Sound Sensation at The Sage with VHD
A vague air of cynicism pervaded Hall 1 of The Sage music venue in Gateshead as Andy Austin Brown, director of technical projects for KV2 Audio and his assistant Paul (the mule) Galley unloaded the conspicuously small PA from the back of their sprinter van and within ¾ hour had it rigged and ready to power up.
Had the system been intended for The Sage's Hall 2 then perhaps the air would have been less thick, however this was the PA system that had been brought in to service one of the biggest events on The Sage's calendar, the prestigious four day annual WOMEX world music expo. If size was anything to go by the VHD system didn't look substantial enough to fill the 1700 capacity main house.
Nevertheless as the old axiom goes, size isn't everything, and whilst we waited for power Austin Brown reiterated the bold statements the company had made at the UK launch of the VHD system during PLASA 2005. "The designers of this system have spent two years reducing inherent distortion of cabinets, be it electronic, mechanical or acoustic; we wanted to produce a loudspeaker that does not require lots of electronic correction. Advancements in transducer and digital control as well as optimized amplification electronics have allowed for a dramatic increase in dynamic range and makes this system extremely user friendly and powerful."
The Sage, which only opened last December, was on the eve of hosting over 40 world music acts. This was to present an eclectic collection of musical styles and featured, as the opening act in Hall 1, Robert Plant and his band Strange Sensation. Much was riding on WOMEX, both for the venues reputation and for Newcastle as a whole. The event brought over 2000 delegates and performers from around the world and consequently generated plenty of income for the city.
As a result it was imperative that, at least technically, nothing went wrong. I therefore wondered why The Sage chose this particular event to add another potential wild card into the mix. Surely with so much riding on the success of WOMEX it's better to stick with the devil you know. So why not use the familiar in house PA system and road test the VHD at a less critical time?
As Dan Adams, production manager for The Sage candidly responds; "Hall 1 is as close to being acoustically perfect as any room can be. With the advantage of these conditions sound reinforcement should be easily achieved with the simplest of solutions." This sadly has not been the case with the incumbent house PA.
Visiting FOH engineer for Hall 1, Paul Astbury tells me: "Last time I was here I measured 96db behind the in house PA on the stage, simply from reflection in the room! This is an impossible environment for monitors to work in, after all what do you do when the lead vocalist says I want more of me, give him a mirror?"
So what of the VHD PA? Comprising of four VHD 2.0 mid/high enclosures, two flown left and right for the top balcony area and one a side as part of the left and right on stage stack, which included two VHD2.15 double 15" subwoofer systems and four VHD 4.18 quad 18" subwoofer systems, it performed flawlessly. A noticeable change to the previously sceptical atmosphere was almost instant as the system was wound up. A CD player was connected direct to the system with no processing or room EQ between and the sound was imposing but crystal clear, every part of the signal could be heard. Nowhere in the 1700 capacity room could I find a dead corner. However this was a CD and things are very different when a band gets up on stage.
Paul Astbury FOH engineer said: "Well at least I know now that I don't have to call London to get more gear in!" He rode the system quite hard and commented that there was still plenty of headroom, the air was moving and he could feel his trousers pulsate - I didn't like to ask!
In the world of PA there is no panacea for every application, all PA's to one degree or another lean more towards certain applications than others. The VHD certainly performed well in the Hall 1 environment and all concerned with WOMEX's technical needs were unwavering in their confidence that this was indeed the best possible solution for the job.
This was ultimately backed up by the very non committal Robert Plant engineer, Roy, who when first approached for comments said he would make no judgement on the PA unless it was particularly remarkable. After all he says: "For me its one night in one room with one PA and there are many other parameters to take into account."
Plant likes his mix to be lively and clear, that it certainly was, with up to three of four effects playing into the mix the differentiation between instruments and voice was stunning. Add to that the fact that Plants side fills dwarfed the VHD system and I was surprised the first few rows didn't suffer; however during the gig there was apparently no problem at all.
After the set Roy told me that if he were going to recommend any PA for that particular room it would be the VHD system and whilst he said he was never entirely happy with a gig as far as sound was concerned (it encourages complacency on the part of the engineer) he was pleased with the performance of the PA.
For one of its first major showcases in the UK the KV2 VHD system could not have got a better response from engineers and audiences alike, the question now surely is; Will The Sage be investing in a new PA for its main auditorium and if so what will it do with the old one?