Envision AV supplies Jands solution for Parramatta Phoenix
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Envision AV was recently commissioned to design and install a comprehensive audio system for the Parramatta Phoenix restaurant, which needed to cover its main restaurant level on the ground floor, a mezzanine level, a private dining room that can be divided into three when required, and its function space upstairs.
The main restaurant floor presented itself as a challenging space due to its 10m high glass walls on three sides and many ‘demanding’ ceiling spaces. However, the venue is a total new build, enabling Envision AV to create an integrated system courtesy of products distributed by Jands. These included JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS processing – all working together and controllable via a simple user interface with a total of eight audio zones.
‘Sonically it was a challenging space that needed a distributed sound solution with delayed speakers,’ commented Damien Gleeson, director of Envision AV. ‘We used quite a lot of DSP and powered amplifiers. It wasn’t just a shopping centre 100V system – it had to be time-delayed where necessary and each individual speaker needed to be equalised. Due to the cable design we had full control, something that was much needed in this environment.’
Hung off the pillars and the mezzanine are a total of 16 JBL Control 5 speakers. ‘They have performed excellently,’ commented Mr Gleeson. ‘The engineer who designed and tuned the system is most happy with them and so is the client.’
Mr Gleeson noted that when going through his quote with the client, the designer was very specific in precisely specifying 47 JBL Control 26C ceiling speakers for a particular part of the restaurant. ‘He could have rounded it up to 50 or even 48 to make it an even number but he didn’t,’ he reflected. ‘At that point the client was hooked as he realised that the designer had been very thorough, and based his solution on the square metre and the dispersion patterns. For me as a sales person, I didn’t need to do anymore selling. The client was so enamoured with the design, the solution sold itself.’
A distributed antenna system ensures that the Shure SLX wireless handheld/lavalier combination system can be used anywhere in the venue. This includes a SLX2/58 handheld transmitter with a SM58 microphone, a WL185 cardioid lavalier microphone, a SLX1 bodypack transmitter and a SLX4 diversity receiver.
Meanwhile, amplification is provided by four Crown CT8150 power amplifiers. ‘The Crown amplifiers provide the best value and reliability of any amplifiers I know,’ he enthused. ‘They really are ideal for fixed installations such as this.’
The system is built around four BSS Audio Soundweb London Blu-100 networked signal processors with six Blu-10 fully programmable network remotes. ‘We went with the BSS system for ease of use,’ said Mr Gleeson. ‘It allows the waiters to drive the system themselves.’