Blackpool Pleasure Beach approached A.C. to specify and supply a powerful, durable sound system for the water show. The system needed to be able to withstand both the wet environment and high ambient noise levels emanating from the surrounding restaurant district. Knowing KV2 Audio had previously manufactured loudspeakers to such high levels of durability, A.C. Audio sales manager Peter Butler turned to KV2 with the brief.
"The reliability of the loudspeakers is imperative due to the nature of this attraction," says Butler. "With the system running on an almost continual basis throughout the opening hours of the park, KV2 was my first and preferred choice. Although the physical durability of the boxes was an extremely important factor, ensuring the quality of sound was not compromised for this reason was a top priority."
Situated in the surrounding buildings at the perimeter of the plaza, two KV2 Audio ES1.0 three-way Mid Hi enclosures and two ES2.5 dual 15" subwoofer enclosures, coupled with two EPAK2500R amplifiers, were specified to provide ample coverage for the area. The trigger system includes a Crestron timing control unit that sends a signal to fire the pre-programmed display of the 25 individual fountains set within the ground. A Marantz solid-state digital player provides high quality playback.
The four loudspeakers were custom finished to ensure their extreme durability and reliability within the harsh seafront environment of this long-term fixed installation. The treatment involved coating each cabinet in tough fibreglass on the outside. Equally, the inside of each enclosure was coated in a resin-based seal, internal driver components were treated with a moisture resistant solution and all metal hardware was replaced with stainless steel fittings.
Mick Butler, KV2 Audio sales director explains, "The custom coating technique our factory utilises when weatherproofing involves quite a long and complicated process. However, it does ensure our loudspeakers can be used to their full potential without altering the sonic performance and output."
(Jim Evans)
