The Requirement
Working alongside creative consultancy Chomko & Rosier, Adlib was tasked with installing the equipment for an immersive audio experience in Base Court at Hampton Court Palace.
Base Court is the first courtyard that visitors enter at the historic venue and the soundscape was designed to transport visitors back to the court of Henry VIII as they arrive at the historic site.
Chomko & Rosier designed a multi-channel audio experience with Adlib being responsible for supporting the process through the installation of a playback system and eight loudspeakers into the stone floor.
The Solution
The client requested that the loudspeakers be buried in the ground along the centre of the courtyard, and a further two loudspeakers were installed inside a fountain. The Wine Fountain is a modern recreation of an historic fountain discovered during an archaeological dig and is designed to be portable when Base Court has to be cleared for special events such as the Hampton Court Festival. As such, the loudspeakers inside the fountain were fitted with quick release connectors allowing the fountain to be moved for special events if required.
The original specification called for the amplifiers and control system to be installed inside a custom-built climate-controlled rack inside the fountain. After reviewing the costs of this approach, and following a site visit, Adlib’s Installation Designer Tim Robinson recommended a solution that allowed the control system to be installed indoors with the cable being run underground to each speaker. This resulted in significantly reduced costs for the project.
The design required an 8-channel audio playback device and 8 channels of loudspeaker processing. Adlib specified a QSC Q-Sys Core 110f as this was able to perform both duties internally and contained a control system allowing the playback to be scheduled to run automatically. The use of this single device reduced the cost and the complexity of the project.
The Q-Sys platform also provided options for overriding the automation, including by remote control from Adlib’s headquarters in Liverpool, meaning that the venue management team could turn off the system for special events like the Hampton Court Live concerts that take place in the courtyard or request any changes be made by Adlib.
Because the venue was open to visitors during the day so the Adlib installations team worked after hours to install the system and support the designers before the exhibition opened.
