Martin Audio partner and sub-distributor Old Barn Audio (OBA) has been a regular
visitor to the Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Cross recently.
Originally constructed in 2010 at a cost of £31m as one of the 2012 London
Olympics host venues, it has now undergone an upgrade to its installed sound
system in preparation for hosting the recent ICF Canoe Slalom World
Championships.
First OBA fitted Martin Audio’s new CDD installation series on the terrace, meeting
rooms and meeting room balconies, before providing their own MLA Compact rental
system for the six-day Championships televised around the world.
OBA director, Phil Clark says the building is now being developed as a multi-
purpose space for functions, including team building, but the former sound system
had been specified for speech only by the main contractor rather than a specialist
pro audio company.
As the upgrade progressed, OBA removed the old amplifiers and processing and two
thirds of the speakers. The new system is now divided into 16 zones served by 22
amplifier channels using powerful processing, while the signals are transported over
a Dante network, and offer iPad style control from a fixed position at Reception. A
further tablet was supplied, all on a complete closed audio network, offering the
staff complete flexibility to walk around the venue and adjust levels and sources.
OBA selected five CDD10 (10′), spaced under the balcony eaves to serve the
terraces, while two independent meeting rooms have also been fitted with a pair of
smaller CDD6 (6.5′), positioned near the projectors for background music; a local
input has been provided for each room so the users can either choose BGM or local
input source all via a dedicated digital wall panel. Each of these rooms also
contains a balcony where music is fed by a pair of CDD8 (8′), linked to both of the
internal systems.
In addition, OBA has provided numerous plug-in points around the entertaining
zones so that bands (and other users) can set up and play through the entire
system.
This is far from the end of the story, however, as OBA have provided cabling
infrastructure to allow three further Martin Audio CSX118 (1 x 18′) subs to be added
to the terrace entertainment area, while they will also be specifying further CDD10’s
and CSX118 at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in Leyton, which falls under the same
administration.
The British Canoeing Union (BCU) then requested MLA Compact to run along the
course for the six-day long ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships to relay
commentary both to the crowds who filled the temporary stands, and live to air.
The BCU brought in events company MLS, who not only contracted OBA to provide
the sound reinforcement but also Great Big Events, who provided the onsite
commentary.
Summing up, Chris Bailey, Technical Manager of Lee Valley Leisure Trust, says,
“Our customers really like the sound on the terrace bar now and they proved a huge
success at the ICF World Championships in conjunction with [OBA’s] Martin Audio
MLA Compact, which delivered all the onsite commentary and music required.’
