points in its favour,” Steve Corr, Niavac events manager / Peace Proms (PM7)
“RIVAGE PM7 is the best thing that has happened to me in the industry,” Paul Duwel, Marco Borsato (PM7)
"The way I see the Rupert Neve SILK is like icing on the cake. You still get the basics how you want it, but that’s the extra flavour,” Terry Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire (PM10)
“Considering the magnitude of this tour, it was time to make a quantitative and qualitative shift. RIVAGE PM7 was definitely the best choice,” Miguel Ángel Garcia, Raphael (PM7)
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COVER STORY
Cool surround sound for the Ice Symphonium From January to April every year, the Kitzsteinhorn ski resort in the Austrian Alps creates Ice Camp, which celebrates the life cycle of nature by transforming the winter’s snowfall into an art and entertainment installation. Ice Camp 2020 featured a unique sound installation, aided by high quality Yamaha systems.
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ocated 2600m above sea level, Ice Camp 2020 comprised three uniquely-designed igloos, each 12m in diameter and 6m high. The centrepiece was the unique Ice Symphonium, created by Austrian artist Max Seibald. Made completely from ice, this impressive instrument was essentially a kind of ‘singing bowl’ with giant, stylized horns. Visitors can use touch pads to change the sounds which, as the artist says, “evoke an atmosphere of sublime harmony in combination with gentle ‘music of the spheres’”. The sound was intended to be experienced as ‘tonal paintings’, so Yamaha’s reputation for delivering the highest quality background music meant it was a natural fit for the Ice Symphonium’s surround sound installation. Powered by a PX8 power amplifier, six white VXS5W speakers were installed in speciallycut alcoves around the igloo’s perimeter, complemented by a hidden HS8S powered subwoofer. It made the surround system effectively disappear, keeping
the visual focus on the Ice Symphonium. A Steinberg UR824 audio interface connected the Yamaha system to the PC that hosts the audio soundscape and a VST library for the interactive interface. Ice Camp 2020’s social focal point was the stylish Ice Bar. Here DZR10 powered loudspeakers and an MG series mixer provided high quality background music, with the option for live input. Meanwhile, an outdoor sun deck area hosted a range of live events from mid-February onwards. Here a main PA of DZR15 powered loudspeakers and DXS18XLF extended low frequency powered subwoofers was complemented by DXR12mkII powered loudspeakers for monitoring. “A sense of amazement and almost mystical enchantment amidst the ice were the initial reactions when winter sports fans step into our Ice Camp for the first time. It contributed to our goal of offering our guests special outdoor experiences and unforgettable moments in a unique natural setting,” says Norbert Karlsböck, CEO of the resort’s management company Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG.
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LEISURE FOCUS
Flexible activity audio at Spurd-Leeghwaterbad The 2019 summer heatwave in northern Europe meant that swimming pools were in extrahigh demand. Fortunately for the residents of Purmerend, the Dutch town has one of the Netherlands’ largest swimming complexes... and a new Yamaha audio system to make the many activities it hosts even more enjoyable.
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wned by sports and leisure facility company Spurd, the Spurd-Leeghwaterbad complex has four pools in a 55,000m3 building, plus a large outdoor sunbathing area with two further pools. A 15m long by 1.5m high, 10cm thick glass wall in the side of the sports pool connects it with the foyer and reception area, creating a visual impact for swimmers as they arrive. Based in nearby Edam, installation and rental company Boogy Brothers Showequipment is owned by brothers Johan and Ferdinand Boogaard. Having previously installed new audio systems at swimming pools in the cities of Monnickendam and Volendam, the company was the obvious choice to upgrade the system at Spurd-Leeghwaterbad. The complex provides many different activities, which rely on its installed audio system. These
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range from basic swimming lessons for all ages to fitness classes like Aquarobics, FloatFit, immersive yoga, water gymnastics, assistance for people with disabilities, post-illness recovery and a wide range of fun events for youngsters.
