A showstopping studio installation for Centreforce Radio
Centreforce Radio crashed onto the House music scene 35 years ago – a small band of pirates with a passion for the music and a spirit for disruption.
Through the crackles of FM radio, they helped introduce the East End of London to the new sounds that would influence a generation and create the multibillion-dollar clubbing industry.
While the days of illicit airtime are long behind them, Centreforce remains committed to cherishing its history by continuing to spin the latest and greatest House anthems to its global audience while giving a platform to new and emerging talent.
Today, Centreforce broadcasts over DAB across London and Essex in the south, Liverpool and Cheshire in the north and on 89.1FM in the Canarias, with further expansion in the pipeline. Online, they broadcast to over 190 countries and boast a listenership of more than 10 million, along with a loyal and active social media following across multiple platforms.
The project
As part of an ambitious expansion strategy, an upgrade was required to Centreforce’s 2 studios, raising them to a level that would stand toe to toe with the facilities found at commercial radio giants. This would help showcase the station, attract the biggest name DJs and maximise the commercial opportunities that will springboard Centreforce to the next stage of its evolution.
The studio is, of course, the beating heart of any radio station. It must empower the DJ to effortlessly control the broadcast, enabling them to focus on their performance and provide the very best experience for the audience. The Centreforce studio had to include the latest in audio and visual technology, with a large format display, live camera feeds and interactive touchscreen displays.
The solution
The project was a seamless collaboration between Centreforce's dedicated group, our talented team of audiovisual experts and the fitout contractor. Carillion aligned a dedicated PM to the project, backed up by a design engineer and installation team.
To ensure the project met Centreforce's high standards and aligned with their visionary expectations, we initiated the discovery phase by producing CGI renderings of the intended studio design. These virtual representations allowed Centreforce to experience and refine the space until they were completely satisfied with the final designs.
The studio boasts a striking feature video wall behind the DJ, complemented by a custom-built, two-tier studio desk housing the core DJ equipment. The setup includes ceiling-mounted studio reference monitors and three DJ-facing cameras. The main desk is designed to accommodate both twin SL 1210 turntables, CDJ controllers and a mixing console, supported by three touchscreen displays for DJs to control jingles, studio messages and social media feeds.
Centreforce also broadcasts live video on 883TV and other social platforms. The videowall controller, mixer, and cameras are connected to a sync generator to ensure all sources are perfectly synchronised and free of unwanted artefacts or image flicker. This setup guarantees a clean, full-frame broadcast, eliminating flicker and torn frames.
The studio was fitted out to the highest standards, with walls and ceilings fully soundproofed and clad in individual wooden slats. These slats, covered in acoustic material, act as baffles to provide the studio with rich, immersive audio while adding a natural 3D texture to the space. A recess behind the DJ area discreetly houses the video wall, with carefully concealed cables ensuring a neat and high-quality look and finish.
The technologies
- 4K high brightness 2x2 videowall (2.4m wide image)
- 3 x 22” height adjustable interactive touchscreens
- Pioneer DJM A9 four-channel professional mixer
- Pioneer CDJ300 multiplayer and Technics 1210 MK7 turntables
- 3 x Marshall cameras
- BlackMagic mixer
- Datapath FX4 controller
"The team at Carillion really got our vision, interpreted it and presented it to us really clearly. It made us feel like we actually had something that was going to transform the station and not only transport the station for the short term but for the long term as well.
The end result is commercially appealing to both sponsors and DJs as well as the wider audience. The first social media message we posted about the new studio received replies saying how amazing it looked!"