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Tube UK supports Olympic Heroes celebration

Tube UK supports Olympic Heroes celebration

Tube UK supplied a multi-site PA system around Manchester City centre to welcome home Team GB’s 2016 Olympic and Paralympic stars and celebrate their array of record breaking performances at Rio 2016. The event was broadcast live on UK TV networks BBC 1 and Channel 4.

 

This involved the deployment of 78 x main D&B loudspeakers and 32 sub cabinets at the main stage location in Albert Square, plus another 35 speakers and 21 x subs which provided local sound systems for five relay LED screen positions at key strategic points along the Parade route. Working for organisers Manchester City Council, the tube team of 19 was led by Melvyn Coote and worked in shifts for 36 hours before the event.

 

A 60 metre wide by 8 metre deep stage was installed for the main ceremony - to accommodate all the Olympic Heroes in their teams. Crowds were warmed up by the Brythoniaid Welsh Male Voice Choir and later entertained by performances from rockers the Kaiser Chiefs and singer Rebecca Ferguson. The PA had to cover around 10,000 people in the main Square area plus all those gathering nearer the back and to the sides.

 

The main system comprised four flown loudspeaker arrays each of 6 x D&B V8s, hung behind the stage to maintain clear visual lines for the long camera shots and zoom-ins, and on top of 10 metre high PA masts that were integrated with the stage structure. They were focused to only just start hitting the audience area on front of stage. A row of D&B E6 speakers positioned along the stage lip provided in-fill for the very front rows of fans. The Square area runs about 55 metres to the back, but when considering coverage for the space out to the corners, calculations needs to extend 65-80 metres.

 

There were also some broadcast structures erected in the middle of the space - one for the BBC, one for Channel 4 plus a VIP viewing gallery and assorted press platforms - which effectively divided the Square into front and rear viewing areas. Delays were needed to get audio to those standing behind the mass of structures, with eight positions mostly utilising D&B Y8s, Y12s and Y-Subs plus a few smaller spot positions with Q7s, Q-Subs and B2s. Main stage bottom was generated by an amount of B2s and V-Subs and everything was powered by 23 x D12 and 4 x D80 amps. A Yamaha CL5 console provided the control, run in conjunction with a Yamaha Rio2334 at FOH and two onstage to route everything needed out to the PA, broadcast studios, press, IEMs, etc. with around 55 outputs in total. Two Mac Mini servers running in parallel were utilized for the playback music sources.

 

Main stage monitors for music artists were provided with D&B M4 wedges and a total of 8 channels of IEMs for artists and presenter talkback systems. The 60 m stage-width hosting the medallists needed to also have clearly audible sound and this was achieved with more D&B E6 fills in the pit firing back over the stage. Finally, two large induction loops were added to assist with hearing aid devices. Twelve Sennheiser SKM5200 hand-held radio mics were supplied with a combination of condenser heads for the presenters and MD5235 heads for the artists, all running into an XTA DS800 line distribution system for integration into the BBC’s broadcasting systems. There were over 40 ways of line splits in total.

 

The five relay screens were in four different key locations along the Parade route, with one pair running back-to-back. The sound systems were all made up with D&B V8s, V12s and V-Subs driven by 19 x D12s. Two large screen systems in Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square were relatively straightforward, all set up in one hit on the day, with tube crew building two self-supporting left and right ground stacks of PA either side of the screen. Speed of fit-up/tear-down was the issue in both locations, so for speed and convenience the arrays were self-supported by their own subs.

 

Two tricky screen locations were on Deansgate near to Spinningfields, and at the junction of Cross Street and South King Street. Tube’s design incorporated one stack of PA per screen on these sites and again, they had to be quick to install and de-rig as Deansgate and Cross Street are main central Manchester arteries that had to be re-opened as soon as possible after the event finished.

 

They could not start these builds until after midday on the Monday afternoon (the event kicked off around 16.00), so Tube’s techs were in place in two vans at 11.45 and leapt into action, built, secured and wired the stacks, also self-supporting. They then stored the vans, did the show, and as soon as it was wrapped, the PAs were down and packed in the van in 7-8 minutes. That whole site was clear in 15-20 minutes so that Deansgate and Cross Street could be opened to traffic again.

 

Adding to the logistics of the project were several other public events taking place in and around the same areas - also with sound provided by Tube - in the days immediately before, including the Royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton) on the Friday and the Manchester Diwali celebrations in Albert Square on the Saturday.

 

In addition to Albert Square and the five relay screen areas, Tube UK supplied a sound system for the last float in the Heroes Parade itself - designed and built by arts specialists Walk The Plank, the Tube team installed four D&B Y7P speakers and 4 x Q-Subs powered by 2 x D12s all running off a 5 kVA generator which was also part of the package.

 

(Photo: Susan Burnell)

 

www.tubeuk.com

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