A right-sized regional convention centre with a d&b system that switches from speech to spectacle without compromise.
THE VENUE
Geelong has waited a long time for a venue that could properly host the full spectrum of events the region generates. Nyaal Banyul, the new Geelong Convention and Events Centre was designed to close that gap.
The centrepiece is the 1000-seat Wala Mirr Theatre, supported by approximately 3700sqm of flexible event space, Delama. Senior Manager of Audio Visual Michael Walker, seconded from the Victorian Convention and Event Trust after years at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, puts the brief simply:
“We did a lot of qualitative and quantitative research to make sure we right-sized the venue and right-sized its flexibility.”
That principle — flexibility without punitive cost — shaped every loudspeaker decision.
“We built an international-standard venue in Geelong because Geelong deserves to see international content”
THE CHALLENGE
Spoken word accounts for roughly 85 percent of the theatre’s use, yet the room also has to deliver high-quality headline performance. Walker set a strict Speech Transmission Index target of 0.7. The system needed to cover full tiered seating, half-tier configurations, flat-floor modes and varying stage depths (the stage can extend an extra two metres). It also had to be rider-friendly enough that a touring company would be happy to leave its own PA in the truck.
Beyond the theatre, the venue required a capable portable system for ad-hoc presentations, public spaces and higher-impact moments in the exhibition hall.
THE FIX
A d&b V-Series system, supplied by NAS, was selected for the Wala Mirr Theatre:
- Left and right seven-enclosure V-Series arrays
- Three-enclosure A Series centre array for focused speech coverage
- Horizontal array of six flown V-Subs
- V10P delay loudspeakers covering the balcony
- E8 front fills for image localisation
- Fifteen d&b M4 stage monitors
- All powered by d&b 40D amplification
d&b ArrayProcessing sits at the centre of the design. Presets for full tiered seating, half-tier, flat-floor and different stage depths are recalled through the building-wide control system.
“We can reset the room with very little additional labour, making it more cost-effective for the client,” Walker explains. “The PA and the presets on the PA are able to seamlessly respond to changes.”
ArrayProcessing keeps energy directed onto occupied seating rather than empty upper tiers or reflective surfaces, preserving both intelligibility and headroom.
Rider-friendliness was non-negotiable. “One of our big things is to make sure that we’re rider friendly,” Walker says. “A touring event company could come in and look at the installed PA and say, ‘I’ll leave mine in the truck.’”
The M4 monitors are described as “a one-man lift but plenty powerful enough.”
For portable requirements – ad-hoc performances, meeting rooms and higher-impact content in the exhibition space – a d&b V10P plus subwoofer package provides the necessary output when the distributed ceiling system is not enough.
THE RESULT
The d&b installation gives Nyaal Banyul a single, coherent loudspeaker platform that moves cleanly between conference speech and full-scale performance. Configuration changes that once would have required significant labour and time are now recallable presets. Touring productions encounter a system they recognise and trust. Local crews work on familiar, high-performance tools without needing to import everything from Melbourne.
“We built an international-standard venue in Geelong because Geelong deserves to experience international content,” Walker concludes.
The d&b system makes that claim practical. It delivers the required intelligibility for the majority of events, the headroom and quality for headline performance, and the flexibility to reconfigure the room without driving costs beyond the regional market. In short, it is right-sized – without technical compromise.
GEAR LIST
d&b V10P loudspeaker
- High performance 3-way passive point source loudspeaker
- Components: 2 × 10” LF, 1 × 8” MF, 1 × 1.4” exit compression driver
- Dispersion: 110° × 40° (horn rotatable)
- Max. SPL: 139dB
- Weight: 33kg
d&b V-SUB subwoofer
- High performance flyable cardioid subwoofer
- Components: 1 × 18” front, 1 × 12” rear
- Dispersion: Cardioid
- Max. SPL: 137dB
- Weight: 64kg
d&b M4 stage monitor
- 2-way stage monitor
- Components: 15” / 1.3” exit compression driver
- Dispersion: 50° × 70° rotatable
- Max. SPL: 140dB
- Weight: 20kg
