Orange Tree Newcastle - Martin Audio & Zoned Bar Sound

Integrated Martin Audio sound system with zoned audio control installed and commissioned; baseline tuning and zone routing documented in the commissioning report.

Venue: Orange Tree Newcastle. Pro Technical was engaged to provide a fixed-installation sound system delivering intelligible background music, clear foreground audio for events and independent audio control for multiple functional areas. The publicly verifiable deliverable for this project was an integrated Martin Audio sound system with zoned audio control. Pro Technical supplied a site survey, zoning strategy and a bespoke installation of the audio equipment.

The site survey identified the principal constraints that shaped the installation: acoustic characteristics (room volumes and reflective surfaces), mounting limitations for discreet speaker placement, restricted cable routes through existing trunking and voids, and the available local electrical capacity and rack space. Operational requirements added complexity — the venue needed simultaneous daytime hospitality audio and event-ready performance capability, plus separate audio behaviour for bar, dining and private hire areas. These constraints required a zoned architecture and careful mechanical and cable-planning to deliver performance without intrusive visible hardware.

Design choices were driven by the stated objectives and the documented site constraints. Pro Technical mapped functional zones against structural and services access, then produced a control schematic and source-to-zone routing matrix.

This project consists of a Martin Audio sound system with zoned audio control. Equipment selection criteria during design emphasised coverage patterns, low visual impact and amplifier headroom to support a live DJ. The system specification provided to the client was performance-oriented: recommended speaker performance classes, amplification with remote monitoring capability and a network audio architecture option (Dante or AES70 where applicable) to support source distribution and control routing. Specific model numbers and quantities are recorded in project files and have not been published here.

Installation practices focussed on cable management, minimising venue disruption and ensuring regulatory compliance. The workflow used staged activities: pre-build of racks (including amplifier and network device staging), phased ceiling and wall speaker installations outside peak trading hours, and consolidated daytime testing where venue access allowed. Deliverables produced during installation included as-built cabling diagrams, labelling schedules consistent with the venue's asset management approach and mechanical fixing reports confirming loading for exposed fixings. Known risks such as concealed services and ceiling void obstructions were managed through site escalation and documented change-control when alternate mounting solutions were required.

Commissioning followed a structured verification plan. Tests executed included level alignment between zones, frequency response measurements at representative listening positions, latency checks for distributed sources and intelligibility validation using speech and programme material. Tuning deliverables comprised an EQ and delay map, a commissioning report with measurement screenshots (held in project records) and an operations quick-start for venue staff. The verification plan specified acceptance criteria for noise floor, maximum SPL for small-area use and control-system failover behaviour. Commissioning notes recorded site-specific compromises, for example local EQ adjustments to manage reflective ceilings; these notes form the baseline configuration for future maintenance.

The installed outcome is the deployment of an integrated Martin Audio sound system with zoned audio control. Commissioning established verified control behaviour between the identified zones and a baseline tuning captured in the commissioning report. Full commissioning screenshots, measured frequency responses. Any operational changes (for example, zone mapping or source assignments altered post‑handover) are documented in as-built records maintained by Pro Technical and the venue.

Handover documentation delivered to the venue included as-built drawings, labelled rack photographs, IP addressing for network devices and an operations quick-start describing routine checks for staff. Pro Technical recommended a maintenance schedule covering firmware updates for networked equipment, periodic amplifier ventilation checks, torque checks on mechanical fixings and verification of wall-plate control points. The handover pack also lists common operational fault scenarios and immediate mitigations such as local mute bypass for a zone. Where extended warranty or service contracts are required, Pro Technical can provide options through its Service & Repairs offering.

Pro Technical provides the following complementary services applicable to multi-zone hospitality audio projects: detailed site surveys and annotated design packs, AV control-system programming and hybrid analogue fallback routing, amplifier and network device staging, commissioning with measurement and tuning reports, and post-install maintenance and repair through Pro Service & Repairs. For enquiries about any of these services contact Pro Technical via the project contact link.