DreamLine installs for cultural centre Dru

September 2009, Ulft (NL) 

The “Drufabriek” in Ulft has been officially opened. The old building, that used to be an iron factory since 1752, has been built into a major cultural centre. The sound system in two halls of the Drufabriek is installed by Dutch SOUND PROJECTS dealer Live Music.

Long time SOUND PROJECTS dealer Live Music started out as a music shop in 1979 (celebrating the 30th anniversary this year) and is now meeting point and supplier for orchestras, musicians, schools, etc. Meanwhile Live Music expanded with a successful hire and installation section. In 2008 Live Music initiated and organised a demonstration of the SOUND PROJECTS DreamLine in the Musis Sacrum concert hall in Arnhem. The sound quality, ease of rigging and storage of the DreamLine drew the attention of the technical staff of the concert hall as well as Paul van Zeeland, senior sound engineer of the adjacent “Schouwburg Arnhem” theatre. Already the same year Musis Sacrum took delivery of their own DreamLine installation. Mike van Dalm, manager Technical Support Musis Sacrum: “Since we’ve chosen for the DreamLine series, as our FOH-system, we only see happy faces. The system really sounds great en with only 2 pair of hands we can put in place or take it out in just 5 minutes. Because we’re a classical music hall, that’s a big plus, without compromising in the quality of sound, which is really great and multiple tasking in almost every way.”

On the same demo, Live Music successfully introduced the conservatory of Arnhem ArtEZ to the DreamLine. Consequentially ArtEZ received their installation in the theatre of the conservatory April last. According to director ArtEZ Arnhem Thom Koldenhof “The Dreamlines fit perfectly in our auditorium, I’m very satisfied about that. But more important is the sound, which is so perfectly transparent. On a Nigel Kennedy CD which I know very well, I heard things I had never heard before.”

Happy owners make good news and good news travels fast. Hence Live Music installed a third SOUND PROJECTS system based on Dreamlines. This time in the former DRU-factory complex in Ulft. Because of its typical early 1900 architecture and decisive regional influence in the last centuries the building is regarded as a major industrial heritage. The totally renovated factory buildings have been transformed into multidisciplinary cultural and social meeting places. There is a new theatre and a music & dance hall. But also a music school, practice rooms for bands, a library, a gallery, meeting rooms, a restaurant, etc. The theatre as well as the pop auditorium has been provided with SOUND PROJECTS DreamLines, augmented by 2x SP2-10 bass horns per side. Concealed pairs of triple 15inch supply the lowest octaves “windfactor”. There is an extra set of SP2-10 at hand for special (dance) events.

The other auditorium is built a traditional theatre. Here also SOUND PROJECTS DreamLines are installed, with one SP3-15 on the floor per side. Bart Smits (MD Live Music): “All audio elements are interchangeable and flexible. The SP3-15s can be used in both auditoria. If the stage in the Pop&Dance hall is removed, the whole PA can be rolled backwards, to the corners of the hall through a special construction that we designed.”

Smits continues: “We like to work with the Dreamline concept from Sound Projects more and more. First, you know you sell a reliable product. In the meanwhile I know exactly how the performance is and how people react to the sound. That is very positive. And of course a relationship of 20 years between Sound Projects and Live Music should not be wiped out and it is nice to have the service nearby. Simply expanding with bass bins and subs you can supply nearly every auditorium with this system.”

Both music halls in the Drufabriek have been acoustically designed by the Dutch company Live Acoustics. Paul van Zeeland of Live Acoustics: “The Pop&Dance hall is now totally dry, while in the theatre there is an RT60 of approx 1 second. The ceiling of the Pop&Dance hall has been furnished with a particular 7cm thick foam. The same foam that is applied in cinemas. The damping is perfect!”

An other challenge was encountered in the walls. Van Zeeland calculated that the walls should be solid, 20% open, with Rockwool behind the walls. Eventually the architect designed a wall with lighted words. The back wall is one large bass trap. In the Theatre there is more acoustics. The walls are not solid but made of wood and mounted slantwise. Live Music did not only provide the Drufabriek with the SOUND PROJECS sound system, but also supplied the mixers (Soundcraft GB8, Yamaha M7CL and Midas Siena), EQs, compressors, gains, did all the wiring, etc.