Qantas Founders Museum

Qantas Founders Museum Airpark Project

Stage 1 of this impressive project included the construction of an 8,072 square metre roof which forms the Airpark precinct. At its peak this roof reaches over 27 metres and entirely covers four full sized aeroplanes including a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet. Construction of the bio-box, elevator shaft and viewing platform were also completed during this time.

Stage 2 saw the design and installation of a permanent and immersive audio-visual system. Dubbed Luminescent Longreach, this primary show reveals the history of aviation and Qantas projected on 635 square metres of a 747 fuselage. Along with lighting, special effects and 360 degrees of full range audio coverage, this show is exciting and enveloping for all who come to see it.

Luminescent Longreach - A World-class Light and Sound Experience in the Outback

Soho Sound Design was engaged by Buchan Group to manage the bespoke audio solution and broader technical and installation requirements of the project. Most elements of this project required custom engineered hardware and solutions to meet the consultant’s specifications. To withstand harsh desert conditions and wildlife impacts, a custom loudspeaker stand and cable connection box was designed to provide a strong and resilient structure for these fittings.

A total of twenty four IntelligentDC Meyer Sound Loudspeakers have been installed on the ground in the stands and on trusses above as overheads. Meyer’s Loudspeakers and GALAXY processors were specified due to their eminent suitability for outdoor and theatrical applications. A clear advantage of the low voltage self-powered architecture is that longer cable runs from the bio-box rack to the loudspeakers was possible while maintaining consistent performance. In some cases, up to 130m of cable separates the loudspeakers from the rack mounted power supplies. Decentralised amplification also freed up much needed space in the rack, especially given that each of the twenty four loudspeakers are individually addressable.

In addition to audio, Soho Sound managed the central technical requirements for all other AV contractors. This included the supply and coordinated build of the core rack housing backend AV equipment and cabling. A complete wired and wireless IT infrastructure was also provided to allow the interconnected systems to communicate.

Another interesting element of the project was the provision of a central control system to manage and monitor the AV equipment. A specific client requirement was to have a simple START / STOP button set on the audience floor to allow easy operation of the show. An RTI control system was implemented to interface these basic switch buttons with the contrastingly sophisticated media server that handles all lighting, video, audio and special effect cues. RTI also affords the operator optional touch panel and iPad interfaces that mimic these show buttons. These interfaces act as a backup for the physical buttons but also offer convenient “on the go” show control for special events.

The final result is a reliable and well integrated audio visual system that, despite its bespoke and complex nature, is easily operated by end users and performs reliably several times a night.