The local government in the Norwegian island municipality of Askøy has commissioned the creation of a new cultural hall — the Kultursalen Kipo. Powering all the loudspeakers in the Acoustic Enhancement System are Connect Series amplifiers from LEA Professional.
Askøy is just off the coast of the North Sea, surrounded on all sides by coastal fjords, the municipality of 30,000 people is home to several boat-building companies, football clubs, and a bustling seafood industry.
The local government wanted to expand its options for local artists and theatrical performances. Venue staff contacted Benum Norway to design the audio system for the cultural hall. “Norway has stringent acoustic requirements for performance and rehearsal halls,” explained Kyrre Fledsberg, project manager at Benum. “For example, the natural reverberation time of the space must be 0.9 seconds but also allow for the implementation of an audio system that could increase reverberation up to 3 seconds. LEA Professional’s technology was the ideal solution for making the audio sound amazing in the hall.”
The hall is a flat-floor auditorium in which the audience and the stage area have the same acoustic volume. There is no separate stage house or fly tower. The audience is seated in front of the stage on telescopically retractable raked platforms (amphitheater style) to provide good sight lines and strong direct sound, with seating for over 300 people. A Dante-enabled SIAP Mark V DSP drives the audio system and is acoustically adjustable to all types of performances by simply selecting the appropriate preset (theatrical performance, orchestra, choir, and more).
Benum installed multiple Connect Series 168D amplifiers to power the 48 loudspeakers mounted throughout the venue. The 8-channel CS168D provides 160 watts per channel, Dante and AES67 connectivity, and easily works together with the SIAP DSP to accommodate the specific system requirements of the cultural hall. All Connect Series amplifiers are professional-grade, support Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and feature Smart Power Bridge technology. With three ways to connect, the venue can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the Wi-Fi, or connect to the local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable.
