The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon recently underwent a refurbishment, providing the perfect opportunity to upgrade their assistive listening provision with a new induction loop system.
Working with the in-house team at Ampetronic, the new induction loop system was designed to meet high standards for the hearing impaired in the theatre. The team used 2 x C7-2N MultiLoop drivers to provide comprehensive coverage to every single seat in the theatre.
The theatre’s seating levels are mainly constructed of timber with some steel supports, resulting in low metal loss construction. This feature of the theatre meant that the amplifiers required minimal metal loss correction during commissioning, as verified by Ampetronic’s Andrew Lennox-Jackson.
One interesting factor in this design was that the system was initially designed with a loop to be installed on Level 1, but due to the low levels of metal in the construction the signal from the loop on level 2 was actually able to provide coverage to both Level 1 and Level 2 simultaneously. As such one less channel of amplification was needed, however the venue decided to still install the two identical amplifiers with one channel turned off. This gave them a spare channel and greater redundancy in case of any failures or service requirements.
In addition to its high-quality sound, the new system is also more energy efficient than the previous one. The use of Class D amplifiers with automatic standby features will reduce running costs, making it a sustainable and cost-effective option for the theatre. Furthermore, there is the potential to benefit from network connectivity for status monitoring, making it easier to ensure that the system is running smoothly.
The upgrade to the Swan Theatre’s induction loop system is a significant improvement that ensures compliance with the Equality Act while providing accessibility for all patrons, including those with hearing impairments.
In conclusion, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s commitment to providing accessibility services is evident in this project and in previous installations. The new system offers comprehensive coverage and advanced functionality, ensuring that the Swan Theatre is fully accessible to all and meets the needs of its diverse audience.
Equipment used: 2 x C7-2N Multiloop Hearing Loop Drivers
