Respecting the craft of the artist and the expectations of the audience, adapting to suit diverse event schedules, integrating harmoniously into the modern architecture of the respective venues, the sound equipment in a theatre or performance venue is a complex system, the selection of which is often guided by both objective and subjective factors.
The installation of sound equipment in a performance venue is generally divided into several sound projects. The “façade” sound system for the audience, the stage monitoring sound system for the musicians, and the sound equipment for the adjoining areas, such as the dressing rooms or foyer.
Installation of sound equipment in performance venues: the right questions to be asking
The sound system is an important investment for a performance venue, the selection of which will depend on the configuration of the hall and its programme of events. It is therefore important to ask which type of show the venue will host: A one-man theatre show, a jazz or rock concert, electronic music? This question will allow you to define the sound level required for the venue, or the number of subwoofers. It will also allow you to define the budget for the equipment project.
Installation within the room must also be analysed: What weight can be suspended? What are the possible installation positions? Can subwoofers be placed in front of the stage without obstructing the emergency escape routes? Do the subwoofers have to be recessed?
The way in which the venue is used is also very important. Will the venue ever have to be used at half-capacity, by closing off the balcony for example, or will the venue ever have to accommodate other systems, for instance when hosting a touring show? Will the venue be required to offer a simplified set-up in order to host small-scale, local shows?
Installation of sound equipment in performance venues: solutions
The line array is a solution that is often suggested as a sound system for performance venues. This technology offers the advantage of having coverage that is perfectly adapted to the geometry of the venue, and the system can even be perfectly integrated into the stage design. ISOTOP enables the use of compact and powerful line array systems that can be perfectly integrated into theatres and performance venues with a capacity of up to 2,000 seats. This technology can be found in the APG Uniline Compact range.
However line array does not, for example, enable the system to adapt to the venue capacity, to provide optimal sound for small venues, or to enable medium-sized venues to use immersive audio technologies.
The coaxial mounting of the speakers, as used and optimised since 1990 by APG, enables the generation of a powerful, faithful, and non-aggressive sound. The NDB (No Diffraction Baffle) technology enables the installation of point source speakers with a wide angle aperture, over a broad frequency range. The spectator can clearly hear the performance of the artist, wherever he/she is positioned within the axis, or even outside of the axis of the speaker.
In addition to filters optimising the frequency response of the system, the processing integrated into the APG DA amplifiers offers optimised protection algorithms, enabling the completely safe use of the full power of the systems, without sacrificing sound quality.