Bosch at centre of stunning NIDA installation
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is a centre of excellence in training for theatre, film and television. Best known for its acting course, NIDA also offers unique courses in design, stage management, event management, lighting, sound, costume making, wardrobe management, scenery construction, properties and special effects. Located in Sydney’s suburb of Kensington, NIDA's theatre complex is also available for hire for theatrical productions, commercial events and individual functions. The nucleus of thespian activity takes place in the Parade Theatre, which is a 709 seat venue comprising stalls and two balconies in a horseshoe design, featuring a 14m x 10m main stage and 14m x 6.5m rear stage.
NIDA’s committee voted for some behind the scenes upgrades recently in which A/V and audio supervisor Felix Kulakowski was charged with sourcing an audio supplier who could provide intelligible zoning in an aesthetic manner on a limited budget. Ultimately, Bosch Communications was successful in its bid to provide NIDA with a complete solution. Four zones were identified – the Nancy Fairfax foyer, Parade Studio, James Fairfax foyer and courtyard – for specialist BGM and voice announcements, for which two separate systems are now installed.
For all the BGM requirements, an EV Netmax N8000 system controller lies at the heart of the digital matrix system offering complete loudspeaker management including routing, DSP, system control and supervision. A Dynacord ProMatrix system caters for all the paging needs, in which the office foyer installed DPC-4520 and stage managers installed DPC-4510 paging stations can override the BGM when need be to the individual or all four zones. A DPM-4000 matrix manager – connected to a DMM-4650 digital message manager and DCS-400 digital control system - serves as a digital audio matrix. It includes chime and alarm signal generators, vocal recording/playback and the lock-on of the pilot tone and its evaluation. All paging consoles and internally generated signals are mixed within the matrix and then sent to the NetMax N8000 for distribution.
The stage is set when visitors are greeted by the Nancy Fairfax Foyer, which is a three-story glass façade featuring an aluminium veil that regulates airflow and ambient temperature. Measuring 450 sq-m, the foyer features a grand staircase and long bar for hosting cocktail parties, launches and fashion parades for up to 800 guests.
‘It’s highly reverberant and the committee was worried that the speakers would contrast with the architectural design,’ explained Mr Kulakowski. Incorporating advanced filtering and 14 loudspeaker drivers, two Bosch hemi-directional loudspeakers provide even dispersion in the high ceiling areas, whilst blending perfectly with the structure into which they have been suspended. ‘When these speakers were rigged up as a dummy, we received great comments from the students,’ continued Mr Kulakowski.
The lower ceiling area required six EV ZX1i speakers to be installed into the ceiling void. ‘Another solution would have been EV C8.2HC ceiling speakers to be installed in this area, but there is steel there and the cavity couldn’t take them,’ explained Bosch Communications’ senior engineer Bryan Davidson.
The outdoor courtyard area is served by EV ZX1i loudspeakers, whilst EViD 6.2T and C8.2 wall mounted and ceiling mounted speakers provide the zoned announcements and BGM throughout the other zones. Four EV CPS4.5 multi-channel amplifiers provide the necessary power to the entire loudspeaker system.
Not stipulated at the outset, the dressing rooms are now served with EViD 6.2T wall-mounted speakers to cue actors to go on stage when required via the DPC-4510 stage managers consoles. The foyer is also served by two EV RE2 Pro wireless microphone systems, which are boosted by ceiling fixed antennas. ‘You can walk anywhere in the foyer now and make speeches or announcements,’ furthered Mr Kulakowski.
The entire system upgrade was installed by Sydney-based systems integrator Sound on Stage. ‘Having kept to our budget, the EV, Dynacord and Bosch system provides us with a highly intelligible solution in the main foyer area, in addition to announcements and BGM in newly created zones including the dressing rooms. It’s more than we could have hoped for when we tendered this job out and the sound is simply stunning.’