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Allen & Heath Provides Control at Eden Project Ice Rink
Allen & Heath has recently added remote control capability to one of the Eden Project's two iDR DSP systems, installed to manage audio distribution in the 'Time of Gifts' temporary ice rink.
The original installation took place in 2004 when Eden first launched the Time of Gifts concept, a series of seasonal events, which included musical performance and the creation of an ice rink for visitors to enjoy. An iDR-8 digital mixing processor was selected for its ability to provide both sophisticated processing and mixing capabilities.
"The rink is a semi open air structure which posed two problems," explains Steve Yelland from SPS Systems, who assists Eden with its sound and light requirements. "Firstly, the acoustics are difficult to manage as audio bounces off the ice and the sides of the dome. Secondly, there were restrictions on the position of the speakers as there was no room at ground level to install them, which meant all speakers - tops and subs - had to be installed in the roof, making it difficult to create the right balance. However, the iDR system deals with both these issues as its comprehensive DSP settings made it easy to programme accurate time-aligned delay zones around the rink, creating a seamless audio experience for the skating public."
The iDR system is also programmed to mix musical sources and microphone inputs, including the automatic ducking facility to enable staff to make announcements. Recently, a PL-4 remote control plate has been installed to improve the ease of use for Eden staff. Yelland explains:
"Staff were going into the control room where the racks are kept to alter the volume level but they were altering the overall volume not the channel level, which was leading to confusion and a quiet microphone level. By installing the PL-4 in a conveniently situated side panel, staff have easy access to volume control of the music and not the master. The microphone is also kept there for them to make announcements at the end of each skating session. The staff are over the moon as it's made their jobs so much easier."
Since opening in March 2001, the Eden Project has become one of the UK's most visited tourist attractions. The Eden Project environmental complex covers 35 acres of a former Cornish clay-mining pit, containing the largest greenhouses in the world - two translucent domes, which each emulate a natural biome housing plant species from around the world. The larger Humid Tropics biome emulates a tropical environment, whilst the Warm Temperate biome emulates the Mediterranean, Southwest Australia, and parts of South Africa and California.
The second iDR-8 unit is installed in the Humid Tropics biome, managing audio distribution through a Bose speaker system positioned discreetly around the dome to provide complete coverage of all areas. This enables visitors to enjoy an ambient musical soundtrack whilst exploring the tropical dome.
The Warm Temperate biome is used to host various musical events that take place throughout the year, serviced by an Allen & Heath 16-channel MixWizard console or a 32-channel ML4000 VCA console for larger events - such as Live 8's Africa Calling concert in 2005 - with MC2 amplification
and an EM Acoustic speaker system, similarly installed at strategic points around the dome.
"Both these desks more than satisfy our requirements. The MixWizard is compact so as to fit in a small space, yet has great capacity for most of the events we run. Generally I use the auxes to feed four zones and still have room for monitor feeds to create an elaborate and rich mix over the dome. I can feed certain instruments or vocals to specific zones to best suit the performance. The ML4000 is fantastic for the larger events we run as the VCA's offer great flexibility, ample capacity, and the sound quality is second to none."
In picture: Steve Yelland with the Allen & Heath iDR-8 digital processing mixer, which manages audio in the Eden Project's temporary ice rink and The Eden Project's temporary ice rink, which is installed over the winter months.
10th January 2007
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