The Sydney Coliseum Theatre is the first of its kind in the developing region of Greater Western Sydney – a purpose-built 2,000-seat venue already vying for a place alongside Broadway and London’s West End. With 12 years at the Lyric Theatre and no intention of moving, Coliseum Technical Operations Manager Bicci Henderson was sufficiently swayed when he saw it that he wanted to be part of it.
Soon after joining, Henderson heard the The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra perform John Williams’ score for a screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban presented in L-ISA Hyperreal sound. ‘I was greatly impressed, with the incredible multi-dimensional definition. Soon after, I saw a performance using an LCR point source system and felt there was no connection with the audience.’
Henderson was determined to use the technology in The Coliseum: ‘The L-ISA experience was the reference and I knew we had to get it,’ he says. ‘While the original plan for the Coliseum was to install an LCR system, I convinced our MD Ross Cunningham and executive director Craig McMaster that the investment would be repaid very quickly in terms of ticket sales and future proofing the venue with the gold standard sound technology. Ultimately, we all realised that this was a much better product. It would have been cruel to have opened the Coliseum without it. With this set-up, 96 per cent of the audience seats are experiencing hyperreal audio.’
Using 3D Soundvision simulation software, L-Acoustics calibration engineer Julian Laval designed the venue’s loudspeaker system. After the in-depth analysis of the venue, five arrays consisting of ten Kara cabinets each have been installed, with additional X8 enclosures serving as front and under-balcony fill. Low frequency extension is delivered through a flown, centre-hung array of six KS28 subwoofers. The entire system is powered and processed by a combination of LA4X and LA12X amplified controllers.
‘It was crucial to have loudspeaker systems integrator Jands Venue Engineering offering local support and servicing,’ Henderson explains. ‘Additionally, working with world-renowned acoustic consultancy Marshall Day Acoustics and leading integrator Fredon meant that the whole project could be delivered on time and with the highest level of technical expertise.’
Now that the entire project has come to fruition and the public can enjoy what is already set to be an iconic venue, the ambitious concept of turning The Coliseum into a top-notch stage is rapidly becoming a reality, as it now stands proudly among the great theatres and entertainment venues of the world.
‘We still don’t know what entertainment will work best of course, as we are hosting ballets, operas, classical symphonies and musicals,’ says Henderson but the first run of sold-out performances by performers have heralded its success. ‘One thing we are sure of though, is that the expectations of operators and audiences alike will soar to a new level following an introduction to L-ISA.’
‘This well-researched system makes L-Acoustics number one in the market today,’ Henderson concludes. ‘We’re pioneering L-ISA in Australia, so it’s our duty to educate engineers who aren’t yet familiar with the technology and its more natural, more localised and therefore more intimate experience. L-ISA draws the listener inside the music.
More: www.l-isa-immersive.com
