POWERSOFT INSTALLED IN BELGIUM WATER PARK
15 September 2015
Belgium’s principle theme park, Plopsaland De Panne, has had evolving requirements ever since the TV production company Studio 100 took it over in 2000.
The latest feature to be unveiled is Plopsaqua, a new ‘wild water’ park. This has a capacity for 1,250 people at its 4,000 sq. metre site on the Belgian coast.
The water park accommodates a number of attractions (including a Sky Drop) but the highlight, which bursts into life for ten minutes every other hour, is the storm pool.
This is a full audio-visual experience featuring a 16-channel surround thunder storm and lightning show. The Powersoft Ottocanali 4K4 DSP+D drives a Renkus-Heinz speaker system, processed with Peavey MediaMatrix NION and programmed by a TiMax2 SoundHub2 — creating mesmerising thunderstorm effects, with seamless image transitions, over a Dante network. According to Steven Kemland, FACE’s project division manager, the show is then recorded using Motu’s Digital Performer and played back on a Dante enabled special effects PC in order to minimise cost.
In addition to the thunder show, the sound system is also used for other FX sounds, as well as background music, announcements and emergency evacuation spanning 24 different sound zones, using three Ottocanali 4K4 DSP+D amplifiers.
Packing eight channels of 500W power in just 2U, coupled with their ability to drive 100V loudspeakers, Kemland explained that the Ottocanali 4K4 DSP+D had been the obvious amplifier for this project.
Due to their compact size, the entire Ottocanali/NION set-up at Plopsaqua only occupies 12RU. Despite the complexity and amount of controls and functions, the user interface has been custom designed for ease of use by non-technical staff and flexible day to day operation via the Peavey Mediamatrix kiosk application — further minimizing the equipment footprint.
As for the water park project, other key people involved were FACE’s project engineer, Stijn Vermeiren, working alongside Steven Kemland; lighting design was by Luc Peumans, CEO and principal designer at Painging With Light, and overall project manager was Steve Van Camp.
Since visitor figures have already exceeded expectations, plans are now underway to open a Plopsa ‘Aquapark’ in the Plopsa Holiday Park in Hassloch, Germany.
More Info:
Powersoft Australian Distributor: Production Audio Video Technology
Renkus-Heinz Australian Distributor: Hills SVL
RESPONSES