LEISURE FOCUS
Because the audio system has so many different users, the main request from Spurd was for it to be easy to use. It also had to deliver great audio quality and be very flexible in terms of configuration and control. Having installed Yamaha DME series digital mixing engines many times in the past, Johan and Ferdinand naturally chose the current flagship MRX7-D matrix processor to manage the Spurd-Leeghwaterbad system. It was installed in the building’s central control rack, along with EXi8 and Exo8 input/output expanders and a DCH8 digital controller hub. The four indoor pools all had new Yamaha CBR series loudspeakers installed, two CBR12 each in the main and sports pool, four CBR12 in the games pool and four CBR15 (on custom-made brackets) in the recreation pool. Elsewhere existing loudspeakers were re-used. “The CBR series loudspeakers sound excellent and the rigging is good,” says Ferdinand. “We chose CBR15s for the pool where they do Aqua Disco because they wanted enough low end for serious parties. Elsewhere the CBR12s deliver enough low frequencies for activities in the other pools. We had to program the MRX7-D EQ to turn down the low end during swimming lessons for small children, because it actually scared the very little ones!” The system is programmed with nine zones - the four indoor pools, outside pool, outside terrace, restaurant, foyer and changing rooms. The zones are controlled using four DCP4V4S and two DCP1V4S Ferdinand Boogard control panels, each one also having local inputs. These are used to connect a wireless beltpack microphone (for activity instructors) and a Bluetooth receiver, allowing music to be played from a nearby smartphone or tablet.
The existing general paging system was kept, routed via the MRX7-D’s GPI connection, with the matrix programmed to allow the paging microphones to override the audio in each zone, if needed. The MRX7-D is also programmed to put the system to sleep at 23.00 every day and to reset everything when it wakes the next morning. As well as the DCP series control panels, the Spurd technical department has a PC with Yamaha ProVisionaire Control (Kiosk) installed, plus several iPads with ProVisionaire Touch (Kiosk), to control the system. Boogy Brothers have also installed a dedicated PC in the rack with the MRX7-D, allowing them to remotely identify and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. “Spurd and the team at the swimming pool are very happy with the new audio system,” says Ferdinand. “It gets very heavy use every day and the users all understand it. The technical department has a good overview of everything and it sounds great!”
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We chose CBR15s for the pool where they do Aqua Disco because they wanted enough low end for serious parties
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RIVAGE INVESTMENT
Niavac's progress at the Peace Proms
Steve Corr mixes Peace Proms 2020
Established over 60 years ago, Belfast-based Niavac has grown steadily to become one of Northern Ireland’s most successful systems integrators. Now also established in the live event industry, the investment in a RIVAGE PM7 digital mixing system has made a big difference to one of the company's most challenging events.
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lready well-known in Northern Ireland for its work in the corporate, healthcare, hospitality and education sectors, Niavac entered the live entertainment market when it acquired audio company Loft Sound in 2016. That company's Steve Corr joined Niavac as events manager and he was keen to maintain an inventory of Yamaha systems.
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“We used Yamaha digital mixers from the beginning,” says Steve. “Our first mixer was an LS9 and the inventory went on to include M7CL, PM5D, all three CL series mixers and smaller analogue boards for conference work.” The company’s flagship mixing console had been by a different manufacturer but it was becoming, as Steve says, “... a bit dated. As we expanded the live event side of the business, we also knew it was time to invest in a more rider-friendly board.” He continues, “We looked at a number of options and RIVAGE PM7 was the obvious choice. All of our engineers indeed most engineers - are familiar with the Yamaha control surface, so the PM7 was also the easiest transition up to a premium mixing system. The sheer amount of buses and the way they can be used, the sound quality, the amount of EQs, the Premium Rack and the way that we can insert effects and send them any way we want were also huge points in its favour.” After Yamaha’s Tom Rundle and Reece Stead spent an hour showing Steve the RIVAGE PM system at PLASA Show 2019,
RIVAGE INVESTMENT
Niavac purchased the system from its regular supplier, Liverpool-based Adlib Audio. The purchase included a follow-up training session for the Niavac audio team and the company’s regular freelance sound engineers. “From our previous experience with Yamaha, we knew the backup would be good,” says Niavac managing director James Conlon. “We held an open day in the warehouse, where we put the RIVAGE PM7 system, a CL5 and a CL1 on a Dante network. Tom could start the training at the CL5 level and we were able to go on and have some quite advanced Dante network training. “Both Tom and Reece were very complimentary about our facility, I think they were a little surprised at how good it is.” One of Steve’s biggest challenges is mixing an annual tour by the Cross Border Orchestra Ireland (CBOI), a not-for-profit orchestra for 12-24 year olds which provides performance opportunities and high quality musical training. The annual Peace Proms tour is an arena-sized production featuring the orchestra and a choir of up to 5,000. The 2020 tour kicked off in January 2020 with a sell-out show at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool, where Steve was pleased that RIVAGE PM7 allowed him to mix the production on one surface. “With drums, bass, guitar and keyboards in the middle of the orchestra - as well as pipers, drum corps and Irish dancers - it’s a difficult show to mix, with 30-40 open microphones for the choir alone,” he says. “Previously I mixed it on a pair of CL5s, using one for the orchestra and routing a stem to the second board, where I mixed everything else. With RIVAGE PM7, I can mix multiple orchestra stems on one surface. Its combination of features make it the ideal system for this production. He continues, “My normal process for any big show like this is first to group all the orchestra into subsections, bounce those down into the four main sections, add gain and rough levels, then I go back and apply EQ. One thing that immediately struck me about the PM7 system was that I had to do a lot less corrective EQ, because it sounds so good out of the box. Vocals also cut through extremely well, meaning there is very little work to make it sound the way I want. This is a big time saver as well as improving
Niavac's James Conlon, Gareth Mcquitty, Connor McCabe, Steve Corr and Steven Woods with the RIVAGE PM7 system
the audience mix. The client was immediately very pleased with the sound of the orchestra, even before any real sound checks got under way.” The Peace Proms tour continued with shows in Galway, Dublin, Belfast and Waterford. Prior to the tour, the system had earned its keep mixing a range of concerts, its versatility highlighted by also being sub-hired to broadcaster RTÉ for outside broadcast work. “We even had it on a couple of five-piece wedding bands,” smiles Steve. “Complete overkill, but it was useful for the team to use the system as much as possible. It is working incredibly well on everything we’ve put it to work on.” He concludes, “We’re very happy with it. Everyone who has used it loves the functionality and the sound quality is outstanding. We now have a flagship system that has become an industry standard and we look forward to it having the longevity of the PM5D.”
