SABC revamps music theatre with Avid EAW and Labgruppen
Published: MEA
SOUTH AFRICA: SABC has completely refitted its M1 music theatre, which had been a dead space for the broadcaster for a number of years. It appointed AVL Distribution to handle the acquisition and installation of audio, trussing, sound-absorbing curtains, automated track system and an automated HD projection screen for the venue.
The audio side of the project saw AVL install speakers from EAW, amps from Lab.gruppen and an Avid Venue Profile desk packaged with ProTools HD4. According to AVL managing director Nick Matzukis, these purchases were very much client led. ‘The client came to us because he had no doubt that Venue Profile was what he wanted,’ he said. ‘The installation of this mixing console makes M1 a truly world-class audio performance venue.’
The same was true when it came to the speaker selection too. ‘The client wanted a point source system rather than a line array, and suggested EAW,’ recalled Mr Matzukis. AVL installed EAW MK2394 two-way full range speakers supplemented by 12-inch SB120zP and 18-inch SB180zP subwoofers. Power comes from Lab.gruppen C 68:4 amps.
Away from the sound system, AVL Distribution also fitted M1 with an electric curtain track system, 14m by 12m Soundmolton curtains and an 8m by 4.5m Runway automated video projection screen all from Gerriets. Further to this a 14m by 12m Eurotruss FD34 trussing structure with centre bars was also provided.
According to Mr Matzukis, the most challenging part of the six week project was the location of the theatre itself. ‘The venue is situated in the bowels of the SABC with access only through very narrow, restricted corridors with lots of angled corners,’ he explained. ‘We could not fit the Gerriets Roller Screen into the venue. Finally, it became necessary for us to knock a hole into the outside wall of the SABC in order to get the screen in, and then re-mortar it. The screen became slightly damaged in the attempts to get it into the venue before the decision to knock down the wall, and these repairs had to be done before the project was complete.’
The end result is a space which AVL describes as ‘perhaps the premier music performance studio / theatre on the African continent’, and SABC is reportedly ‘ecstatic’ with the way its sound system is performing. For its part, AVL Distribution and its suppliers ‘are proud to have been involved with this momentous project’.