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Ampco Belgium Fit Out KUUB with Martin Mini Arrays
Back in 1977 De Warande in Turnhout opened as one of the first official cultural centres in Flanders. This followed a directive from the Belgian government in the late 1960’s, stipulating that a complex such as De Warande had to embody more than a theatre auditorium alone. Thus, alongside the main 760-seat theatre hall, De Warande evolved into a cultural and social centre, housing the city's library, meeting rooms, ballet classes, a large foyer and public cafetaria, operating seven days a week, from 8am until midnight.
As De Warande became one of the most succesful cultural centres in the region, it was decided to open a second hall. As a result, at the end of 2005 the KUUB opened its doors inside a modern architectural building, with full glass facade and an internal 'black box' built to the highest technical standards. The 500 sq. metre floor has a 240-seat removable system but can also be used for up to 780 (standing). In the basement are several meeting rooms and the loft has rehearsal rooms available.
Initialy the KUUB was to have been a stage for youngsters, but it quickly evolved into a full-blown theatre where activities like dance, music, theatre and classical music performances took place.
For the first two years, technical director Michel Proost and his crew decided not to invest in a PA but as their needs evolved they set out to trial a couple of systems.
During a Martin Audio W8LM demo session organised by Ampco Belgium, it became clear that this system not only delivered the required sound quality but covered the room transparently in both a seated situation and standing configuration.
By using additional W8LMD Downfills the horizontal coverage was further enhanced, and thus the original idea of using infills to cover the front rows was abandoned. Another important factor in the decision-making was that the system had to be removed and installed quickly and easily. With that in mind Ampco Belgium’s Steven Kemland joined forces with Smartsteel from Holland and developed an easy-to-remove flying system and transport frame to tackle portability and ease of use.
The FOH system consists of a flown WMX sub, two W8LM's and two W8LMD's each side. And thanks to the customised flying and transport frame it is possible for one engineer to remove or install the system in five minutes.
A further interesting aspect of this rig during the demo was that by only changing the inclination of the cluster, the system worked fantastically well in both a seated and standing configuration, without the necessity of changing the parameters in the processors or the degrees of cabinet splay. Finally, perfectly tuned filter and hi-cut on the LMD's made the whole system sound smooth but also made it a cost-effective solution.
The technical crew also opted for eight Martin Audio LE1200's as stage monitors and four W0.5's with two S12 subs for the rehearsal room. The LE1200's were equipped with a custom bracket so that they could be used without any additional tools in a flown situation or could be mounted on a stand.
And finally, the KUUB received a made-to-measure 48-channel multicable system with custom racks, dolleys and accessories; the system is driven by Crest Pro 200 amplifiers and XTA DP4 processors.
Both Michel Proost and Steven Kemland agreed that the time spent on detailing this installation had been well worthwhile, as every Euro spent had contributed to the perfect solution. “We're in this business to make our customers happy,” says Kemland, “and to come up with solutions that work and fit the budget. There's no better aim than that.”
12th March 2007
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