TiRAY Triumphs for Town and Gown in Aberystwyth

Part of the University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth Arts Centre is Wales’ largest arts centre and recognised as a ‘national flagship for the arts’. The Centre serves not only the University but also the town and surrounding region. For more than fifty years, the University’s long-term commitment to the Centre has ensured that the communities of Mid-Wales have had access to the very best regional, national, and international arts experiences. Comprising a 900-seater Great Hall, 300-seater Theatr y Werin, and 100-seater studio, the Centre presents a broad multi-disciplinary, bilingual arts and entertainment programme, and is a vital and energetic contributor to Welsh cultural life.

In recent times the Arts Centre’s team had identified its Great Hall PA system as a weak point within its infrastructure, and wished to replace the existing provision with a modern PA system offering superior sound quality and consistent coverage across every seat in the space, without compromise.

Following a competitive tender process, venue technology specialist Adlib were engaged to supply and install a new system. Adlib Senior Applications Engineer Tim Robinson designed a CODA Audio TiRAY system for the venue, which he believed was uniquely qualified to meet the design brief criteria. TiRAY is CODA’s ultra-compact ‘pocket rocket’ - a two-way, full range line array, designed for a wide variety of venues where high fidelity sound and outstanding intelligibility are required.

Kevin Toms, Sales Manager at Adlib, oversaw the project:

“The previous system didn’t cover the venue sufficiently, resulting in an inconsistent listener experience which depended solely on where you happened to be sitting or standing. It’s also fair to say that the sound quality wasn’t of a sufficiently high standard for the size and status of the venue.

“CODA Audio’s proprietary prediction software, System Optimiser, enabled us to identify TiRAY as the perfect fit for the venue. Not only could we achieve full coverage of the main seating area with two hangs, but also meet the working load limit of 100kg per hang specified in the brief - all this within the Centre’s stated budget.”

Adlib installed a main system comprising two flown hangs of 8 x CODA Audio TiRAY, with 3 x CODA Audio U4 double 18” multi-purpose subwoofers at floor level. 2 x CODA Audio HOPS7-Pro (dual 6.5”) compact, high-output, point source units were deployed as balcony fills, with a further 4 x HOPS5 (dual 5”) compact, high output, point source, coaxial units for lipfills. The system is driven by 4 x CODA Audio LINUS6.4 DSP 4-channel installation amplifiers.

The programming demands at the Centre’s Great Hall are extremely varied, existing as it does as both a commercial venue serving the local community and a University facility. It was essential that the system could accommodate everything from live bands to theatrical performances, and solo presentations to graduation ceremonies. Kevin is confident that the new TiRAY system has the power, accuracy and flexibility to meet every challenge:

“I’m extremely proud of the solution that Adlib has delivered to the Great Hall at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Given the tight constraints of the brief, I think the CODA Audio TiRAY system performs exceptionally well. It really is something that needs to be heard to be believed. Its weight and extremely compact form factor belie the fact that it is a seriously capable PA system - I took great delight in watching the house technicians’ amazement at how such a big sound arrives from such a compact box!”

Peter Lochery, Head of Technical Services at Aberystwyth Arts Centre offers an equally upbeat review:

“We very much appreciate the excellent work done by Adlib in delivering our new setup. The system installed has fulfilled expectations and we are confident that it will provide exactly what was asked of it.”

Since its installation, the Centre’s new TiRAY system has been put through its paces on a wide range of shows, from solo individual vocal performances to symphonic rock bands, each time drawing praise from technicians and audiences alike.