AV Case Study: St Patrick’s College, Launceston
Great aesthetics and performance are key to this installation. K-Array column speakers join this Absen LED beauty.
31 March 2026
St Patrick’s College in Launceston like most things in Tasmania has been around for a while. Establishing the actual college occurred in 1919 and, of course, it’s grown and evolved ever since, keeping up with the demands of modern education.
The latest addition was to build a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) facility. This was to be an entirely new building rather than updating or renovating any of the existing structures, and the designers came up with a clever idea of creating a kind of all-purpose meeting space and almost mini-auditorium in the middle of the STEM separate rooms instead of having only a high-traffic space where the students could mill around and swap lunch sandwiches.
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
Nick Waldron of Round Table Studio has been working with St Patrick’s for several years helping and advising the school from a technical perspective. Round Table Studio has been rapidly growing post-Covid and Nick brought a wealth of experience to the STEM AV fitout.
“At first no one was sure how much the budget would allow, or if anything could be done like we envisaged,” Nick explains. “Then as the building progressed and we could see the possibilities, it was almost a must that this AV equipment went in. When you look at the finished project, you can see why.”
It needed a lot of research by Nick to find exactly what he wanted – excellent audio in the way of a wall-mounted PA that would bracket a large screen. Importantly, everything had to be low-profile. The aesthetics demanded a neat solution, and something like suspended truss and hanging a small stack both sides, no matter how tidily done, just wasn’t an option. The speakers needed to be compact and not compromise the clean lines of the architecture.
BACKS TO THE WALL
K-array Python series loudspeakers fitted the bill perfectly, paired with K-array Rumble subwoofers. Python KP1021 array speakers have twelve 3.5-inch drivers and measure a metre in length, while the KP521 are half that size with six similar drivers. The KP1021’s are focused at 90 degrees to the wall behind them, and the KP521’s are hung underneath at an angle to address the area close to the screen, almost like a down-fill.
Beneath these are the Rumble subs set flat against the wall.
Nick points out, “Aside from sounding great, the K-array speakers are built solid and meant to last. Fortunately, the fascia they’re mounted on has plenty of structural framework behind it to support everything, rather than just enough for the decorative timber work.”
A K-array Kommander amplifer powers everything, and that’s mounted in a rack along with an Allen & Heath AHM16 matrix processor in a room underneath the seating. The system is controlled via a touch panel which Nick has loaded with a variety of presets that cater for every occasion. The school staff and students can easily operate the rig. An added extra is an XLR Dante 2-input wall plate in a storage room beneath the main wall, directly below the PA and screen, and this acts as an albeit small stage for school bands and performances. Whatever’s happening, they simply plug, for example, a mixer desk into the wall plate and have access to the K-array PA.
Remembering that the wall space wasn’t originally intended for anything, or at least wasn’t prioritised for any AV, Nick had to custom-design the layout. This has resulted in an Absen NX Series 2.5mm pixel screen measuring 4.8 X 2.7 metres, likewise controlled from underneath the seating.
GOOD SCIENCE
You have to agree the end result looks impressive indeed. Nick says, “The guys from Australis were a tremendous help in commissioning and setting up the system, then with some training for the school staff. I can’t thank them enough. They’re always there when you need them.”
The sound of the K-array is fantastic, and the school couldn’t be happier. Kris Eade, who is the Director of Facilities at the school, says, “We’re absolutely rapt with how it’s turned out. It looks great, sounds fantastic, and is so easy for everyone to use. It’s quickly become one of the most popular and versatile spaces in the school.”
When Nick Waldron and Round Table Studio started researching for the perfect solution, Australis and K-array provided it. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics may be crucial to today’s education curriculum – but who cares? Check out the cool AV instead.
Australis Music: australismusic.com.au
NAS (Absen): nas.solutions
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