The A-Wing of Crumlin Road Gaol now serves as a visitor attraction for McConnell’s Irish Whisky – a brand that dates back to 1776 – and features an A/V installation that included end-to-end Martin Audio loudspeakers.
Running alongside the production activities of the Belfast Distillery Company, the centre’s premises were built in 1845 and housed a number of key figures during The Troubles. Now a listed building, it has now been restored and converted, with sound systems designed and specified by Martin Audio partner of 40 years, Rea Sound.
Martin Audio had also been requested by the client – notably Master Distiller & Head of Supply & Operations, Graeme Millar. According to Rea Sound Director Roger McMullan, as a gigging musician, Millar had purchased a first-generation Blackline band PA many years ago.
It had been McMullan who was confronted with the challenge of specifying a workable system within a difficult space, to enable guided tours to take place that uncover the history of this iconic Belfast distillery brand in a landmark setting.
‘At the time it was a building site as they had taken out the floors and removed the roof to get their distilling tanks in,’ he says. ‘It was obvious to me we should use a combination of Martin Audio CDD6 and Adorn A55 for the speakers, so we drew up a specification and were immediately given the go-ahead. We then had many long meetings debating how we would make this work.’
As many as eight separate tour groups can traverse the building at a time. After signing in at reception, where announcements are made and BGM played out through eight Adorn A55, visitors are led on a mazy route by a tour guide – via The Board Room, Mash Room, Tasting & Maturation Room and Experiential Room, finishing at the Bar & Atrium on the top floor of the three-storey edifice. Here, the glass door offers views straight down over the reception area two floors below.
In the client’s own boardroom, the only space not open to the general public, there are a further four Adorn A55, part of a total complement of 36. ‘We selected Adorn for its compact size and value for money; the quality of the sound is exceptional for the price,’ McMullan says. ‘We have used Adorn a lot for in fill and foyers in the past, but this is the first time we’ve really used it in anger.’
All supplied in white, their compact footprint means they can be discreetly tucked away into the furnishings or equally be wall mounted.
The tour initially takes visitors into The Board Room that does have public access, and here they are treated to a Pepper’s Ghost introductory video presentation with the the playback video additionally supported by a Martin Audio SX110 subwoofer.
As the tour guide enters each room, the Audio Technica mic is reactivated via the dedicated remote wall panel where a separate system also caters for the hard of hearing.
The single pair of Martin Audio CDD6s are used in the bar area – six former gaol cells combined together – which marks the end of the tour. The idea of specifying the more powerful CDDs is with the future idea of promoting live bands in mind. ‘They will also host special evenings for corporate clients, who can plug in their own mixing desk – so they wanted a bit more quality and coverage,’ McMullan says.
All the loudspeakers are assigned to three of Martin Audio’s VIA2004 amplifiers, which power the entire system and are managed by an Allen & Heath AHM-64 matrix processor across multiple zones throughout the building. For additional system I/O, including feeds into the assistive listening systems in each room, REA Sound installed a DX88-P, and a DX012, which can be configured to provide a combination of analogue and AES outputs. Both units connect to the AHM via a 128x128 SLink option card.
Within each of the eight zones an Allen & Heath IP1 – a simple yet powerful programmable wallplate controller designed to give the non-technical user control via a single push-and-turn rotary – allows the tour guide to recall a preset with their name as they enter the room, automatically assigning their head microphone to the correct loudspeakers and feeding the induction loop for that area. Additionally, an Allen & Heath CC-7 touchpanel is located in reception with a custom-designed GUI created using Allen & Heath’s Custom Controller software to support paging and simple playback control.
‘Working with Rea Sound has made this install so easy,’ says Graeme Millar. ‘The depth of knowledge and experience has brought together a great overall system for us. The ease of use for us has been important, with adaptability and reliability surpassing everything we asked for. The custom paging system also makes it easy for our staff to announce easily to the required areas.’
McMullan can reflect on a contract that he describes as one of the most prestigious in the company’s long history. Millar reciprocated by saying that working with Rea Sound had made the installation extremely easy. ‘The depth of knowledge and experience has brought together a great overall system for us,’ he says. ‘The ease of use for us has been important, with the adaptability and reliability surpassing everything we asked for. The custom paging system also makes it easy for our staff to announce easily to the required areas.’
