It can now be revealed that Renkus-Heinz audio was installed at Manchester Printworks at its launch. A hospitality hub in Manchester UK comprising bars, restaurants, leisure spaces and a cinema, Manchester Printworks boasts a 1,000sqm digital ceiling, the largest in Europe.
The ceiling, which has more than 10,720,900 pixels and is around 115m long, was unveiled in March as part of a £27m refurbishment. Renkus-Heinz supplied the PA system that supports the video wall content, as well as events held in the centre, which range from yoga classes to festivals and parties.
Renkus-Heinz’s beam-steered IC Live Gen5 Series and UBX Series loudspeakers were selected as the best solutions following a demo by technical distributor CUK during the design phase.
Working together with PAS Sound Engineering, CUK created schematic drawings and EASE modelling to provide the optimum coverage. The system is made up of four Renkus-Heinz ICL-F-RD models, six UBX8 loudspeakers and two SX118 subwoofers.
The audio system needed to be mounted high up and flat to the wall, which was achieved using the active beam-steering capabilities. IC Live beams can be steered up or down while the array remains vertical – and nearly invisible. The compact UBX8 models integrate the same beam-steering technology in a passive column.
Mark Bromfield, director of system solution sales at CUK Group, said: “The UBX Series features Passive UniBeam technology, and we specified these models for the walkways leading out of the centre. The beam-steering capabilities of the IC Live Gen5 Series also influenced our decision. The models are great looking, offer excellent coverage and dispersion and deliver incredible audio quality and performance.”
He added: “All of the loudspeakers are independently powered. The ICL-F-RDs are self-powered models, while Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 and 1204 amplifiers drive the two SX118s and the six UBX8 loudspeakers. Clockaudio shotgun microphones are also in place throughout the site to monitor and adjust the audio levels automatically in response to real-time footfall. A Symetrix Prism 12×12 with Dante is utilised for DSP and audio system control throughout the venue, distributing signals to the Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5 loudspeakers and Powersoft amplifiers.”
Additionally, CUK and PAS Sound Engineering integrated a Symetrix T-10 touchscreen panel that hosts a custom GUI, offering venue staff intuitive control of the entire system. They can change presets to different modes and control the audio feeds and volume for the specific needs of certain events. Further commands can be sent by a Green Hippo server which is used to synchronise the audio with the screen content.
As Installation reported back in March, Printworks has around 1,550sqm of LED ceiling, digital signage and large-format screens across the interior and exterior façades. It includes a 90sqm interactive gaming screen, as well as other new features, such as Wayfinders and high-level LED ribbon
Bromfield concluded: “This project has been met with critical acclaim. It has already won numerous awards, mainly for its AV technology – one of those being the accolade for Retail and Leisure Project of the Year at the 2024 MONDO-DR Awards, which took place at InfoComm in Las Vegas. It’s quite the spectacle when you see it in person. Deciding on a Renkus-Heinz audio system has added that extra layer of premium. Being able to sync up the sound with the video content has created a completely immersive experience. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before at a hospitality venue. It really is worth a visit.”
