Florence (Italy), 26 January 2015 - When Powersoft announced the release of its versatile new X Series, TM Audio wasted no time in changing the technical specification for the new live venue on which they were working, in the Dutch university city of Leiden. It is here that a mid-19th century industrial building has been converted into the new live ‘Nobel Bros’ music venue by the local government.
　　Named after the building’s last two occupants, the building was used for warehouse/ storage purposes, and later as a band rehearsal room before being closed. But with a main hall capacity of 600-700 (and a further 200 in the smaller annex), this will become a viable circuit venue which will replace the previous venue, LVC (although the LVC Foundation has been brought in to manage the operation here).

　　TM Audio won a competitive tender to supply audio and visual tools in a tender that was first drawn up 18 months ago. Overseeing the technology in-house is the experienced Bart van der Smissen, assisted by freelance engineer, Martijn De Jong, while TM Audio’s project manager was Rudolf Nagtzaam.
　　The latter ensured that TM Audio would become one of the first companies in Europe to deploy Powersoft’s new X Series of Dante-supporting four- and eight-channel (X4 and X8) process controlled amplifiers, which actively drive all the Martin Audio line array loudspeakers and recessed ground-mounted subs. In fact, in addition to two redundant Dante digital streams, it natively supports AES3 and analogue inputs, providing up to four different selectable input sources per channel.
　　Deployment of the new X Series had been a real coup, as Nagtzaam explains. Originally the Ottocanali and Duecanali modules had been written into the spec but this was quickly upgraded when the new 4- and 8-channel X series were released. “I told the consultant [PB theateradviseurs] that I was planning to change the spec as the other amps didn’t have the DSP built in.

　　The TM Audio man further recognises that in addition to the revolutionary DSP, the new platform not only incorporates a new system of channel routing - and that for the touring community, a new universal three-phase single-phase or bi-phase power supply, will be a huge benefit.
　　“Without the X Series the rack would have been completely filled with amplifiers! These are really powerful - they support Dante and we can do full system monitoring via Armonía.”
　　Nagtzaam explains that the new software version of Armonía would provide additional functionality. “It enables you set up a dedicated private network and once the settings are good you just lock it off.”
　　Thus an X8 is assigned to each of the two speaker clusters and an X4 for infills - for with low/high/mid separation, the pressure on channel count is high. The Synco floor monitors deployed will also be powered by these devices, although their own dedicated controller will handle the processing.
　　EQing the room and sound system was left to experienced Ampco sound engineer Hugo Scholten, who remarked on the quality of the ‘dead’ acoustic room. This isolation is largely due to the care taken by the architect Ector Hoogstat (EHA Associates).

　　While the venue isn’t multi-cultural in the strict sense, it will host stand-up comedians and as you would expect in a town from which trance guru Armin van Buuren originates, there is a strong DJ/dance music culture, and the venue will feature acts like the Leidsche Breakbeat Community (LBC) and Doorgedraaid - along with other well known émigrés from the former LVC.
　　With a versatile entertainment package in prospect, separate presets are thus required for both conventional auditorium concert and dance nights, when the stage becomes the dancefloor. Settings will be locked away within the Powersoft environment but a separate X8 will be made available for visiting sound engineers.
　　To provide incoming production with the maximum flexibility, there is a large patchbay and multiple tie-lines, with provision for analogue multi cabling (for use by incoming production teams), and tie-lines between the two rooms.
　　And so The Nobel Bros can look forward to a healthy future thanks to the work of the technical teams and architect, as well as IMd Consulting Engineers, who designed the main structure, and contractors Du Prie Construction & Development, who carried out the implementation.