Having long relied on a HK Audio sound system in Record Junkee, a bustling vinyl heaven and gig venue situated above his Music Junkee equipment shop in the heart of Sheffield, HK Audio was once again the go to brand when Martin Leverton was looking for a rig for his new venture, a second and substantially larger city center venue in the UK.
With its home on the first floor of the DINA Arts Centre complex on Cambridge Street, Martin’s new venture Network is a fully rigged venue.
Leverton explains: “Our venue in Earl Street has seen us bring some great national and international acts including IDLES, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Fat White Family and Viagra Boys. However with capacity of only 150 it restricted our ambitions to continue attracting big names. Our collaboration with DINA Arts Centre is delivering a new live music destination to Sheffield city centre. For a city with such a strong history of music making, it needs more spaces to continue that rich musical heritage. We feel the new venue will create greater opportunities for exciting programming and promoting while helping to nurture Sheffield’s music talent by providing them with a platform for greater exposure.”
DINA project director Deborah Egan heralded the partnership as breaking a trend in the city after numerous venues have closed, commenting: “We’ve seen much loved Sheffield live music locations shut over the years and a general downturn nationally. We feel Network will fill an important gap in Sheffield’s gigs and nightlife offering.”
Leverton continues: “Our HK Audio Linear 5 Big Venue Pack has done a sterling job in Record Junkee, but with Network having over three times the audience capacity we needed to step the sound system up to the next level.”
Featuring an eclectic mix of DJ’s and bands, the requirement was for a system capable of sounding great with everything a diverse range of musical genres will throw at it, while being durable and reliable enough to work long and hard every week. System specification was finalised after careful consideration in conjunction with Neville Raine from HK Audio’s exclusive UK distributor JHS.
Network’s front of house system comprises 4 x HK Audio Linear L5 LTS A long throw active mid/high enclosures which utilise HK’s innovative multi-cell transformer technology to deliver impressive long throw performance in an ultra-compact format. Formidable bottom end to under-pin these is delivered by 6 x L5 SUB 4000 A ( 1 x 18” ) active subs, with the chosen set-up configuration featuring 2 tops ground stacked on top of three subs at each side of the stage.
An L5 115 FA active 15”/1” enclosure supported by a L SUB 2000A active ( 2 x 12” ) sub are situated as fill enclosures to augment coverage further down the room and allow an element of zoning flexibility. Stage monitoring is courtesy of 4 x L5 112 XA active 12”/1” monitors.
Network also boasts a second room which can be employed either as a break-out room, or as a stand-alone space to host more intimate events. This room is also equipped with an independent sound and lighting system, with another tried and trusted Linear 5 Big Venue Pack (a potent two stack system comprising 2 x L5 115 FA tops and 4 x L SUB 2000A subs ) taking care of sound duties.
Leverton concludes, “We’re really pleased with the venue and are sure the new HK Audio system will perform perfectly and prove a big hit with both acts and audiences.”
Network’s opening night is on Friday, September 7, and will feature the prestigious house music DJ Rahaan coming over from Chicago to deliver an exclusive headline set, with other up-coming shows announced including NYC hardcore legends Agnostic Front and alt-indie powerhouse A.A. Bondy.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)