Ampetronic Induction LOOPS at Kings Place, London

	Photo by Keith Paisley

One of London's latest high-profile office and leisure developments, Kings Place, offers public arts facilities including a concert hall, recital rooms, art galleries, waterside bars, restaurants, and corporate event spaces.

Also acting as the headquarters for two orchestras -- the London Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment -- the Dixon Jones-designed building has been developed with acoustic excellence at its heart, with the inclusion of three Ampetronic induction loop systems ensuring that as many people as possible can appreciate the program of events presented by resident King's Place Music Foundation.

Installed by Edinburgh-based Northern Light, two Ampetronic ILD1000G loop drivers power a pair of induction loops in the main concert hall at Kings Place. With an all-seated capacity of 420, the hall features a narrow perimeter balcony. As a result, one loop was installed at stalls level and one on the balcony, both using copper tape and feeding from a stereo show relay microphone, routed through a Peavey Nion digital audio processor.

"It was a reasonably straightforward installation, with simple loops around the perimeter of each level and we encountered no significant problems," says Northern Light project manager Steve Myers.

"Ampetronic is one of the leading manufacturers of this kind of equipment and we trust in the product. The equipment rarely needs any post-sales support because it is extremely reliable. In such a prestigious installation, reliability is as important as providing the highest quality audio to hearing aid users."

Two further areas featuring Ampetronic systems are the Battlebridge Room and the St. Pancras Room. The former is a flexible space which can be split into two different rooms and is ideal for conferences, recitals, dinners and smaller events of up to 300 people (standing) or 200 (seated). The latter can host similar events of up to 160 (standing) or 100 (seated).

In each room, a pair of ILD300-powered induction loops were installed by DRV Group Ltd, using Biamp Nexia processors to feed the systems.

"We chose Ampetronic equipment because it is reliable and a known entity. DRV has always used Ampetronic through choice," says Richard Bellingham, senior technical resources engineer, DRV Group.

"The main challenge was timing the installation of the loop with the construction team, so that the arrays were exposed for the shortest amount of time, to avoid damage to the copper tape before the carpet was laid. Apart from that it was a very straightforward process."