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Vieta's Wireless Speakers Make Artistic Debut in Scotland

Radical loudspeaker technology from Spanish manufacturer Vieta has made an appropriately radical UK debut. Showcasing their compactness and complete mobility, the new So Line wireless Cubes were cast in an active role in a multimedia arts installation in Clydebank, supported by the National Theatre of Scotland, with sound design by Chrys Lindop.

'Life, Stories & Dreams' is a multimedia production from theatre company Sounds of Progress, featuring the personal testimonies of people with mixed abilities; it is part of a pilot scheme to secure funding to enable arts organisations to assist the special needs community. Supported by the NTS 'Connecting Communities' initiative, Glasgow City Council and the National Theatre of Scotland, the event was run to fully professional standards and proved so successful that it is likely to evolve into a regular nationwide project.

Staged at the Clydebank Town Hall, near Glasgow, the event provided a platform for testing the capabilities of Vieta's new wireless technology at the same time as exploring the artistic opportunities such technology can create. Ten So Cubes were used on the event, working with two So-1101 16-channel transmitters. Some of the 70 performers walked round the Hall carrying wireless So Cubes, moving the sound sources among the audience. Other Cubes remained in static positions around the floor area of the Hall; all equipment was provided by Vieta's UK distributor KV2 Audio.

"The intention was to create an ambient soundfield that had a uniform sound level but came from nowhere in particular," explains sound designer Chrys Lindop. "Some of the So Cubes were playing sound effects, such as a telephone ring or a rocket taking off, others were delivering ambient backing. Depending on the narrative, one could have sound from one particular place, or no place in particular." The show did not use playback; all audio was live except for a couple of sound effects.

Having played a significant role in the development of Vieta's wireless transmitters, Lindop was pleased with the artistic debut of the So Line products. "The general idea and approach worked very well. We were easily able to achieve amplification without directionality, producing a uniform sound level across a wide area. Wireless products like the So Cube will always offer fascinating creative potential to the arts community, and experimental use like the 'Life, Stories & Dreams' project adds value to the development of these products for commercial use."

Vieta's So Line system has been designed to provide high-quality evenly-dispersed sound in situations where traditional systems are not appropriate. It's a simple system which can be expanded and adapted to a number of applications using a series of extra modules and accessories. The So Cube is the core of the So Line system. A compact (140mm footprint, 147mm high), stylish, aluminium moulding with white trim containing a 3" omni-directional, 8 ohm, dual-cone driver, a Garwood-specified radio receiver and a 12W RMS amplifier. The moulding is of the highest quality and other colour options can be offered. The driver points down onto a dispersion moulding and is protected by a steel grill so the unit can be handled without damage to the driver. As supplied, the receiver can be switch-tuned to one of 16 frequencies in the 794 to 806 MHz band. Other frequency bands are optionally available. As the sound is mono and omni-directional, it is evenly distributed through 360 degrees. As more Cubes are added, there is an increase in bass response and level but without the unwanted side effects experienced when using multiple directional loudspeakers. The result is a system that is extremely easy to set up, even for inexperienced operators, and without the problem of hot spots or dead zones.

It is used in conjunction with the So-1101 16-channel wireless transmitter. The Garwood-specified So-1101 operates on the 794 to 806 MHz band, and transmits a mono signal on one of 16 selectable frequencies. In this way, any RF interference from other devices can be side stepped. The transmission has the same characteristics as those used for wireless microphones so the So Line can be incorporated into any wireless location plan that features radio mics. Up to 8x So-1101s may be run together on separate frequencies without interference. This allows, for example, separate languages to be broadcast to different areas simultaneously or, using an appropriate device, a number of delay zones to be created.

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Vieta's Wireless Speakers Make Artistic Debut in Scotland

5th July 2006

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