Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has unveiled its new campus in Whitechapel, London, with the launch of NTU London. The venue, located features a 600-capacity performance space equipped with an L-Acoustics Kara II line array professional audio system.
The system was designed and installed by L-Acoustics certified provider Solotech, following a specific request from NTU staff members who are themselves Nottingham campus alumni and wanted to continue their success with L-Acoustics technology.
Building upon the success of NTU’s Nottingham Metronome venue, where Solotech installed an L-Acoustics Kiva II system in 2018, the London campus required a sound solution that could scale up to meet the needs of its larger performance space, while maintaining the critical educational element of working with industry-standard audio equipment. The venue is designed to serve both as a commercial performance venue for touring acts and as a space where students gain practical experience using the same equipment they will encounter throughout their careers.
The installation process presented several challenges, particularly related to the venue's height restrictions and the need for acoustic isolation in a densely populated area. The design of the venue included a fully floated room-in-room construction to minimise sound transmission to neighbouring spaces.
Whitemark the Acoustic Architects suggested the use of specialised solutions such as acoustic springs (from Christie and Grey) for the main speaker arrays and isolated plates for the subwoofers to mitigate the risk of transmitting vibrations through the concrete floor.
The system design was carefully optimised using L-Acoustics Soundvision software, enabling Ross Brett, Application Project Manager, and the team to precisely model and adjust the coverage before installation. This digital simulation approach was instrumental in overcoming the venue's architectural constraints and ensuring even sound coverage throughout the space.
The L-Acoustics professional audio system includes two hangs of six Kara II with six flown SB18 subwoofers, three per side behind the main hangs. Two ground-stacked KS28 subwoofers are placed on isolated plates to prevent vibrations on the concrete floor. Eight X12 coaxial enclosures are on hand for monitors, and the whole system is powered by 11 LA2Xi and two LA12X amplified controllers with a P1 processor.