Eddie Akka's Akwil Sound and Lighting Exhibition 1985 offered;
Video4k: Sound to Light Integration before DMX,
Muzitek: the first Multi Cassette Player before CD's,
Disco V: the first DJ Mixer with A/B Crossfade,
Digitheque: the first Digital Mixer ,
PS4 & PS10: Programmable Lighting Panel Controllers
Dimpac: the first Range of Integratable Sound to Light Dimmer Packs
M99: Audio Evacuation System
MS3: Audio Interface and Akwil LED Moving Message Display Systems
and much more
mint :)
https://www.electrofunkroots.co.uk/the-hacienda-dj-booth/
And of course the worlds first ever Digital Sound to Light Mixer Originally designed as an audio source mixer for Pubs and Bar Automation with ADAC Sound to Light interface and a very ill conceived digital auto crossfade timer and trigger. This mixer ended up originally used in the Hacienda when Tony Willson at the time wanted it to be digital because it was the future even though the DiscoV existed and would have been a leap forward by 8 years since everything else back then was rotary... and they were the same price too at £950ea
It ceratainly tortured a few souls ;)
https://blog.gregwilson.co.uk/2012/04/the-hacienda-disco-v-fiasco/comment-page-1/
https://www.electrofunkroots.co.uk/the-hacienda-dj-booth/
Comically here is the original Hacienda DJ Booth where the DJ was hidden behind the stage where all DJ's could see was the back of peoples shoes dancing on the stage.
The Digitheque Mixer was linked to an MS3 Graphic with a 90kHz boost switch to make the dancefloor shake. Also Linked to an Akwil Video4K Lighting Controllers which split the frequency levels over the ADAC Analoge to Digital Converter to pulse the DimPAC Channel ParCan lights to the music. That was long before DMX, SPI or Artnet lighting control signals existed.
They easily could have used the AUX Channel for the DiscoV.
The nightclub was founded by the brothers Jack, Phillip and Ivor Abadi as a blues and soul live music coffee bar/dance club. The original location of the club was on Brazennose Street, between Deansgate and Albert Square. This was the rhythm and blues mod venue, with Roger Eagle as DJ.[2] The club's later location was at 6, Whitworth Street, M1 3QW.This venue was the mostly soul-oriented club with resident Saturday "All Niter" DJ Bob Dee compiling and supervising the playlist and utilising the newly developed slip-cueing technique to cue in vinyl records. The Whitworth Street venue was a converted warehouse, with a coffee snack bar on the ground floor and a series of rooms in the cellar. These lower rooms housed the stage, a caged disc jockey area, and the main dance room. Back-lit iron wheels decorated the simple painted brick walls. Ivor Abadi ran the club without an alcohol licence, serving only soft drinks and snacks. There was another Twisted Wheel in Blackpool under the same ownership all designed supplied and installed by Akwil.
The Hacienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous in the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s.[1][2][3][4]Â The Hacienda opened in 1982, and despite considerable and persistent financial troubles survived until 1997 the club was mainly supported by record sales from New Order. The Hacienda is associated with the rise of acid house and rave music.
Design, supply and installation of Background Sound Systems (Bose Systems) and specula lighting for Lighting Projects with Digital programmable preset controls
Design, supply and installation of Background Sound Systems (Bose Systems) and specula lighting for Lighting Projects with Digital programmable preset controls
Design, supply and install Background and foreground Sound & Evac Systems, Specialist lighting and associated programmable and dimmable control systems (Used then Dynalite and i-Light), and supply and installation of Capsule Cinemas in all the Villages specially designed and manufactured by Akwil. We also supplied full maintenance contracts for all our systems over 2 Decades.
Rane Magazine - Install for Co-op HQ
In Conjunction with Hayden Laboratories Rane Corporation products, has supplied a Rane ECS-Engineered Conferencing System, with automatic mic mixers, to the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) HQ boardroom in Manchester. The installation was undertaken by locally-based Akwil. The site is on the 13th floor of a 1960s tower block in Corporation Street, downtown Manchester, overlooking the MEN Arena, Granada TV Studios and Boddingtons Brewery. The boardroom is an interesting space consisting of a square boardroom with listed internal décor and ceiling. The room’s major acoustic challenge was presented by the listed ceiling which has multiple early reflections. Eddie Akka of Akwil Projects, who also installed the original SR system in the same boardroom 20 years ago, was called in to specify a 21st century system. Eddie consulted various suppliers and asked them to assist in producing the definitive design for a new SR System, which had to be simple and automatic in use. Ian Downs of Hayden Laboratories produced a practical system design and specification that not only fulfilled all CWS’s requirements but also left plenty of headroom for the development of future technologies, as CWS were keen to harness the potential of Video Conferencing – as well as high quality audio - via the new SR system.
To improve the system’s intelligibility and gain, ceiling-mounted speaker coverage was divided into six zones using a Rane SRM66 matrix mixer, Rane GE215 Graphic equalisers and a Rane MA6s six-channel amplifier. The heart of the system is the Rane ECB62 ECS base unit, which controls the six ECM82 eight-channel automatic microphone mixers. The installation controls 35 Audio Technica AT815 gooseneck microphones, some with user-mute switches. The Program system was updated by the installation of a Denon DN-T620 CD/cassette machine, a Sony VCR, Sony U-Matic and PC playout via a Rane MLM82A Mic/line mixer, and a Denon PMA100M amplifier to feed the Jamo full-range speaker cabinets. The system was set-up by Andrew Akka and Ian Downs using RaneWare software, with backup stored offsite. CWS were impressed by simplicity of user controls - the entire system is operated by one power switch, and the only time an operator is required is for program playback. The client was equally impressed by the clarity and natural sound of the installation. The Accoustically Challenged Room EQed itself in a matter of seconds after turning the key at the chairmans desk.
Design, supply and instal sound and lighting systems in all their pubs and local clubs both for Bass and Charrington
19 Hollywood Bowls for bass (I learnt to solder on those jobs)
23 GX Superbowl's for Granada Leisure
Design, supply and commission all Audio Fire Alarm and Public Address systems in all the 70 stores.