An extensive public address system headed by Electro-Voice and Dynacord components has been installed at the new Cavatina Hall, a multi-use facility in the historic city of Bielsko-Biała in southern Poland with six stories offering 9,000 square meters of office space joined by a recording studio, a chamber music room, a 1,000-capacity concert hall and more.
The new public address system needed to cover these various areas, providing enough flexibility to meet the differing needs of office workers and theatregoers, Audio Plus, the company responsible for the coordination and co-designers of the system, turned to the Electro-Voice and Dynacord portfolio.
A Dynacord MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine alongside an IPX10:8 power amplifier is at the heart of the design. IPX amplifiers are equipped with proprietary variable load drive (VLD) technology — for each channel, the user can determine whether Low-Z or High-Z 70/100-volt loudspeakers are driven without the need for an output transformer via direct drive technology.
“The IPX 10:8 is at the core of the sound system – we wanted something that was technically optimal in terms of control and this amp allows each channel to be individually operated, along with analog inputs from Dante and OCA via OMNEO network inputs – it’s a highly flexible solution for us,” explains Stanisław Mielczarek, tech support engineer, Audio Plus.
“MXE5 was chosen as it’s a universal processor that complements other systems in Cavatina Hall – through SONICUE sound system software. It integrates perfectly for this kind of project, allowing us to have full control of the entire system of signal routing and signal processing for public address speakers.” adds Tomasz Ibrom, project and Installation engineer, Audio Plus, who was responsible for the system integration at Cavatina Hall.
The electronics are driving a large contingent of EVID ceiling and surface mount loudspeakers. “EVID speakers offer a big spectrum of models in the series and were the ideal choice because of their mounting capabilities,” Ibrom explains. “Each piece is exactly fitted for its location.”
In the main auditorium, a pair of Electro-Voice FM6.2 loudspeakers have been hidden behind the wooden sound panels either side of the stage. These are linked to the RTS intercom system and used for addressing the performers onstage. The stage manager or event director can use the system via an Electro-Voice wireless mic to communicate with the musicians during rehearsals. “This additional system works perfectly because the speech is super-intelligible and the speakers are completely invisible,” says Ibrom. “The team at Cavatina Hall are really happy with it.”
In addition, EV microphones have also been selected to cover a range of vocal and instrumental needs, including RE97Tx micro-headworn condensers, ND44, ND46 and ND66 instrument mics as well as RE20 and RE320 Variable-D models.
Marcin Smolik, producer and managing director at Cavatina Hall, concludes: “We are at the forefront of Europe among the few venues that have such a system. Our technology is a treat for artists and for the viewer, it means quality.”
