Architect and Builder November/December 2018 | Page 8

WILD & MARR SUPPLIES SOUND FOR SUN ARENA Wild & Marr (W&M), based in Isandovale, successfully tendered to supply the main Time Square Sun Arena audio system. The specification and design was developed by their account executive Dean Coull and systems engineer Stephen Hoy, working closely with Gavin Taylor of Sun International. W&M’s technical manager and system’s engineer, Anton van Wyk, was the primary for project management and commissioning of the installation. The criteria for the audio system was to ensure as even coverage as possible throughout the venue. The system is capable of reproducing a transparent, coherent and concert audio level solution, no matter what genre of music or performance is taking place. The emphasis is on live performances to the same high levels or standards expected by touring international companies and artists. A major driver in Gavin Taylor’s decision making process in selecting W&M as the audio contractor for the main arena was his experience with W&M in the supply of the main audio system for Grand West Arena 10 years previously and the high levels of service he received over that period of time. The system specified for the Sun Arena however is an order of magnitude larger in terms of both pure power and technology, than the system at Grand West.. The main line arrays are comprised of 32 x JBL VTX V25 dual 15 inch mid-high speakers, with 22 x JBL VTX V20 dual 10 inch mid-high elements for the left and right side hangs. Twenty-four JBL VTX G28 dual 18 subs ground stacked along the front of the stage provide superb sub-bass reinforcement. The front fills are comprised of 8 x JBL VT-4886, which are acoustically matched to the their larger brethren in the main arrays. The system is powered by 44 Crown IT-12000HD amps, which enables the system to deliver a resounding A-weighted 110dB SPL at the front-of-house position, with the necessary headroom to ensure none of the components are being taxed too hard. This will ensure the system remains reliable and dependable over an extended period of time similar to Sun International’s experience with the JBL system at Grand West Arena. The JBL line array system “offers the highest quality and most reliable audio in its class” stated Dean, adding that it’s a fully road-worthy product with a great track record and will provide an excellent ROI for the client. A Soundcraft Vi7000 console was supplied for FOH, chosen for its power, ease of use and intuitive work-flow architecture with which the majority of touring sound engineers will be fully acquainted The monitor system includes 8 x JBL SRX812M wedges powered by Crown XTI-4002s and monitor consoles and other requirements like in-ear monitoring which can be provided according to individual tour’s specifications. It is becoming a more usual occurrence that music artists tour with their own self-contained in-ear monitoring systems. W&M supplied an 8-channel Shure ULXD radio mic system and some Shure stage mics including a quantity of the industry standard SM58, SM57, Beta52 and SM137s – an audio engineer’s tool kit so to speak. The system has been used on many shows already and the compliments received for the system and its performance in all aspects have been continuous. www.wildandmarr.co.za BAKER BAYNES’ BIMBUDDY IS PORTAL TO BIM SUCCESS Getting access to new design tools is like signing up for a gym membership, the membership alone will not bring the bene- fits, but having a personal trainer who coaches you on what to do and how to do it in the best way will. Typically, large enterprises were the first to adopt new software and BIM workflow 8 practices because of their capacity and ability to invest. Change is scary and small to medium enterprises might feel the pressure to move to a ‘BIM’ or ‘Digital Construction’ enabled workflow to stay competitive. Those who are considering embarking on a BIM journey are in most cases looking for more affordable and scalable options. And just like the personal trainer, it would be great to have a ‘BIM Buddy’ to help you get acquainted with best practice. BIMBuddy © , a first in South Africa, is an easy to access portal that includes the building blocks for successful BIM adoption. It reduces the downtime architects and engineers usually experience due to not having all the relevant templates and libraries they need. Access to learning content and BIM coaching speeds up the adoption process further. Designed to assist Interior, Architecture, Structure and Building Services pro- fessionals, BIMBuddy© has specifics for all the respective design requirements. Set up to local standards and ready to use for council submission, Revit Templates set the standard for modeling. As a BIMBuddy © subscriber you get access to those Revit Templates, together with well created BIM families, which provide South African content to supplement what local manufacturers are providing. BIMBuddy is your portal to BIM success which can be accessed on a month to month basis providing the scalability and low-cost entry that SME’s need. Baker Baynes is an authorised Autodesk Gold Partner with Autodesk Training Centers in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. [email protected] www.bakerbaynes.com News Watch