Visibility of the equipment guided the system design for over 30 venues on the ship, including the largest and most challenging Royal Court Theatre, a three-story, 800-seat venue that features opera-style box seating, professional theatres and movie screenings. "Cunard wanted to break from the traditional theatre model often found on ships, so they've created a venue that rivals anything you'd find on Broadway or London's West End," says sound designer Alan Edwards.
Royal Court Theatre's main system comprises two hangs of eight Mica line array loudspeakers each, well concealed behind the elaborate façade and are only inches from the bulkhead behind it. "Everything on a ship is subject to tight quarters, but in this case it was even more extreme. The Mica was a great solution, as it delivers more than enough power and a great coverage pattern, but it's small enough to require minimal space."
Four M3D-Sub directional subwoofers and four UMS-1P subwoofers handle low end content, while six UPM-1P loudspeakers provide front- fill. The centre channel, a pair of CQ-1 loudspeakers, is augmented by 14 MM-4 loudspeakers hidden along the mezzanine for rear channel ambience. Several delay rings cover the upper balcony and under-balcony areas with numerous UPM-1P loudspeakers and UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers, augmented by USW-1P and UMS-1P subwoofers.
Meyer Sound Matrix3 audio show control system is used for creating surround ambience, handling musical cues for a wide range of performances via CueStation software. Onstage monitoring is courtesy of six UPA-2P and UPM-2P loudspeakers each, along with several portable UM-1P and UM-100P stage monitors available for use as necessary.
The ship's second major venue is the Queens Room, where guests are invited to relax while enjoying some afternoon tea and a round of ballroom dancing. The two-story ballroom features cantilevered balconies and a large theatre stage, equipped with two arrays of four M1D line array loudspeakers and two M1D-Sub subwoofers per side, all hidden behind closed screens. Two UPA-2P loudspeakers handle front fill duties, along with a pair of UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers for upper seating coverage.
(Jim Evans)
