Theatre AV Installation
Sandringham School in St Albans came to us to help them upgrade the facilities with a theatre AV Installation. The Sandpit Theatre is not only used for school assemblies and productions but it is also a popular venue for local theatre and dance companies to stage their shows and performances. Unfortunately, the theatre AV equipment was no longer meeting the needs of the users and was in need of a substantial upgrade.
At the heart of the issue was an outdated, trolley-mounted projector that had to be manually rolled out for each use. Not only was this inefficient, but the projector itself was underpowered, projecting a small image that failed to fill the screen — making it difficult for audiences, especially those seated at the back, to fully engage with the content. Additionally, theatre staff were required to attend and facilitate each time teachers wanted to use the theatre, which wasn’t always convenient or practical.
Although the audio used for theatre productions is of the highest quality, the audio required for day to day use was below par and not befitting of a theatre environment.
Following our free initial site survey, we recommended a comprehensive solution to replace the old one and take the facilities to the next level. Full details can be found below, along with a video showing the installation in progress.
Theatre AV Installation - Scope of Works
Screen
A 5m 16/10 electric screen was installed and incorporated a wall-mounted switch and IR remote control. The screen was hung from the high-level load-bearing supports, incorporating heavy-duty chains for the highest level of support. A wall-mounted screen and projector switch was mounted on the side-wall backstage and was run from a switched fused spur taken from the existing circuit.
Projector
An Epson EB-PU1008B 8500 lumen WUXGA Laser projector was mounted, using a new truss mount with 2m pole hung from the lighting truss at the rear of the theatre. A 30m fibre optic HDMI cable was installed on the wall for easy laptop input. A second HDMI cable was installed from the Apple PC on the sound desk. Both HDMI cables connected to an Ecler HDMI auto switcher, which output to the projector, allowing seamless auto switching without needing to switch sources on the projector. An unbalanced audio output was taken from the audio out from the projector, converted to a balanced connection and taken to the audio solution. This allowed for audio return. The projector was controllable via a wall-mounted control panel, mounted on the side-wall backstage.
Audio
Two wall-mounted QSC Live CP8 powered loudspeakers were installed at the front of the theatre, near the existing loudspeakers. These were run from the projector and powered from existing power outlets on the balcony.
Power
Power for the projector, screen and speakers was taken from the existing circuit, either on the balcony or the storeroom.
Do you need some help with your Hall/Theatre AV?
Let us know what you want to achieve and we will do the rest. We will advise you of the best solution to meet your individual requirements from budget to equipment.
In order to provide you with a detailed and accurate quotation, one of our experienced engineers will come and survey your premises. Simply click the box below to request your visit and start the process of making your premises more secure.
