Chelsea’s Under the Bridge Amps it Up with 66 QSC PL3s
No fewer than 66 of QSC’s premium PowerLight 3 Class D amplifiers have been specified and installed in a new London live music venue — located at the Stamford Bridge stadium of premier football club Chelsea FC. This is the largest single complement of PL3’s ever installed.
The 600-capacity Under The Bridge will specialise in hosting a wide range of music, including artist showcases, record launches and festivals.
Previously known as Purple Nightclub the new interior was created by Jim Cafarelli (of House of Blues fame) while the successful tender for the turnkey technology design and installation was submitted by XL Video’s Ian Woodall, in conjunction with Andrew Frengley of Matrix 9. Both men have worked together in the past, and both have extensive experience with QSC amplifiers over several generations, in both touring and installed applications.
Nevertheless, such was the expectation and attention to detail of a venue in which little expense has been spared, that QSC’s distributors, Shure Distribution UK, first needed to participate in a shoot-out against other leading brands.
Ian Woodall was unequivocal in his reasons for preferring QSC. “Knowing that there would five 42U drive racks, alongside other technical racks, in a combined space, we were concerned about the heat output — and it was the heat dissipation of the PL3’s that firstly impressed,” confirmed the installer.
“In addition to the performance, the other key issue was that the PL3’s are lightweight — and that impacted heavily on the load-in.” In fact the contractors needed to have a special reinforced lift constructed to bring all the equipment in on site.
Driving the PA, monitor and surround loudspeakers is a combination of 23 PL380 (two 4000W/2 ohms), 31 PL340 (two 2000W/2ohms and 12 PL325 (two 1250W/2 ohms).
QSC gave high priority to cooling issues when designing the PL3, developing a ‘flow-thru’ air path and solid aluminum heat sinks. In fact back-to-front airflow delivers up to twice as much long-term average power as most competitors, without dumping hot air into the rack.
With its highly-specified green room, state-of-the-art alcove seating, a host of rock photograph memorabilia lining the walls — and brilliant mosaics in the rest rooms (depicting Annie Lennox in the Ladies and John Lennon in the Gents) —the venue’s creative manager, Alan Tenenbaum, expects this to quickly become established on the London landscape.
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