Wigwam Acoustics Wins WFX Solomon Award For the full article, visit: https://www.sseaudiogroup.com/wigwam-news/wigwam-acoustics-wins-wfx-solomon-award Montreal, September 26, 2019 – The largest annual House of Worship Conference and Expo in the USA, WFX was held this year from September 17-19, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. A highlight of the three-day event, which gathers systems integrators showcasing innovative audiovisual solutions and services for the house of worship market, is the WFX Solomon Awards that recognize excellence in church facility design, renovation, construction and audio, video and lighting installation. (York Minster – Photo Credit: d&b audiotechnik) This year, Wigwam Acoustics received the WFX Solomon Award in Design and Installation of Audio System or Sound Reinforcement (2,001-plus seats) for the major audio upgrade carried out at York Minster Cathedral, England. As one of the UK’s most important cultural and religious landmarks, the 500-year-old Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York is rightfully considered a national treasure. In 2019, as part of an ongoing maintenance and refurbishment project, the church leaders relied upon Wigwam to install a comprehensive new audio system, in which audio quality and clarity was paramount, both for speech and music. The designed solution was an installation featuring over 50 d&b audiotechnik xC column speakers running on a QSC Q-Sys digital audio platform with simple touch screen controls for operation. (York Minster – Photo Credit: Wigwam Acoustics) Wigwam Co-founder Mick Spratt commented, “We’re absolutely delighted to have received this award, as it recognizes the experience and outstanding talent the Wigwam team has in the church installation sector. The judges have recognized that the system absolutely met the brief – quality, low impact and ease of use.” “It’s great that our work has been recognized in the US, a market where our installation work is relatively unknown. In association with our parent company Solotech, we exhibited at WFX for the first time this year. We’re looking forward to combining our experience in this market along with Solotech’s presence in North America to work on projects together.” “The interest and feedback we’ve had from just this one three-day exhibition has been incredible.” (York Minster – Photo Credit: Wigwam Acoustics) Read the full case study with video here. From left to right: Michael Palmer, Director of US Business Development Solotech US; Jason Spence, Director of Sales and Systems Integration Solotech US; Guillaume Gervais, Used Equipment Sales Specialist Solotech; Mick Spratt, Co-Founder Wigwam Acoustics; Aaron Beck, Business Development Sales Rep Solotech US. About Wigwam Wigwam Acoustics is one of the world’s leading companies for the rental, sales and installation of professional audio equipment. Established in 1979, Wigwam is based in Heywood, near Manchester, UK. In 2013, Wigwam became part of SSE Audio Group, acquired in 2018 by Solotech. About Solotech Founded over 40 years ago, Solotech is a world leader in audiovisual and entertainment technology with 12 strategic locations in Canada, the United States and Europe. Thanks to an inventory encompassing over 300 renowned manufacturers, Solotech is the single source for audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods, control and collaboration solutions and services. The company is internationally recognized for its expertise in Live Productions and Systems Integration in various markets, namely music, sports, business, culture and education. Solotech employs over 1,300 professionals in its offices located in Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saguenay, Toronto, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Birmingham, London and Manchester. Find out more at www.solotech.com Contact Christine Latour Vice-President, Marketing and Communications 514-370-5225 Christine.Latour@solotech.com
York Minster Leave a reply New audio system for the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe As one of the UK’s most important cultural and religious landmarks, the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is considered a national treasure. In 2019, as part of an ongoing maintenance and refurbishment project, the church leaders commissioned the installation of a new audio system, in which audio quality and clarity was paramount, both for speech and music. Selected for this project was none other than Wigwam, a Solotech brand renowned worldwide for its acoustics expertise in churches and historic buildings. To ensure meeting the exact requirements of the church leadership and to respect the nature of the building’s acoustics, Wigwam Sales Manager Phil Goldsworthy specified d&b audiotechnik column speakers, placed throughout the Minster. The main installation features d&b xC 24C units with a d&b xC 24C-E passive extender on each column. In the end, a total of 60 column speakers were installed, powered by 16 d&b audiotechnik 10D amplifiers, making it one of the largest installations of the xC series ever undertaken. Q-Sys control, a key feature While the key element to any audio system is how it sounds, of equal importance in the church sector is the ease of use. To make the system easy to operate, Wigwam developed touch screen interfaces with custom graphics that allow users to access the various audio menus. As the system must be operated by staff, both technical and non-technical, Wigwam opted to have the entire system run using the QSC Q-Sys platform, which controls and distributes the audio over a digital network. “Q-Sys has become our go-to solution for audio installations,” explained Goldsworthy. “We’ve already successfully deployed it at Manchester Cathedral where the requirements were very similar to that of the Minster.” Challenges met: Grade I system design and implementation The York Minster is ranked as a Grade I building, that is a “building of exceptional interest” as per the definition of Historic England, the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England. Thus, designing an audio system suited for such a challenging environment was no easy task. The installation includes a comprehensive cable infrastructure throughout. At the foot of each pillar is a metal plate which can be lifted to reveal ports for audio, video and data. Additional audio devices such as microphones can be patched in via XLR inputs. The video infrastructure is broadcast-compliant for when services are televised. TV companies can install their cameras throughout the York Minster without the need to run unsightly cables around the building. Goldsworthy is delighted with how the project has turned out. “The sound quality is second to none in a building of this type and the installation is incredibly sympathetic to the Minster. The system provides huge flexibility for a wide range of uses and is simple to operate. It has been a pleasure to work on this project and we look forward to providing support for the system for many years to come.”
