Located in Vienna’s Spittelau district, between the Grelle Forelle and Flex nightclubs, Das Werk is an alternative art and culture venue, and the latest of the city’s venue to install an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon sound system.
In 2018, Wolfgang Sauter of Vienna-based Pro Performance was asked to create an audio concept for Das Werk that fitted in with neighbouring venues, including The Grelle Forelle, Flex, SASS Music Club and The Loft.
‘The customer needed a new, effective sound solution that was flexible enough for both live concerts and DJ events across a large variety of genres,’ Sauter says. ‘A particular problem was that the stage was in the corner of the room, presenting many acoustic challenges. We looked at all the available solutions and chose two arrays of three Alcons RR12 pro-ribbon point source array modules.’
The RR12 system features a high-output Alcons-custom 12-inch woofer, in combination with the RBN602 pro-ribbon driver for HF reproduction; Due to the natural cylindrical wavefront of the RBN, the RR12 is a array building-block with a sharply controlled side-lobe free horizontal projection in 30° increments. Using a custom 12x 15-inch vertical subwoofer design by Sauter, the system gives a uniform low-frequency response across the room.
‘It’s simply all about physics and there is no feedback on the microphones or turntables, despite the live bands and DJs situated in front of the bass array,’ Sauter says. ‘With the resulting precise low frequency impulse, we have added the last twp octaves of the audio spectrum to the RR12s.’
The installation of RR12s for the main sound at Das Werk was such a success that, this year, Pro Performance was asked to install an Alcons system for DJ monitoring. ‘Because it’s a small corner stage, the customer needed monitoring that was powerful yet compact,’ Sauter says Wolfgang.
Running hand-in-hand with further extensive improvements to the venue’s acoustics, the company installed four VR5 mini 5-inch monitors with two VR12 mid-size 12-inch monitors. It’s a solution which immediately proved popular with Josef Sotriffer, a DJ, producer and Das Werk’s audio technician. ‘I can honestly say that I don’t know any other stage monitors that reproduce every detail in the sound as accurately as the Alcons VR12s and VR5s. Even at high levels, they are very comfortable to listen to,’ he says. ‘What has surprised me the most is the intensity of the VR5s. Despite their small dimensions, they function spectacularly well as monitors for rock/pop or soul bands. The whole system is a lot of fun to work and play with.’
‘Alcons was the clear choice for the customer,’ Sauter says. ‘The staff at Das Werk are extremely happy with the results. The monitoring is very practical and compact, perfect for the small stage, while the new and improved main floor has made performers and audiences alike very happy. The beast has been tamed, allowing the venue’s sound technicians to have optimal control and maximum flexibility of the Alcons system. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, Das Werk was voted the best club in Austria in a poll by FM4, the Austrian alternative music radio station. The results speak for themselves.’
‘As an electronic music composer and DJ, the sound system plays a crucial role in communicating my agenda and message. The new sound improvements in Das Werk prove that correct sound and acoustic treatment take the listening experience to a whole new level,’ says DJ Aida Arko.
