The humid and challenging environment of the busy Centre Aquatique Auréo in Bayeux, France, is allowing APG Audio to demonstrate the resilience of its MC2C compact satellite loudspeaker.
When the time came to upgrade the centre’s A/V system – the previous installation having not lived up to expectations – town officials called on local integrator Music Light, a long-term partner of both Bayeux and APG.
‘We have already equipped various locations in Bayeux with APG, so our client had references and was already familiar with the quality of the products proposed,’ says Music Light MD, Gaëtan Potier.
After conducting an acoustic and technical study, Music Light specified 12 column-shaped MC2C loudspeakers to be installed across three zones – four in the leisure pool, six in the sports pool, and two in the wellness area.
Music Light has worked with APG since 2010 and the company was able to draw on past experience to tackle the most challenging aspect of the Auréo install – the high ambient temperature and humidity presented by an indoor swimming pool. ‘APG coated the enclosures with stainless steel fittings to ensure that the products would not deteriorate in the years to come,’ Potier explains. ‘We equipped a stadium with MC2s a few years ago with the same process and to this day all speakers have performed flawlessly without the need for any servicing.’
Potier says that he turned to the MC2 series both for its versatility, being suited to a wide range of install applications, and its design – which uses a d’Appolito configuration for its directivity control.
‘The MC2 speakers are very well suited to a number of venues, including social, sports and cultural venues,’ Potier comments, ‘The deep range of models makes these loudspeakers perfect for each type of venue, as does the possibility of making them IP55, on a 100V line, with a bespoke RAL colour. The d’Appolito design gives a comfort of listening and great intelligibility in a large range of uses – music and voice – whether with a subwoofer or not.’
Matthieu Barey, director of the Centre aquatique Auréo, says a recent ‘aquaciné’ movie event at the pool provided an ideal demonstration of the strengths of the new sound system: ‘The cinema director and his technician, who is used to open-air cinemas, were both pleasantly surprised by the sharpness and clarity of the sound and the power of the system.
‘The directivity of the speakers is equally impressive: we can have a high volume in one pool when a lesson is taking place while having training or another lesson with a different playlist in another pool with no audio content crossover,’ he adds. ‘We can easily talk to each other around the pools, and the staff no longer need to use portable speakers.’
As a local integrator with three full-time employees, Music Light also appreciates its ‘genuine human relationship’ with the APG team, particularly with application and support engineers Maxence Castelain and Alexis Reymond. ‘The APG brand is close to our home and their products are manufactured in France,’ says Potier. ‘As a manufacturer, it has a real savoir faire and an ability to listen to all projects, no matter how big or small, which is a rarity in this industry, and that’s much appreciated.’
Other A/V equipment used for the Auréo project includes a Shure QLX-D wireless system and Rane Terminal 1010x audio matrix. Amplification comes courtesy of a Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D, which drives the APG speakers via the 100V line. Music Light also used Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software for amplification control.
‘We are delighted with the service and the installation in a humid environment which was not designed for optimised acoustics,’ says Barey. ‘The difference compared to the old system is impressive, and the sharpness of the sound is amazing. We are very satisfied with the sound performance.’
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