Heung Yee Kuk calls on Tom Lee Engineering
Published: ASIA
CHINA: The new building of Heung Yee Kuk in Shek Mun is a three-storey multi-purpose venue that is 10 times larger than previous Kowloon Tong site. The new address includes a 1,300-seat auditorium, multi-purpose hall, conference room, library and various function rooms with traditional Chinese architectural design. The Heung Yee Kuk turned to tried and trusted Hong Kong veterans Tom Lee Engineering to supply and install the many and varied audio, video and lighting systems.
The Heung Yee Kuk in Hong Kong is a statutory advisory body representing the indigenous inhabitants of New Territories. It has been in operation since December 1959 for which each rural committee has a representative on the body.
The 12m high auditorium now boasts a digital, self-powered PA system within its acoustically treated walls, which is used to good effect for Chinese opera performances, festivals, conferences, debates and celebrations. The loudspeakers have been configured as an L-R system, for which each cluster consists of six Axys Audio T-2112 G2 three-way speaker systems. Each active cabinet consists of a 12-inch driver providing direct radiating 70-degrees (H) x 60-degrees (V) coverage, together with built-in amplification and DSP, which can be networked via the RJ-45 port using Axys WinControl as the PC based Control software. Bass extension is provided by eight Axys B07 single 18-inch subwoofers, which again come with integrated amplification and DSP and comes RS-485 network ready.
A Yamaha PM5D digital console and DME64N mixing engine communicate with the PA system via an Aviom digital snake. The Aviom 6416 snake includes a 16x16 Pro64 A-Net I/O card allowing up to 16 channels in and out simultaneously, allowing remote control of the 6416m mic preamp settings from the PM5D using the Pro64 m-control software and RS-422/232 Virtual Data Cable I/O.
An AKG DMS 700 digital microphone system provides up to 155MHz frequency range of transmitters and receivers, whilst its encryption offers security during sensitive audio transmissions. Furthermore, the digital audio transmission eliminates distortion and significant noise levels at high audio frequencies.
The smaller acoustically treated multi-purpose hall combines two PA systems – one for cinema and the other for conferences and debates. The cinema system combines Klipsch L-C-R speakers consisting of KPT402MF horns and KPT904-940 M/L units, together with a Klipsch 5.1 wall mounted surround sound system. However, two unobtrusive, wall mounted Axys Intellivox DSX280 column speakers provide speech intelligibility up to 18kHz. The inherent DDS technology has allowed vertical beam shaping, whilst integral DSP provides speaker management functions such as delay, volume control and equalisation.
A Yamaha LS9-32 digital mixing console linked to a Yamaha DME24N digital mixing engines provides further DSP options. Three microphone points have been neatly concealed into the stage at the front allowing flexible conferencing options, for which AKG GN30 goosenecks with CK47 capsules were preferred. ASL intercoms were used in both venues, including WS200 system and WS19 main stations.
‘Tom Lee Engineering was brought on site quite late in the day, but coped well in implementing the multi-purpose designs for the Heung Yee Kuk,’ assessed president John Lee. ‘Like all multi-purpose venues, the sound design is always going to be compromised in preference of flexibility as it cannot dedicate itself to any single usage.’