The American shopping mall model has spread through Europe, combining shops with much multi-purpose entertainment spaces in their efforts to keep shoppers within a retail environment for as long as possible. Essential to this remit is high-quality audio.
The latest Yamaha installation in a mall is at the Centro Commerciale Campo dei Fiori in Gavirate, in Lombardy, Iataly. Occupying five floors, the array of shops and a supermarket is complemented by bars and restaurants. On the ground floor, a large, central space is used for entertainment and promotional events. But the mall’s management had found its initial distributed audio system inadequate, because of its low SPL, inferior audio quality and limited speech intelligibility. In order to remedy the problem, systems integrator Rokepo was contracted to replace it and, at the same time, to provide a new, separate sound reinforcement system for events on the ground floor.
For the distributed audio system, Rokepo project manager Matteo Landini specified 65 Yamaha VXC6W ceiling loudspeakers, powered by XMV4280, T5N and XP3500 power amplifiers in 100V bridged mode, with two MTX3 matrix mixers for signal routing and zoning, the system controlled by a DCP1V4S digital control panel. For live events, he chose a system comprising four Installation Series IF2108W full-range loudspeakers, mounted beneath the balcony surrounding the central area, and a pair of IS1112W subs, mounted on the balcony front. Powered by P7000S and P2500S amplifiers, control is via another DCP1V4S and an iPad running Yamaha’s WirelessDCP app. A Shure radio microphone system completes the set-up.
‘Choosing Yamaha meant that the customer was assured of a system that delivered quality without compromise and systems that are very easily managed and controlled, delivered at a great quality/price ratio,’ Landini says. ‘It’s a great example of high quality distributed audio and live event systems, which are both extremely flexible, thanks to Yamaha’s MTX routing and ease of system control.’
