NEXO’s P18 point source sound system has been installed at a new multipurpose cultural venue in Vilablareix, near Girona in Catalonia, Spain, chosen to cover speech, dance theatre and high-SPL concerts with even coverage throughout the venue without spots of poor coverage or interference between speakers.
A point source cluster of P18 speakers and L18 subwoofers in a coaxial configuration ensures phase alignment between channels and minimises the visual footprint of the cluster, according to Reig. The system is processed by a NEXO NXAMP4X2 Mk2 amplifier, handling EQ, phase alignment, crossovers and thermal and excursion protection to keep performance within its optimal margins at concert-level SPLs, without compromising speech intelligibility for theatre use.
L18 subwoofers were flown together with the P18 speakers to provide bass extension for music shows while maintaining the same visual discretion as the rest of the system. Reig added that a front-fill system is planned for the future to reinforce coverage for the front rows, as the main cluster’s vertical angle is optimised for the middle and back seats.
Robert Reig of BTM Sound, the AV and event technology specialist behind the installation, said: “The uniqueness of the space – a hall with a working height of only 6m – determined the type of system to be installed. A conventional line array requires a certain vertical distance for the sources to be coupled correctly and also would be a big cluster that would interfere physically with the lighting truss. With this point-source system we have achieved a low visual impact and high SPL levels.”
BTM Sound won the project through a public tender, supported by NEXO’s Spanish distributor Soundmeans, which proposed the P18 system in response to a challenging brief and tight budget. Reig said the venue’s customer and performing artists were satisfied with the system’s performance during its first shows.
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