A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd’s Audio division has supplied a new Nexo speaker system for the Performing Arts Centre at UK girls’ boarding school Downe House.
The school’s multi-purpose performance/presentation space features a very distinctive hydraulic floor, which can be raised up to transform the flat floor space into a raked seated auditorium – immediately changing the point of focus for sound and all the related acoustic characteristics of the space.
When the time came for an overhaul of the sound system, Downe House’s head of technical, Joe Hilton, got in touch with A.C. Audio division sales manager Peter Butler. His main requirement was for a system that would allow the bottom down-fills in the main speaker hangs to be cut when the floor was up, and provide a more adaptable set up for the building that didn’t need re-rigging each time the layout of the space was changed. Butler therefore recommended that he listen to the Nexo Geo S805 compact, high output line array system.
Ultimately, eight Nexo Geo S805 were supplied, flown in two four-a-side left and right hangs, together with four CD12-P hyper-cardiod (directional) subs which are flown upstage of the main arrays to prevent back-spill onto the stage. These are all powered and processed (EQ and time aligned) through Nexo NXAMP 4X4 Powered TD controllers. The package from AC-ET also included tour grade cabling and all the necessary flying hardware. It was installed by Hilton and his full-time Downe House technical team of four.
The sale was co-ordinated for AC-ET by Glen Thompson from AC-ET’s High Wycombe HQ, who worked closely with Nexo’s UK sales manager, Gareth Collyer, in devising the specification. They acoustically modelled the space using Nexo’s NS1 software, mapping the optimum positions and trajectories for all the necessary speakers to deliver smooth, even, high clarity coverage.
“The Nexo is absolutely doing the job I asked,” enthused Hilton. As regards AC-ET’s contribution, Hilton observed that there are “many [other] companies out there that will sell equipment to schools just to make the price fit. With AC-ET, I have confidence in the service and the products they provide. I know that if it’s coming from them it will meet my standards.”
Downe House shows and events are mixed using a Yamaha M7 digital console – also supplied by AC-ET.
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