Rainbow Hub NW Starlight Ball 2022
Case study for DJ & AV Installation.
We were first contacted by The Rainbow Hub to provide them with an AV solution for their annual Starlight Ball after the previous ball in 2021. PC Roadshows supplied the DJ entertainment courtesy of Will for the 2021 event. They also outsourced the supply and installation of a sound system and large-screen displays for the evening which did not meet the technical brief supplied resulting in speakers being to large blocking the view of the video screens, excessively loud volumes on the dancefloor causing feedback from the microphones and quiet spots towards the rear of the room resulting in poor audio and guests being unable to hear the entertainment.
In the planning for the 2022 Starlight Ball, together with Will, our technical team liaised with Emma from The Rainbow Hub NW to design an AV solution that eradicated the problems from the previous years’ installation, sounded great, and looked great also. Rather than 2 large traditional ‘Bass & Top’ speaker stacks on either side of the stage which restricted the view to the video screens and resulted in excessive volume and microphone feedback on the dancefloor we opted for a smaller ‘Line-array’ style speaker system either side of the stage with additional speakers at the rear of the room. The advantage of the Line-array system’s more directional sound resulted in an overall lower volume and balanced sound across the whole room, this eliminated the previous years’ feedback issues and provided a much more comfortable hearing experience.
For the visual element PC Roadshows set up two large projectors with screens on either side of the stage which due to the compact size of the Line Array system used were easily visible. Video software was used to display various visuals and video’s throughout the evening and included a feed-in for the silent auction so the real-time bids could also be displayed.
The final design was finished off with uplit podiums, colour wash moving head lighting effects, up-lighting, and a twinkly white star-lit dancefloor. This was colour matched to tie in with the event colour scheme of blue and silver and also used as stage lighting for the brilliant Kevin Simm who was the live singer on stage and later on for the disco.
To make sure everything operated smoothly on the night PC Roadshows also provided a technician for the evening who operated the visual displays, and monitored and operated the sound and lighting throughout the evening for the Host & Master of Ceremonies ITV’s Paul Crone, Singer Kevin Simm and DJ Will.
The end result was a setup that looked and sounded great. The technical support provided on the evening monitoring levels and assisting with changeovers on the stage of both equipment and entertainers transitions were smooth and managed, sounded great and the whole evening flowed from one segment to the next. A brilliant night was had by the organisers, entertainers and guests alike.
The best bit. Over £50,000 was raised to help Rainbow Hub NW continue to provide amazing care, services and support to disabled children, young people and their families.
Equipment List
- 6 x FBT 1000 speakers.
- Allen & Heath Mixing Desk
- Shure SM87 Radio Microphone – Singer
- Shure SM87Beta Radio Microphone – Host
- BENQ MW705 Projector x 2
- Novopro PS1XL Podium x 4
- LEDJ Slimline 7Q5 Par Lights x 4
- Equinox Fusion 120 Zoom x 4
- Lighting Control QLC+
- Video Control – Virtual DJ
