Established in 1948 in East Berlin, the Berliner Ensemble host 15 performances each month, ranging from German-language classics to contemporary works. The need for a new sound system originated from the Berliner’s production of Threepenny Opera, directed by Barrie Kosky. Bertolt Brecht’s ‘play with music’ had premiered at the same venue in 1928, but now required the largest hall’s existing sound system to be considerably expanded.
Tel Aviv-based MMT-TLV Ltd was responsible for the new sound reinforcement concept, with company MD Ralf Bauer-Diefenbach collaborating with sound designer Holger Schwark on the installation, with Elektroakustik Neuenhagen supplying the new system – d&b audiotechnik’s Soundscape and A-Series loudspeaker system.
‘The legendary venue needed a system that would not only be flexible enough to accommodate various performance styles, but truly enhance the connection between performer and audience member,’ says Maik Voss, Head of Scenic and Audiovisual Media Technology at the Berliner Ensemble. ‘Once we heard the magic of Soundscape we knew it was the perfect fit.’
The installation comprises A-Series hangs complemented by four d&b 4S point-source loudspeakers installed along the front edge of the stage. The largest hall holds double clusters of d&b C7s, each with a subwoofer flown at the far end of the expansive stage area in the direction of the audience, along with numerous E12s across the walls as aisle monitors.
‘Many audience members often don’t even realise that they are being subjected to electroacoustic sound,’ Voss says. ‘The use of d&b Soundscape makes the sound seem completely natural – visitors always locate the voices exactly where the action is happening on stage.’
Soundscape provides audiences with an immersive audio platform that shapes intense connections between listeners and artists, allowing for object-based mixing as well as enabling localisation and imaging of sound objects within the chosen sound design field.
‘We use Soundscape at the Berliner Ensemble in conjunction with the room acoustics that are present in the hall and that we have optimised,’ says Bauer-Diefenbach. ‘It would be wrong to orient ourselves exclusively to the distribution of direct sound. In my opinion, a truly convincing sound is only possible when the sound of the orchestra or the first reflections from the pit are included in the considerations.’
For each scene of the Threepenny Opera, sound designer Schwark created a snapshot of object positioning using En-Scene. This software allows the individual placement and movement of up to 64 sound objects so that each sound object corresponds both visually and acoustically. In addition, the automation software En-Snap, this enables straightforward cue-based control within the Soundscape environment using the d&b DS100 Signal Engine.
‘We have already experienced a huge difference in our sound,’ Voss says. ‘This installation will allow a larger audience to appreciate productions at the ensemble for years to come.’
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