EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney) is a vibrant new live music, arts, and performance space made up of three areas comprising two venues – a Concert Hall and a Theatre, as well as a restaurant and social space. Located in the former Savoy cinema in Dalston, east London, Adlib Audio installed L-Acoustics sound systems in the Concert Hall and the seated Theatre. The Concert Hall hosts the first permanent installation in Europe of the groundbreaking L-ISA technology.
The L-ISA Scene configuration features five hangs of seven Kara loudspeakers, spaced evenly across the stage in line with the proscenium arch, low-end response is augmented by four KS28 subwoofers flown in an end-fire configuration. The surround system features 12 Syva colinear loudspeakers, four each mounted on the side and rear walls, plus eight X8 overheads which are flown from the ceiling to provide elevation to the mixing environment. Lastly, there are ten X8 installed as lip fills which are fed from the aux send of each object within the L-ISA Controller.
Audio from the FOH consoles runs via MADI to the L-ISA Processor which outputs on MADI. The signals are then converted to AVB and distributed to the 18 LA4X and one LA12X amplified controllers driving the system. Two DiGiCo SD12 consoles are shared between venues —selected for their on-board integration with the L-ISA technology via the L-ISA Desk Link, plus their power, flexibility and popularity—, in addition, there is an L-Acoustics stage monitor package comprising twelve X15 HiQ monitor wedges and two SB18 subs powered by LA4X amplified controllers.
The Theatre features a stereo Kara system, one SB18 and four Kara per side, supplemented by four SB28 subwoofers and four ARCS WiFo delays. A comprehensive microphone stands and cables package from Adlib completed the specification.
The story behind EartH is extraordinary. On the busy streets of Dalston, faded into obscurity stood a huge, forgotten Art Deco cinema – the last movie, Scarface, played in 1984. After that, the building was broken up: part wedding venue, part snooker hall, while the main auditorium was locked up and left derelict for 40 years, until a chance discovery in 2015. The building is now being restored and reimagined, with many of its original art deco features returning to their former glory.
The space is made up of three areas comprising two venues and a restaurant and social space.
The Theatre is the seated venue, which has undergone a light touch refurbishment while the former stalls of the cinema have been transformed into a standing venue – The Concert Hall. Parts of the original cinema lobby make way for a contemporary new restaurant and social space. The three spaces allow for a wide range of uses for a mixed audience, from day to night, week to weekend.
EartH aims to be a springboard for the next generation of creative talent. Auro Foxcroft, Founder of EartH and Village Underground said “From the random chance discovery of this buried treasure in plain sight to uncovering secret rooms and repeatedly evicting thousands of wily pigeons, it’s been a bizarre ride. And in a way that’s going to continue, we’re starting to programme increasingly mixed art forms and genres, artists and perspectives. We want to fill the place with the kind of performances that make you think twice and hopefully leave with that feeling of inspiration, possibility and change.”
EartH features the first permanent installation in Europe of the breakthrough L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology. Developed by L-Acoustics, the world leader in professional sound systems, L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology is revolutionizing the live concert experience. Offering enhanced clarity, more natural sound, and a wider sound panorama, EartH audiences experience a greater feeling of proximity and connection to the performances. Performers at EartH who have already used L-ISA technology for their shows include Jarvis Cocker and Johnny Marr.
L-ISA is a multichannel ‘what you hear is what you see’ platform, ideally suited to bringing immersive sound into experiential venues. Fundamental to the philosophy is ‘connecting’ the audience to the sonic experience, bringing total clarity to both audience and performers, making them feel like they are part of a smaller, deeper and altogether more intimate experience.
Comments Adlib Audio Project Manager Rob Crossland: “We’re only really scratching the surface of the L-ISA technology, while we learn more about its scope and depth. As mix engineers start exploring the possibilities, I think we’ll hear some spectacular results that just couldn’t have been achieved with a conventional approach”.
Day-to-day, EartH’s house audio team of Luca Romani and Alessandro Melchior will be running the systems and providing support for visiting engineers utilising the L-ISA platform, they were also heavily involved in the equipment specification and installation. They’ve been trained on optimising the system and the finer points of Immersive Hyperreal audio, and are there to assist visiting sound engineers. Engineers can also benefit from visits to the L-ISA Lab in London to prepare immersive mixes of their live material. Artists who have already utilised the immersive capabilities of the L-ISA technology at EartH include Jarvis Cocker and Johnny Marr.
