Both Woodall and Frengley have worked closely together in the past and it was the latter's extensive experience of touring EAW systems for many years (while a director of premier rental company, Canegreen) that drove them to the brand.
But they weren't looking for an off-the-peg solution for the main PA system, as Ian Woodall confirms. "What we really needed was a KF730 on steroids," he quipped, referring to the company's small format line array. Such was their enthusiasm that they headed to Frankfurt's Pro Light+Sound to petition EAW's engineering guru, Kenton Forsythe, charging him with developing a custom KF740, with additional drivers.
In the event, the KF740 ended up being merely a prototype for the system that is now commercially in production (the 'CFC-740' imprint on the enclosures bearing testament to the fact that the originals were destined for Chelsea Football Club).
Featuring four phase-aligned 10", the new KF740 remains lightweight and compact while also incorporating two 8in horn-loaded cones and two 1.4in exit, 2.5in horn-loaded voice coil compression drivers.
These have been designed into a flown L/C/R system (4+2+4) to take account of the venue's extreme width. "We hadn't even heard them when we first fired them up," states Woodall. "But as the venue is so short and wide it was important to keep as much energy up in the air as possible."
Low frequency extension is provided by six EAW SB1000 subs on individual sends under the stage apron. "As the stage is arranged an arc, and the subs are staggered and offset, we can delay them individually and achieve greater control," says the installer.
Main system stage right out-fills are provided by 4x KF730 elements - with further KF695 covering the stairs on stage left. EAW's KF850/SB330 provides stage-fills (upstage and downstage), while a pair of JF80's adds sparkle to the more enthusiastic stage-huggers in the mosh pit. Elsewhere large quantities of MK2396 and JF80's provide further delay coverage.
* Sixty-six of QSC's PowerLight 3 Class D amplifiers have been specified and installed in the venue - the largest single complement of PL3's ever installed. Ian Woodall comments, "Knowing that there would five 42U drive racks, alongside other technical racks, in a combined space, we were concerned about the heat output - and it was the heat dissipation of the PL3's that firstly impressed.
"In addition to the performance, the other key issue was that the PL3's are light weight - and that impacted heavily on the load-in." In fact the contractors needed to have a special reinforced lift constructed to bring all the equipment in on site.
Driving the PA, monitor and surround loudspeakers is a combination of 23 x PL380 (2 x 4000W/2 ohms), 31 x PL340 (2 x 2000W/2ohms and 12 x PL325 (2 x 1250W/2 ohms).
(Jim Evans)
