A recent audio system project at The Beachcomber, a popular waterfront hotel and resort in located in the heart of the Central Coast, Toukley, Australia, saw local production company Pro Sound and Lighting implement LEA Professional components for power amplification and more.
The sprawling complex was recently relaunched as a 4-star, 80-room resort offering multiple indoor and outdoor bars, restaurants, six function rooms, gaming and bottle-shop amenities as well as expansive guest facilities. Specifically, Pro Sound and Lighting implemented the new system for the resort’s gaming and sports bar, DJ area, outdoor area and hotel lobby areas, with company production manager Leonard Buckley explaining that a demanding timeline on the project meant that the team was fighting against the clock and struggling with manufacturers not having equipment on hand.
“This project had a particularly quick turnaround time; we needed to get the entire install done within the space of 3 or 4 weeks and couldn’t be held back because of equipment delays, ” Buckley notes. “One of the main reasons why we chose the LEA amps was because they were so easy to get our hands on and they were one of few companies with no supply chain issues.”
Ultimately the company decided to drive the system with five LEA Professional Dante Connect Series amplifiers, including three Connect 354D models joined by a Connect 702D and a Connect 704D. Available in two, four, and eight-channel models, they offer direct Hi-Z (70 or 100 volt) or Low-Z that’s selectable by channel. Integrators can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the venue’s Wi-Fi, or use the FAST Ethernet to connect to any local area network via Cat-5/6 cable.
The amplifiers drive a selection of QSC, InDesign, and Community loudspeakers. “As the LEA amps can integrate with any kind of system, I wasn’t worried about investing in them without knowing what kind of system we would end up putting in the space,” he says. “We didn’t have to worry about what sort of system we were pairing with, and that’s what made it so easy for us to use them, there was no special programming or training involved, everything talked to each other nice and simple.”
The Connect Series also offers Cloud connectivity for remote control, monitoring and notifications from most personal devices. “The very first thing I did with the amps was connect them to the cloud,” Buckley explains. “From the very first day of installing them I was able to remote monitor and see what was going on, it was really handy, especially as our office is a three-hour drive from the resort. We haven’t had any issues, the amplifiers have been flawless so far but the fact that the option to control them remotely is there, is really great.”
“Throughout the project the owners made changes as to how different areas of the resort would be utilized,” he concludes. “The versatility of these amps was amazing, we never had to stress about things changing at the last minute because the amps were flexible in terms of what they could drive in their power outputs, we just put them in and knew we’d be okay.”