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WORSHIP AUDIO
Slimline speakers aid singing service sound Worshippers at Moscow’s new Church Of Saint Sergius of Radonezh were being distracted by problems hearing services, but an installation of VXL series line array speakers quickly solved the issue.
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The system delivers a very natural sound without compromising the church's visual appeal
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he Church Of Saint Sergius of Radonezh was opened in 2017 to honour one of the Russian Orthodox Church's most highly venerated saints, as well as the many airmen and women who had flown from the site at Khodynka Field - Russia's first commercial airport, which closed in the 2000s. Russian Orthodox services are conducted entirely in melodic chants or singing, to create a sense of calmness and to express the true nature and purpose of the words. The church originally had no sound reinforcement system, but it quickly became obvious that churchgoers were clustering in the centre to hear services properly, distracting them from their worship. The monks who run the church looked for a solution to spread the sound more evenly throughout the space. Roman Belyaev, of Moscow-based AV specialists iProjector, designed a system using four Yamaha VXL1W-16 slim line array speakers with PA2120 amplifiers, controlled by an MTX3 matrix processor.
The high quality sound reproduction and wide dispersion of the VXL1 meant that worshippers would be able to be anywhere in the church and hear services clearly. Just as importantly, the slimline profile meant they would be virtually invisible, ensuring there was no visual impact on the architecture and icons, which are used in Russian Orthodoxy to bring the church’s worshippers into the presence of those who are in heaven. Services can range from one priest up to ten people and a children’s choir and, as well as the VXL1s greatly improving the sound coverage, the MTX3’s Dan Dugan automixing means every service can take place without any need to worry about mixing the sound, ensuring that everything is clearly heard. “The system delivers a very natural sound without compromising the church’s visual appeal, helping worshippers to concentrate solely on the services without any distractions,” says Roman.
SAILING SOUND
Whether you are an active sailor, a water sports enthusiast or a confirmed land-lubber, Tacoma Yacht Club extends an equally warm welcome. The atmosphere at its clubhouse is aided by background music from a Yamaha audio system.
Making waves at Tacoma Yacht Club
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stablished 130 years ago, Tacoma Yacht Club is located around 20 miles south of Seattle in Washington State, USA. Set in a picturesque location, overlooking Puget Sound with views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, the club has grown from its original 26 members to nearly 800 families, located along the entire 1332 mile (2144km) Puget Sound shoreline. The club prides itself on its community atmosphere, treating its members like part of an extended family. Membership is open to sailors and non-sailors alike so, as well as traditional activities like sailing races, water skiing and flotillas of up to 70 vessels which cruise to different parts of Puget Sound, the club has a busy program of social events. It also has a fine dining restaurant and well-stocked bar, for when members just want to enjoy a high quality meal or a sociable drink. “We have a very diverse membership and every member enjoys a different flavor from the club,” says chief operating officer Sean McGuidwin. “We have a wide range of social events like dances, balls and live music, plus there’s our popular bar, top notch dining and the simple camaraderie of people sitting out on the deck chatting.” Maintaining a homely atmosphere is key to the club’s welcoming ambience. Along with inviting nautical decor, this is created by relaxing background music from a Yamaha installed audio system, with VXS8 two-way, surface
mount loudspeakers delivering high quality sound thoughout the clubhouse and its outdoor terrace. “I would say that the average member enjoys our club from two to five times a week and they really find it a home-from-home,” says Sean. “We don’t see Tacoma Yacht Club as a restaurant or even a business. It’s a community. It’s a family and it’s how we live.”
