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Methodist Central Hall Given the Marquee/Meyer Treatment
But it was in the largest of these, the Great Hall — against the magnificent backdrop of a pipe organ — that Marquee Audio have installed a central cluster of Meyer M1D self-powered loudspeakers.
The venue's managing director, Michael Sharp, said that in deference to the building's splendour, when they were ready to retire their old system they realised they would need something of high pedigree to replace it.
Marquee Audio were recommended to the project by another contractor. “In addition, we had heard good reports about the company from a number of other sources, including Cheltenham (the award-winning installation at Cheltenham Racecourse's Centaur conference centre),” stated Michael.
In designing the system, Marquee Audio offered two PA alternatives, clearly explaining the pros and cons of each system. “We took a view based on the inadequacies of the old system, which had been systematically adapted over a number of years,” Michael Sharp reports. “Particularly poor had been the facilities for the hard-of-hearing. The induction loop was subject to a lot of interference — and we were recommended a Sennheiser infra-red system.”
Marquee Audio's project manager Scott Wakelin needed to provide evenly-distributed coverage for a hall with a ground floor maximum capacity of 1,100, with a further 1,100 filling the raked seating on the balcony. Once Meyer had been given the nod, his solution was to complement the flown cluster with four UPM-1P three-way active loudspeakers at front of stage, treating the under-balconies with a pair of Meyer MM-4's.
Four Turbosound TXD12M floor monitors are provided for the musicans (and choir), and a highly-specified processing rack at the front-of-house position supports the main mixing desk — a 24-channel, 8-bus Allen & Heath ML3000-824.
Audio system control is via the Biamp Nexia series DSP and Meyer's dedicated MM4 processor and authorised personnel can source select different inputs via the easy-to-operate CUE Guide-SRF integrated colour wireless remote control (operated via RF).
In fact both the CUE and Nexia systems have been programmed to allow operation in a basic stereo or mono mode, with projectors and four direct mics from stage ... all via the CUE touch screen; this would be applicable for Sunday service and basic conferencing requirements.
However, a second level of control allows 24 mic channels to be mixed, and the individual mixes sent to eight individual speakers in the event of more comprehensive orchestral and theatre applications.
The Central Hall also found a use for their two white-wall surfaces flanking the pipe organ, and asked Marquee to provide projection with sufficient resolution to magnify hymn and prayer texts for the Sunday morning services. The solution was a pair of Elki LC-X70 projectors, fitted with a 7:1 long throw lens.
A system of this calibre needed to be carefully budgeted for — but Michael Sharp knows he has got value for money. “We've had some very good feedback - in fact one of our congregation members said it was the first time he had heard the service properly!”
The audio refit is part of a £7m refurbishment project (including a new box office) at the Methodist Central Hall, which is funded by a trading company (of which Michael Sharp is MD), operating on a lease from the building's trustees.
As a result of this refit, Central Hall's director believes they can now increase their scope for conferences, banquets, exhibitions, concerts, graduation ceremonies — and of course provide better facilities for the church services.
“We wanted to give our congregations a wow factor — something they wouldn’t experience at their local church — and to provide a first class audio facility for our commercial clients,” he summarised. “Thanks to Marquee we have certainly achieved that — the challenge now is to be able to operate the system to its full capacity.”
In picture: the Meyer M1D cluster hangs loud and proud and Cue control – in the venue’s mix position.
19th July 2005
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