Live Sound Hire provide crystal-clear speech system to mark the launch of new canal boat and waterway stretch

On Saturday 9th May 2009, the Wey & Arun Canal Trust reached another milestone in its ambitious programme to restore "London's Lost Route to the Sea", with the re-opening of the waterway under Loxwood High Street and the naming of a new, all-electric visitor boat, "Wiggonholt".

Live Sound Hire were given the task of ensuring that all speakers would be heard throughout the stretch of canal newly opened to the general public. There was only one catch - the speeches and commentary would take place on the boat while it made its' 200m journey up the canal, under two bridges and throught a lock. The brief was simple: all areas of the 200m canal run must be able to hear what is being said into the microphone at any time regardless of its' position on the canal.

We achieved this by constructing a network of EM Acoustics EMS-81 loudspeakers (chosen for their high output but compact size) stretching the length of the site, alongside a network of radio microphone recievers (with remote antennae) at strategic points to ensure that the microphone on the boat was constantly being recieved. The signals from all recievers were fed back to the control area and seamlessly mixed together as the boat entered and left the reception ranges of the recievers.

We recieved many comments of thanks from the organisers and public, below is a few words from the Wey & Arun trust treasurer:

I, like Sally, was impressed by the sound you provided on Saturday. I was struck by how effective your radio mike was, even inside the Faraday cage of 'Wiggonholt'.  Various bystanders commented to me how clear they had found the amplification, with no hint of whine or feedback.