Solotech acquires UK-based SSE Audio Group and confirms its global leadership Leave a reply FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE New opportunities in Europe for North American leader in audiovisual and entertainment technologies Montreal , November 28, 2018— Martin Tremblay, president and CEO of Groupe Solotech Inc., is pleased to announce that Solotech has acquired SSE Audio Group, a British leader in audio services. This is among the most important transactions in Solotech’s history. With the addition of SSE Audio, Solotech becomes one of the world’s largest audiovisual and entertainment technology companies. The acquisition will generate growth opportunities and operational synergies, in addition to expanding the services available to current and future clients. “We are thrilled that SSE is joining the Solotech team, especially given their highly reputed expertise in audio services. The transaction will enable us to definitively pursue our expansion strategy in the European market and consolidate our unique position as a global player offering full-service (360°) sales, rentals and integration of audiovisual technologies,” said Mr. Tremblay. SSE Audio’s founder, John Penn, will continue to head the group in the UK and the established brands of SSE Audio, Capital Sound, Wigwam and Sigma Products will be maintained. “Our clients will continue to benefit from the excellent reputation of our brands, but over time they will also eventually have access to a broader service offering on both sides of the Atlantic, as Solotech offers a complete range of Audio Visual and Entertainment Technology services,” added Mr. Penn. There are obvious synergies between the North American and European teams. “Solotech and SSE have worked together for years. We share a passion for innovation, quality and people. I’m convinced that our association will benefit our clients. We will provide them with a broader range of even better services,” said Mr. Tremblay. Solotech’s shareholders (Claridge, Desjardins Capital and Investissement Québec) are proud to reinvest in the company to enable this transaction that contributes to the achievement of its strategic objectives and its positioning as a global company. Pierre Boivin, chairman of Solotech’s board, believes this acquisition opens the door to significant potential growth for Solotech on a global scale. “The audiovisual industry offers excellent prospects for growth, which should increase by 4.3% per year to $53.4 billion US in 2022, compared to $43.1 billion US in 2017. Music tours should generate growth of 10% per year by 2022.* This transaction will enable us to take full advantage of opportunities that open up to us,” he concluded. * Source: InfoComm International, 2017-2022 forecast About Solotech Solotech is a global supplier of technology solutions in audio, video, lighting, rigging, soft goods and control/collaboration systems. With some 1,200 employees at its 13 locations in Canada, the United States and Europe, Solotech designs and executes innovative and unique experiences using cutting-edge equipment and continually evolving expertise. With more than 40 years of experience, Solotech enjoys a reputation for the expertise of its Rental Division (solutions for tours, corporate and special events) and its Sales and Integration Division (sales, installation and maintenance of tech solutions for sports, cultural facilities, broadcasting, conference rooms and classrooms), in the context of a variety of local and international projects. For more information: https://www.solotech.com/en/. About SSE Audio Group Founded in 1976, SSE Audio is the largest supplier of professional audio services in the UK, employing more than 150 people. SSE offers comprehensive audio solutions and services including equipment hire for tours and concerts, sales and installations for a broad range of entertainment venues, places of worship and other public spaces. Driven by its dedication to excellence, investment in state-of-the-art technology and bolstered by its many innovations and acquisitions, SSE Group has received numerous awards. It is recognized in Europe as a leading supplier of integrated solutions. For more information: www.sseaudiogroup.com. Contact : Christine Latour Director, Marketing and Communications 514-370-5225 Christine.Latour@solotech.com Share
