With the only casino in Cape Town – South Africa’s second most populous city – GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World is also home to restaurants, an ice rink and the Grand Arena – a 5,000 capacity multi-purpose venue that has played host to the likes of Bryan Adams, Sting, James Blunt, Rammstein and Kylie Minogue. In 2020, the venue underwent a complete refit of its PA system, with L-Acoustics K Series chosen for its performance and ability to satisfy touring riders.
‘Our previous PA system was installed when the venue was built in 2007, and had served us well for almost 14 years,’ says, Events and Entertainment Manager, Dave Lombard. ‘It had allowed us to establish the Grand Arena as the go-to destination for well-known local and international artists and bands, corporate events, launches, conferences and spectacular banquets. As it was coming to the end of its lifespan, we started planning for a new PA – a process that took about three years before we were able to push the button.’
In 2017, Johannesburg-based DWR Distribution undertok a countrywide roadshow that proved instrumental in kick-starting the Grand Arena upgrade. The following year, DWR became L-Acoustics’ Certified Provider Distributor for South Africa and, with the loudspeaker brand already on the list of preferred upgrade options, conversations with the Grand Arena team moving the project along.
‘The brief from the client was very specific: the system had to be of the highest quality, extremely rider-friendly and have a lifespan of at least 10-to-15 years,’ says DWR Director, Duncan Riley. ‘But the specifics of the design were left to us, so our Brand Manager, Richard Smith, started work on a system design with the help of Julien Laval, Application Project Manager and Consultant Liaison at L-Acoustics. From start to finish, the whole project was a great team effort.’
The layout of the Grand Arena and the type of shows it hosts dictated the general direction of the system design. ‘For the most part, it will be used in a concert configuration as a typical stereo system with complimentary side fills, front fills and subs,’ Riley explains. ‘But an important additional criterion was that the system could be broken up and flown in the round for certain sporting events, like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and boxing.’
The brief evolved, with the benefit of new products, such as Kara II, becoming available – some released close to the time of closing the deal. The resultant configuration comprises LR hangs of 12 K2 and two Kara II, plus two K1-SB subs. Six Kara II per side as out fill, with a further centre hang of four Kara II. Front fill is delivered by eight Kiva II. Solid low-end reinforcement is achieved with six ground-stacked KS28 subs per side, with 12 X12 wedges included for stage monitoring. System processing is via two P1 processors, with four LS10 switches providing the highest quality Milan-AVB signal distribution to the LA12X and LA4X amplified controllers powering the system. Two DiGiCo Quantum 338 consoles with two SD-Racks fitted with 32-Bit cards handle mixing.
The installation took just five days to complete, including basic operational training for Grand Arena’s in-house team, with Johnny Scholtz acting as DWR’s overall project manager and client liaison for the project; Kyle Robson handling console installation; Chris Pugh taking care of the L-Acoustics system preparation, installation, and tuning; and Andrew Pettit assisting with installation and acting as DWR Cape Town contact for technical assistance. Venue staff were also on hand to help where necessary.
‘From a technical point of view, it all went very smoothly,’ Riley reports. ‘Covid-19 proved a big challenge in terms of timelines and logistics, but we still managed to get everything in place and set up in under a week.’
‘We were very happy with the installation and how DWR handled the process,’ Lombard says. ‘They are a fantastic team, are extremely knowledgeable in their fields, and they spare no effort to ensure a project’s success.’
The Grand Arena’s first show with its new system, its first show since the halt on large-scale events just over 18 months ago, was the Miss South Africa Pageant on in October 2021, which played to a limited capacity audience.
‘I can’t believe that an entire year has passed since we last hosted a show. It was slightly surreal, but fantastic to be back to doing what we love,’ concludes Lombard. ‘We have always been known to offer only the best when it comes to music venues, and our new L-Acoustics system means we’re now even better. After more than 18 months of “no shows” we are beyond excited to open our newly upgraded Grand Arena and let the music play again.’
More: www.dwrdistribution.co.za
More: www.l-acoustics.com
