Jands , who were commissioned as the head staging contractor for regional NSW's flagship performing arts, conference and entertainment centre, The Glasshouse, appointed The P.A People to draw up plans for and undertake the integration of the auditorium's audio visual system.

The Glasshouse auditorium is a semi-traditional proscenium horseshoe, with a fully equipped lyric stage and fly tower.

Operable acoustic drapes and Jands VAB 6 Acoustic Curtains enable the space to be tuned for both voice and music performance. The orchestra pit is operated via direct acting Serapid Link Lift 80 rigid chain actuators to allow a thrust stage, orchestra pit, or an additional 40 seats for the audience.

The sightlines have been computer modelled, and the sound performance designed to exacting standards. The venue has fibre-optic and Ethernet backbone cabling with audio visual system support provided in-house.

The audio visual system project for The Glasshouse included the commissioning, design, and installation of:

  • stage lighting
  • DMX distribution
  • patch panels
  • dimmers and controls
  • stage manager’s systems, including CCTV and paging
  • stage luminaires
  • the theatre audio system; and
  • studio lighting controls.
The audio visual system at The Glasshouse begins right at the auditorium's large foyer areas, which utilise a JBL Control speaker system of 24CTM and 26CT ceiling speakers, together with Control 328, Control 30 and 25AV cabinets, all powered by Crown amplifiers.

The P.A. People’s project team leader, Brett Steele said that with all the glass, open areas and different sound sources they had to spend a considerable amount of time commissioning the system. The Control 328s, which are high powered ceiling speakers, sound particularly impressive in the 6m high space.

For the theatre’s main PA, a JBL VRX loudspeaker system was chosen and configured as a L-C-R system in three drops of four VRX932LA cabinets finished in black, augmented by two double 18-inch ASB6128 sub bass loudspeaker, which are flown behind the centre cluster. Three JBL Control 28T60 loudspeakers make up the front fill component located in the front edge of the stage, all of which is powered by six Crown CTs3000 amplifiers. Four JBL PRX512M 500W powered monitors are also utilised.

Brett added that the JBL VRX system was a good, price-effective option to cover the theatre’s needs, and since it's installation he has received good reports from the theatre staff.

Digital signal processing has been entrusted to a BSS Blu80 processor with eight inputs and eight outputs. This can be configured via a Blu10 control panel in the control room, negating the need for theatre technicians to walk to the amplifier room on level 4.

Brett remarked that the Blu10 gives the theatre staff a simple interface to turn the system on and off and to select the various system configuration presets.

The FOH and monitoring speaker systems are mixed on a Soundcraft GB8 40ch console, which is also served by a Lexicon MPX-1 effects engine and Marantz CDR 510 CD recorder.

The microphone inventory including Shure Beta 58 and KSM27 wired models and a UHF-R wireless system complete with lapel and hand held microphone transmitters.

A ClearCom Encore MS702 partyline master station was provided for all the theatres’ internal communications needs. This is located in the SMD, but is cabled to the system via the SMD umbilical and patched into the control room. The intercom outstations are equipped with an inventory comprising a total of eight ClearCom RS601 partyline beltpack’s and four KB701 speaker stations. It is a straightforward two-channel comms system with several patchable spurs to give the venue flexibility.

A three universe DMX backbone infrastructure is distributed over ten spurs and four custom DMX inlet plates together with central patching, including three Jands DD8s in the control room racks.

The P.A. People were also responsible for the IT infrastructure including 65 data tie lines over 38 outlet plates, with central patching across three RJ45 patch bays. The level 4 dimmer room includes thirteen Jands HPX-12SC and six HP-6HRC customised dimmer racks, all fitted with special high rise time filters, for which each rack has been supplied with a separate rack mounted transition panel to present the dimmed outlets in a format compatible with the patch panels installed.

An ETC Ion lighting control console with 1024 patchable outputs and an LCD monitor is backed up by a system infrastructure which includes Jands SB series back boxes and panels in high traffic areas and Clipsal 2000 series plates in the FOH and other BOH areas.

The P.A. People also provided profile spots, including six ETC Source 4,750W and six ETC Source 4 Junior 575W luminaries. A total of 60 ETC Source 4,750W par cans have been installed on the 24 three-metre JLX Pro lighting bars, each of which is fitted with two Socapex looms.