Modern event location – audio and lighting for the Mettrin Event Center

The Mettrin Event Center with its steel pillars rises from the shore of Hungary’s Lake Bánki as if it were alive. Since 2023, the impressive new building has offered ideal conditions for all kinds of events: from corporate functions and conferences to weddings, gala dinners, concerts, and more. In its very first year, the building featuring a mixture of wood, glass, and elegant exposed concrete was nominated for a national architecture award (architects: Ferdinand and Ferdinand). Hungarian integrator Off BEAT was responsible for the audio and lighting design at the Mettrin Event Center, using a combination of LD Systems and Cameo products for the various indoor and outdoor areas.

Moderne Event Location – Audio und Licht für das Mettrin Event Center

ZONE X as an audio centre

Off BEAT divided the Mettrin Event Center into several audio zones, controlled by a ZONE X 1212 D hybrid matrix DSP processor. While a large PA system was used for the main hall, the outdoor-capable installation speakers from the LS Systems DQOR series in the DQOR 8 and DQOR 5 versions were utilised by the integrator for the terrace and outdoor areas. The second building on the Mettrin site contains a large open space including a bar area, which is used, among other things, for weddings and other events in bad weather. The DQOR 5 speakers can also be found here – in the bar’s smoking area. Off BEAT used the CURV 500 array system for the main sound system in the adjacent building, supplemented by CWMS two-way wall-mounted speakers in the bar area and CFL 62 in-ceiling speakers in the toilets.

Dante goes mobile

Signal distribution from the ZONE X 1212 D to the individual amplifiers in both buildings is conducted solely via Dante. Both the PA power amplifiers in the main building and the IPA 424T four-channel DSP installation power amplifiers are equipped with Dante expansion cards. Furthermore, all input sources are connected to the ZONE X 1212 D via DIO 22 Dante interfaces, including the music players, the HDMI audio signals, and the wireless systems of the LD Systems U500 series. The external mixing consoles of external service providers and bands can also be connected to the ZONE X 1212 D via Dante. The U500 wireless receivers are kept together with the Dante converters in mobile racks so that the wireless microphones can also be used in the garden area for weddings or similar events. The DQOR 5 T 100V speakers in the garden are controlled via a separate amplifier, which is supplied with an analogue signal from the ZONE X 1212 D.

IPads with a customised user interface are available so that employees at the Mettrin Event Center can conveniently control the volume and source selection in the various indoor and outdoor zones. This also allows the large projector screen in the main hall to be moved in and out. It is controlled via the GPO outputs of the ZONE X 1212 D.

Flexible control

Two Cameo models were used by Off BEAT for the lighting in the Mettrin Event Center: the EVOS W3 LED wash moving head and the ZENIT W300i RGBW LED wash light. While the EVOS W3 were spread out across three trusses, ensuring complete stage and ambient lighting even when the room is divided, the ZENIT W300i provide coloured facade lighting in the outdoor area. Four PIXBAR LED bars were also used to create the atmospheric backdrop lighting.

The lighting scenes are intuitively controlled via two Cameo CONTROL PAD Stick Edition controllers, which are attached to the wall on either side of the room. Despite only one of the two controllers sending DMX commands as the main controller, both controllers are connected to the LAN network via their Ethernet connection. When the large hall is divided into two rooms by the retractable partition wall, the rooms can be controlled separately via the wall controllers. The control and programming of lighting scenes is combined with a tablet that runs on the compatible Arcolis Remote app. The CONTROL PAD Stick Edition wall controller is operated with ESA Pro 2 software.