Technology from multiple manufacturers, including EM Acoustics, AtlasIED, Dynacord, Panasonic, and Allen & Heath, was installed to power one of the main venues for arts and entertainment at the UK City of Culture 2025, in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Bradford-based production specialists Pro Audio Systems (PAS) took charge of the installations at the Loading Bay, a multi-use arts centre located in a disused warehouse.
All the equipment had to be installed in time for the venue’s first event in March this year. Music, comedy, talks, exhibitions, immersive theatre, and even live video-gaming will take place all year across its two performance spaces and gallery.
PAS recommended a front-of-house system from UK manufacturer EM Acoustics for the main 200-capacity theatre space. It comprised a flown pair of 2 x EM Acoustics R8 (2 x 8in) compact, passive, three-way loudspeaker, supplemented by 2 x R4 as frontfills and 2 x R5 as delays. 2 x EM Acoustics S15 (15in) compact reflex subwoofers positioned on the floor completed the system, which is driven by an EM Acoustics Di20 installation amplifier.
For monitoring in the theatre space, PAS supplied 8 x RCF NX10SMA active 10in monitor wedges and 2 x RCF SUB 15-AX 15in active subwoofers. The steel pole mount installed on the side of the NX10SMA enables the wedges to be deployed as part of a small, portable standalone PA system in the venue’s other spaces, including it’s multi-format basement room. An Allen & Heath SQ5 console was supplied to work with this flexible system.
An AtlasIED Atmosphere AZM8 Zone 8-zone audio processor facilitated Loading Bay’s venue-wide paging system and enabled background music to be played in the gallery and outdoor areas, with a combination of pendant and wall-mount cloud loudspeakers driven by a Dynacord amplifier providing the coverage for these areas.
Dave Simpson, business development director of PAS, commented: “We’ve deployed EM Acoustics systems on a number of projects and felt that the R8s would precisely meet the needs of the space. Having rigged the system, we weren’t disappointed and neither was the Loading Bay team. Since the venue opened they have had numerous compliments from technicians and audience members about how good the sound is.
“As well as the audio systems, in order to ensure that every type of production could be staged in the venue, we supplied a large inventory of Shure, DPA, AKG, and Sennheiser microphones for wired and wireless applications, passive and active DI boxes by Radial, and a range of speaker and microphone stands from K&M. We also supplied and installed the venue’s assistive listening system based round a Sennheiser MobileConnect station.”
Completing the picture from the PAS standpoint was the supply of a Panasonic VMZ71 BEJ projector, which PAS says is the smallest and lightest LCD laser projector in its class with up to 7000lm.
