ALLEN & HEATH TAKES STARRING ROLE IN PLANETARIUM AV REFIT

An
Allen & Heath dLive system has been installed in the Armagh Planetarium and
Observatory in Northern Ireland as part of a full AV refit of this important
research and education facility.

The
installation was recently completed by well-known pro AV distributor and
integrator, Rea Sound, which has been working on the project in multiple phases
over the past two years. The resulting AV solution provides much greater
independent control over the venue’s various zones, together with the
flexibility to accommodate corporate hires.

All audio across the site
is managed by a dLive DM0 MixRack before being fed to a Kramer VS-3232 digital
matrix switcher. A pair of iPad Minis running the A&H Custom Control app
provide everyday audio control: one at reception for paging the various zones,
plus another roaming tablet for source and level adjustments wherever needed.
The iPads are supplemented by IP1 wall plate remote controllers in the
boardroom, conference room and offices, giving non-technical staff
straightforward volume control.

“Apart
from better audio throughout, one of the main criteria for the client was the
ability to send paging announcements or background audio to different zones,
something that wasn’t possible with their existing system,” explains Rea Sound
project manager, Roger McMullan. “Another important consideration was the need
for user-friendly control options that all team members would feel comfortable
with. The dLive system has so much flexibility to meet all these needs, with
plenty of capacity to grow and evolve with the Planetarium’s ambitious plans
for the future.”

The facility’s main conference venue accommodates up to 200 people and features a trio of 3.5m projection screens, plus laser projection and three hangs of four Martin Audio O-Line speakers. An AB168 I/O expander allows anything from a single presenter or interactive panel discussion to a full live band for a corporate event to be easily connected to the dLive system.