A video about the Yamaha installation at Tacoma Yacht Club an be seen on the Yamaha_Global YouTube channel.
Sean McGuidwin
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NEW VENUE
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he 300-capacity Factory Live venue is the brainchild of managing director Steve Gardner. Having taught himself to play piano upon retirement from a successful corporate life, Steve was approached by an old school friend who had an empty building in the town of Worthing, formerly used by the local college as a music and dance training centre. Spotting an opportunity, Steve started the successful Soundhouse and Dancehouse rehearsal businesses. It was natural for him to approach nearby high-end audio retailer The Audio House when equipping the rehearsal studios, developing a close working relationship with company founder Gerry Heeley. As Soundhouse and Dancehouse quickly established themselves as ‘go to’ music and arts rehearsal spaces in the area. Steve saw the opportunity to develop a large, unused space in the building as a new venue. The Factory Live was born and, with 30 years experience of the local music scene, Gerry was the perfect collaborator. “There is a keen appetite for live music in and around Gloo rock Worthing
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The Factory manufactures a new live experience
The Factory Live is a new venue, ideally placed to embrace the vibrant live music and dance scene of a catchment area which stretches 50 miles along the UK's south coast. Already attracting much critical praise, its audio system of Yamaha DZR and DXS XLF loudspeakers is impressing audiences and artists alike with its punchy ‘hi-fi’ sound. Worthing. Although there are a few existing venues, most of them are not purpose built, have limited capacity or are in concentrated residential areas,” says Steve. “Being a 10 minute stroll from the centre of town, two minutes’ walk from the railway station and with no immediate residential neighbours, we had the ideal location for a new live venue." He continues, “It was also essentially a blank canvas, so we were able to design and build it with live music in mind, making it as good as possible, both acoustically and aesthetically.” As the design of the venue developed, it became obvious that it would need an audio system which offered both class-leading performance and exceptional versatility. “Throughout my time in high end audio retailing,
NEW VENUE
I’ve dealt with many different Yamaha product groups, so Indoor Pets it’s a very familiar brand,” Gerry continues. “When Steve was equipping the rehearsal studios, I was happy to recommend and supply Yamaha. As The Factory Live developed, it was logical for it to be one of the brands we looked at. We became very interested in the new DZR series powered loudspeakers, as they definitely seemed to tick all the boxes.” Yamaha’s Steve Beeston visited Gerry and Steve with a selection of DZR models for them to audition in the space. “We decided to start with a pair of DZR15s for the main L/R system, with two DZR10s for overhead centre fills and three DXS18 XLF extended low frequency subwoofers,” says Gerry. “For stage monitoring, we added two DXR12mkII and three DXR10mkII. This system gave us a great sound for both live performers and - importantly - a ‘hi-fi’ sound that still delivers massive punch has been ….rather great ‘club sound’ for DJ sets.” educational,” smiles Gerry. “It sounds easy to say, but the Gerry and Steve also looked at a number of different mixing responses we’ve received to the customer experience really have consoles and decided that the Yamaha TF5 was the clear winner been 100 percent affirmative.” in terms of its sound quality, flexibility and value. The Factory Live is already attracting established artists, while a commitment to support the local and upcoming music scene sees local band nights a regular fixture. This was highlighted by a well-received show by ‘dirty pop’ purveyors Indoor Pets, with support by local heroes Gloo and Speaker Freak, part of the venue’s enthusiastic participation in the annual Independent Venue Week, a BBC-supported initiative which showcases the best independent and grassroots venues throughout the UK. “We’re developing a full, weekly calendar of diverse activities to include well-known bands, local acts, youth bands, comedy clubs, club nights, and more,” says Steve. “We are also introducing a number of educational ‘masterclass’ events and “Anyone who has mixed a gig has used a Yamaha mixer, so in the process of introducing audio/video recording and editing the layout is instant familiar. The TF5 is very intuitive to use for facilities to further enhance what we have to offer.” novice sound engineers, but it has a high enough channel Speaker Freak count and powerful audio processing to keep established engineers happy,” says Gerry. Feedback about The Factory Live has so far been universally positive, with local residents stating that it is 'exactly what Worthing needs'. Most importantly, both the audience and performers have commented on the quality of the sound. “We’ve had great compliments from visiting bands, their engineers and audiences who like the tight, punchy sound that the DZR system delivers. They are generally used to overblown, flabby bass and brain numbing SPL levels. To let them hear a properly controlled, more
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