Iceland - Made from rough-hewn basalt, the split-circle exterior of the new HofMenningarhús cultural and conference centre in Akureyri, Iceland, is reminiscent of an ancient druid temple. The technology inside is anything but ancient: both the main auditorium and a smaller multi-use venue are equipped with highly adaptable Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeaker systems.
The 510-seat Hamraborg hall is the larger auditorium in the complex. This space serves as home to the Northern Symphony Orchestra and hosts theatrical performances, conferences, film screenings, and concerts ranging from acoustic ensembles to heavy metal.
To accommodate Hamraborg's range of performances, Reykjavik-based rental and installation company Exton installed a Meyer Sound system based around dual-flown arrays each with nine M1D line array loudspeakers and two M1D-Sub subwoofers. The configuration also includes six 500-HP subwoofers as well as 32 MM-4XP self-powered loudspeakers supplying fill and surround sound. A Galileo loudspeaker management system with a Galileo 616 processor provides optimization and drive.
"It's a split level hall, and the M1D line arrays were the perfect choice for covering the whole space evenly," says Einar Karl Valmundsson, technical manager at Hof Menningarhús. "We've had a wide range of concerts in here, and in all cases we've had really good feedback from the sound engineers."
Valmundsson is especially pleased with the performance of the extremely compact MM-4XP surround loudspeakers. "The surrounds are used mostly for cinema showings but I also have used them for sound effects in theatrical productions," he says. "In both cases they worked really well."
The smaller 200-seat Hamrar hall is designed for flexibility, with a number of configuration options available for sound reinforcement. Depending on the requirements of the event, Valmundsson can draw on an in-house inventory of UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and 500-HP subwoofers.
All loudspeaker systems for Hof Menningarhús were designed by Exton's Kari Eythorsson, using the MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program. Project management was handled by Gunnar Gunnarsson. The installation also includes a Midas PRO6 FOH console for the larger hall, with an Allen & Heath iLive-T80 also available as a portable, monitor and broadcast mixer.
