VEGA in Copenhagen, one of the most renowned live music venues in Denmark, has completed its latest upgrade project, choosing d&b audiotechnik for the loudspeaker system overhaul.
The venue, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, incorporates three distinct performance spaces: Store VEGA, with a capacity of 1,550; Lille VEGA, with space for 500; and Ideal Bar Live, with a capacity of 250. As well as concerts, VEGA regularly provides a home for lectures, meetings, press conferences and other events.
This upgrade was intended to furnish both Store VEGA and Lille VEGA with more responsive loudspeaker systems, capable of accommodating speech and a wide variety of live music genres. The upgrade was preceded by an assessment of three leading PA systems. Ultimately, the decision was made to continue a long-running association with d&b and its Q-Series system.
“We have been using d&b successfully for 10 years, and after a process of consideration we realised that the latest generation d&b systems – including the V8s and V-GSUBs – were exactly what we required to meet our requirements in the future,” said Anders Mortensen, VEGA’s head of production.
The Tuborg Foundation provided a donation that enabled the latest upgrade project to take place. Denmark’s d&b distributor, Alfa Audio A/S, was enlisted to provide the new systems and install them. Work was carried out during October and November 2016 by a team featuring Alfa Audio managing director, Lars Baun Frederiksen.
“One of the most notable aspects of the installation was the move from the two-way Q-Series cabinets to the three-way V8s,” explained Frederiksen. “The result is increased headroom, with the improvement in the vocals being particularly noticeable. The extended LF pattern control in the V really does help the vocals sit on top of the mix.”
In the large room, the new design is based around four V8s per side, along with four V8s in a mono configuration for balcony. A high performance cardioid subwoofer powered by a single amplifier channel, the V-GSUB houses two long excursion neodymium drivers: an 18in driver in a bass-reflex design facing to the front, and a 12in driver in a two chamber bandpass design radiating to the rear.
The core system is accompanied by four 10S and two 8S loudspeakers to provide infill at stage, under-balcony fill and balcony nearfill. The entire specification is powered by a quintet of D80 high power density amplifiers. Suitable for both mobile and installation environments, the 2RU, four channel units incorporate a LoadMatch function that enables the electrical compensation of loudspeaker cable properties – without the need for an additional conductor. The result is an increased accuracy of audio reproduction over a bandwidth of up to 20kHz.
In the smaller space, a pair of V7P three-way passive loudspeakers per side provide the primary reinforcement, while nearfill is courtesy of two 8S units. Once again, there is a sub array of five V-GSUBs, while the amplification section revolves around a single D80 and one D20. Alfa Audio has also provided four MAX2 monitors, which can be deployed to handle a host of onstage duties.
Picture: Per Lange/VEGA
