Marking its 20th anniversary, Vega has been transported into the future by d&b audiotechnik.
Led by Head of Production, Anders Mortensen, Vega in Copenhagen has undertaken a number of upgrade projects, in late 2016 overhaul of the loudspeaker systems in Store Vega and Lille Vega. The venue incorporates 3 distinct performance spaces: Store VEGA, with a capacity of 1,550; Lille Vega, with space for 500; and Ideal Bar Live, with a capacity of 250. As well as concerts, Vega regularly provides a home for lectures, meetings, press conferences and other events.
“We have been using d&b successfully for ten years, and after a process of consideration we realized that the latest generation d&b systems, including the V8s and V-GSUBs were exactly what we required to meet our requirements in the future,” said Mortensen.
The Tuborg Foundation provided a donation that enabled the latest upgrade project to take place. Denmark’s d&b Distributor, Alfa Audio A/S, was enlisted to provide the new systems and install them. Work was carried out during October and November 2016 by a team featuring Alfa Audio Managing Director, Lars Baun Frederiksen.
“One of the most notable aspects of the installation was the move from the 2-way Q-Series cabinets to the 3-way V8s. The result is increased headroom, with the improvement in the vocals being particularly noticeable. The extended LF pattern control in the V really does help the vocals sit on top of the mix,” Frederiksen added.
The new design is based around 4 d&b V8s per side, along with 4 d&b V8s in a mono configuration for balcony. A high performance cardioid subwoofer powered by a single amplifier channel, the d&b V-GSUB houses two long excursion neodymium drivers: an 18 inch driver in a bass-reflex design facing to the front, and a 12 inch driver in a two chamber bandpass design radiating to the rear.
The core system is housed with 4 d&b 10S and 2 d&b 8S loudspeakers to provide infill at stage, under-balcony fill and balcony nearfill. The entire specification is powered by a quintet of D80 high power density amplifiers. Suitable for both mobile and installation environments, the 2RU, 4 channel units incorporate a LoadMatch function that enables the electrical compensation of loudspeaker cable properties without the need for an additional conductor. The result is an increased accuracy of audio reproduction over a bandwidth of up to 20 kHz.
In the smaller space, a pair of V7P 3-way passive loudspeakers per side provided primary reinforcement, while nearfill is courtesy of 2 8S units. Once again, there is a sub array of 5 V-GSUBs, while the amplification section revolves around a single D80 and one D20. Alfa Audio has also provided four MAX2 monitors, which can be deployed to handle a host of onstage duties.
The impressive results also validate the support of the Tuborg Foundation, which supports music related initiatives throughout Denmark. In a statement, the Foundation’s director, Anne Marie Skov, remarked: “Our focus is communities and the popular, and it is important for us that those we support are innovative and create joy for many. Vega is a good example. In the beginning as the ‘People’s House’ and since 1996 as a venue with large Danish and international artists, [it has also] given room for the new and unusual. [The Foundation] congratulates Vega on the anniversary and gives a donation that will ensure good sound into the future.”