Dimension puts on the Ritz
Recently relaunched, the iconic HMV Ritz is one of Manchester’s top live music and club venues and has reopened after completing a £2m refurbishment including a Turbosound Flex Array audio system and TFM-560 monitor system installed by Dimension Audio.
Andy Laurie, Dimension Audio’s Project Manager, headed up Dimension’s install team of Ian Silcock and Pete Morgan, ensuring that delivery and commissioning of the vast range of equipment including the Flex Array PA system was completed within a record six-week schedule.
Turbosound's Flex Array was a natural choice for the project due to the long standing relationship with Dimension Audio and Archie McIntosh of the Mama Group, and the system's ability to pin-point exactly where full-range sound was needed on the main floor and balcony without having any issues of unwanted SPL in other areas.
Andy Laurie describes the audio specification in detail: “Following a full EASE 3D computer simulation run by Turbosound’s Chris Kmiec we decided on a total of 12 TFA-600HW 100° dispersion flown mid/highs on FB-600 screw-thread adjustable flybars,” he said, “with two top boxes in each hang feeding the balcony and rear bar, whilst the bottom four boxes cover the main room and dance floor.” Six TSW-218 double 18” subwoofers provide a wall of sub frequency throughout the main room, which has a capacity of 1500 people, with each of the 18” drivers being hard wired individually back to the amps.
The whole system is controlled from front of house by two LMS-D26 loudspeaker management systems, and Turbosound’s Mc2 T-25, T-45 and T-90 amplifiers providing for the speaker system. A pair of self-powered Aspect TA-500tDP 15” trapezoidal three-ways sit on top of B-18DP subs to make up the side fill stacks. The monitor system is also Turbosound: eleven of the new TFM-560 and a TQ-425 drum sub monitor are available to the artists.
Every site has its own unique acoustic challenges of course and the HMV Ritz was no exception. “There is a suspended floor right in front of the stage,” continues Laurie, “so this took some fine tuning with TurboDrive with the help of Turbosound’s Paul McMullan, and slight adjustment of crossover frequencies and delay to deliver the correct punchy sub frequencies that we all know and love from the TSW-218’s.
“From my perspective the coverage and sound quality is incredible given that there are no front fills, just flown FOH PA which covers the whole of downstairs and the balcony. Flex Array is a great live system that can also do full-on club nights without breaking into a sweat. This was proved on the second night of opening when 80’s Rappers Public Enemy played an incredible set and couldn’t believe the SPL coming from such a small array!”
The Ritz’s venue manager Sian Hayward expresses her confidence in Dimension’s management of the project: “I’m pleased with the support, advice and patience I have received from Andy! I’m also pleased with Turbosound; Dimension obviously has a good relationship with them which in turn backs us up and provides good post-installation back up and support. Our weekly program of events is quite varied, with different genres of music, club nights and gigs so the system has to be versatile and adaptable. The public is very discerning these days and we’ve had only good feedback and no complaints – a great result.”
Photographs © Paul McMullan