How To Build A Theatre
Islip, NY —
WiredUP recently had the opportunity to design, spec, and install audio and lighting systems in a mid-size theatre recently, run by local government. The Annex Theatre at Islip Town Hall West was outfitted with state-of-the-art QSC Audio Products, Elation Audio Products, and a custom-built Crestron Control System.
The Audio System consists of 2 Line Arrays with 4 Elements of QSC LA108 each, hung at a trim height of 19.4ft. Thus, covering the entire audience with sound clearly and evenly. Additionally, for Low Frequency Extension, two QSC KS112 subwoofers per side were added. The result is a system that sings beautifully, without getting muddy and lost.
The Lighting System consists of 4 Elation Colour5 Profile fixtures, with 36º lens tubes on the Front-of-House batten, 5 Elation SixPar 200’s on the downstage batten, and 5 more Elation SixPar 200’s on the upstate batten. Audio control is conducted through the Crestron System, but allows for external consoles to be plugged in to a wall jack.
Lighting control is conducted through the SpringTree Media SM-8 Wall Mounted Switcher, with two subsequent SS-8 Wall Mounted Switchers that both mirror the controls of the master. These units are tied into a DMX Additive Merger, so an external console may be added at any time, and lights can still be controlled regardless of the consoles status.
The house lights in the theatre were initially supposed to be traditional architectural chandeliers. Thus, a dimmer rack was specified on the initial plans. After multiple revisions, it was decided that 0-10V analogue panel lighting would be installed. WiredUP engineers were stumped in the beginning on how to integrate this system into our DMX based control system. We stumbled upon a product designed by Doug Fleenor Design known as the DMX512ANL-TB, which was exactly the device we needed. Because life-safety is a factor, all products in the lighting chain are built to prioritize the house-lighting fixtures, in the rare event of an emergency.
Rear of Control Rack - Completed
FOH Pipe - Completed
View from Stage