SR/Live Sun, November 23, 2008

The C.A.T Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius - a major theatre in Barcelona promoting the Catalan tradition - has become the beneficiary of a new Installation Line Array (ILA) system from QSC Audio.

In order to reflect its growing importance, and increasing number of traditional festivals it is hosting, this civic auditorium recently commissioned a complete technical overhaul, completely rewiring the building and and installing a system comprising 6 x WL2082-i and 1 x WL115-sw sub per side.

The Centre Artesà Tradicionàrius was opened in 1993 on the initiative of l’Associació Cultural TRAM (an organisation set up to promote the Catalan traditional culture), with funding from the Cultural department of the local government.

It was they who financed the upgrade of the 400-seat auditorium, which hosts everything from traditional instrument players to folk dance and expositions, incorporating other musical traditions from around the world.

Installed by Eiffage Energia S.L, working alongside engineering/consultancy company, Otto Projectes SL, the new audio system forms part of an infrastructural upgrade in which €700,000 was spent on wiring alone for the IT and entertainment technology.

The work was put out to public tender. Otto Projectes’ specification called for a lightweight but high powered system with ability to produce extreme lateral coverage in a difficult shaped room (with narrow side balconies).

QSC Spain’s area sales manager, Ezequiel Mayoral, arranged an ILA demonstration for the clients in another auditorium outside Barcelona, knowing that it met all the criteria.

“It is lightweight due to its plastic construction and has simplified rigging - and they loved the sound of the system.”

The available space from which to hang the line array structure was also restricted - so again ILA, with its compact form factor, was the perfect solution.

Due to the shape of the room a minimum of six boxes were required. This was confirmed by the EASE measurements, which modelled the system. “After the voicing of the system, we used the preset for the ILA in the QSC SC28 system controller straight out of the box,” said Ezequiel. “We came down with EAW SMAART and the measuring equipment and no additional processing was needed.

The new ILA system more than satisfies the auditorium’s needs. At the same time Eiffage Energia has also supplied ten QSC Audio HPR122i, 12in, 2-way multipurpose self-powered enclosures - six used as conventional floor monitors and others for infills - along with a pair of portable HPR151i subs, which can be repositioned depending on the event.

“With these extra HPRs C.A.T can handle virtually anything,” says Ezequiel. “We have not only sorted their sound problems but given them a lot of flexibility.”

For more information:
QSC Audio Website