Last year Butlins Holiday Resort in Minehead undertook a major sound and lighting refurbishment, with a view to rolling the model out at their other Resorts in Skegness and Bognor Regis.

This aim has now been realized, and the Birmingham-based Cloud One Group completed the new technology infrastructure at both sites this spring.

The pro audio specialists have enjoyed a close relationship with Butlins Resorts over a 15-year period, and during this time they have regularly specified Martin Audio sound reinforcement systems on their projects.

In addition to the new W8LM Mini Line Array installations in Skegness and Bognor Regis, Cloud One also made some enhancements to the original W8LM installation in Minehead — initiated by Martin Audio‘s Brad Watson and Butlins‘ Technical Manager Dirk Peace.

This has resulted in all of Minehead‘s premium entertainment venues–the Skyline Pavilion, Centre Stage Theatre and REDS–now being equipped with Martin Audio components.

Minehead had already been operating a Martin Audio W8C system, specified and installed many years ago by Cloud One in their Centre Stage Theater, that persuaded Chief Sound Engineer, Steve Borthwick, and Dirk Peace, to ask for a further audition.

“We really liked the W8C system in our premium venue, and although we listened to other people‘s kit we wanted to maintain the reliability and sound quality of the W8C,” they said.

Initially, Butlins had been looking only to replace their system in REDS, but that soon changed and a custom-finished W8LM system also went into the Skyline Pavilion. A request was made by Head of Entertainment, Mike Godolphin, for a silver finish to the loudspeakers and flying frames in this location–to match the trussing system from which the enclosures are suspended; Martin Audio were naturally happy to oblige.

Brad Watson advised on a configuration that saw the Skyline Pavilion equipped with a stereo drop of three W8LM line array enclosures and a W8LMD downfill flown under a WMX sub on either side of the stage edge, with the bottom enclosure set around 2.5m above the stage top. Since the WMX has the same profile as the W8LM/D enclosures these could be flown directly from a single flying grid.

In order to make the audio more directional in REDS they used a W8LM (7.5° vertical) and W8LMD (20° vertical) on each of the four drops, which are flown around the Centre Stage and suspended from a special lightweight flying grid. While the W8LM‘s fire into the raised area at the rear, the W8LMD‘s provide coverage to the main floor area in front of the stage, and two W3 enclosures double as stage/side fills and peripheral coverage.

Steve Borthwick said the improvement in the sound had been monumental, promising last year to create uniformity between the three Resorts.

He was as good as his word. Butlins made contact with Cloud One, who have now not only equipped both Skyline Pavilions and REDS in Skegness and Bognor Regis, but also supplied Butlins with 16 of Martin Audio‘s new low profile LE1500 monitors — which they will add to their existing stock of LE400 enclosures already in use throughout the various Resorts