CORNWALL, UK — The world famous Eden Project hosted BBC coverage of the Children In Need fundraising evening, employing Allen & Heath's new iLive digital mixing system to manage audio for two musical events. Comprising an iDR-64 mix engine with iLive-144 control surface, the iLive system was initially installed in Eden's Warm Temperate biome, where the Carnawn Ladies Choir sang a mixture of Christmas and traditional Cornish songs.
"The Biome's dimensions are 135m long 35m high and 65m wide, and with many twists and turns, open spaces and enveloping vegetation, it is acoustically challenging to fill all areas. However, iLive — feeding an EM Acoustic speaker system — filled the biome with the choir's harmonies," explains Steve Yelland from local PA company, SPS Systems, which manages many of Eden's AV requirements. "Visitors were encouraged to walk around the Biome to enjoy the performance anywhere in the dome, and as the choir sang without accompaniment, I had the opportunity to create a rich soundscape over the biome."
SPS Systems then moved the iLive system from the warm Temperate biome — which emulates the climate of the Mediterranean, Southwest Australia, and parts of South Africa and California — and positioned it outdoors to manage audio for the Eden Choir.
"For iLive's first outing, we didn't go for an easy option — we like a challenge!" explains Allen & Heath MD, Glenn Rogers. "First, we moved the system mid-evening to cater for both indoor and outdoor events, which also meant that the equipment was relocated from the warm biome to the cold and rain of a November evening in the UK. iLive took only minutes to set up a second time, and despite the inclement weather it proved it could withstand the elements."
"This was the first time I had used the iLive system," says Yelland, "and I didn't feel intimidated mixing live after only a short time with it. It was a hectic evening running two events with different setups in two completely different environments, but I felt comfortable using the system, and it went without a hitch." Yelland also liked iLive's compact footprint, portability and durability in outdoor conditions.
Since opening in March 2001, the Eden Project has become one of the UK's most visited tourist attractions, and the home of the annual Eden Sessions, which have included acts such as Moby, Muse, Brian Wilson, the Magic Numbers and Basement Jaxx.
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