Music loving Metropool chooses d&b for live events and education.
The Poppodium Twente Foundation, otherwise known as Metropool, was established in 2018 with a clear vision - to bring the best of international pop music to the Netherlands. With the future of performing arts also in mind, the foundation helps promote and raise upcoming local artists through its talent development program and work experience for students.
In short, Metropool is passionate about music. In addition to their flagship venue in Hengelo - which can accommodate up to 800 people - Metropool also runs multiple indoor venues and hosts regular outdoor events across the region. So when a recent rebranding and expansion exercise included quality of sound as part of its agenda, the Hengelo venue found itself with a wholly flexible d&b sound system.
From the outset, the Hengelo team had high demands for their new PA. It would need to be flexible, rider friendly, withstand the test of time, eliminate low end reflections from stage, and above all, deliver the highest quality sound to every music lover in the audience.
Experienced d&b distributor and local AV experts, Amptec, proposed a d&b Y-Series line array system with V-GSUBs, with everything optimized by ArrayProcessing and made easy to operate via the R90 touchscreen. They more than convinced the team.
With Metropool feeling confident and energized by its supplier, it was time to face the inevitable challenges ahead. One of the main issues with the Hengelo venue was achieving even coverage across the entire audience, an area distributed across the main floor as well as a first floor balcony. It took only for the ArrayProcessing algorithms to be switched on, for Amptec’s expectation of the system to be realized, extending the coverage of the arrays as well as the subs to achieve perfectly transparent sound throughout.
“The V-GSUBs really make a difference in the room itself, and onstage,” confirms Zekhuis, delighted with Metropool’s choice of d&b and the system’s performance. “Thanks to the cardioid function, and by adding ArrayProcessing, we now have even, amazing sound that gives artists as well as the audience a great experience.”
While taking care of their flagship venue’s needs, Metropool have maximized the usability of their new system by opting for a touring, rather than a permanently installed PA. “This makes it possible to easily transport and set up the system at all of our locations outside of the venue,” explains Zekhuis. “For example, being able to relocate to our outdoor theater in Hertme has been especially valuable over the last year. It really has been the greatest benefit to us.”
By combining some of d&b’s most cutting edge technologies, Amptec have elevated the quality, usability and value of Metropool’s system, a fitting solution for such a multifaceted and forward looking organization. With its active involvement in local musical education, the foundation works alongside many volunteers and students, keen to become the next generation of performance artists and industry professionals. Making high quality audio straightforward and accessible is part of that endeavor.
“We’re looking forward to really getting started and making the most of our new PA. Thanks to Amptec and d&b we are ready for an exciting season and beyond.”
