Throughout its 150-year history, the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris has has earned its place as one of the world’s most prestigious venues and today is known for modern dance, theatre and world music. Following a seven-year refurbishment designed to bring 21st century innovation to the 19th century building, Théâtre de la Ville is able to offer L-ISA immersive experiences to audiences via its BLive-installed sound system.
For almost a decade, Théâtre de la Ville had been in search of the most suitable system to realise its immersive ambitions. As part of a wider refurbishment, the venue – in collaboration with L-Acoustics Certified Partner BLive, a long-time technology partner and friend of the venue – attended various immersive system demonstrations. With optimal audio capabilities being the primary goal, other considerations were weight restrictions and placement limitations due to the architecture and the versatility needed to address a wide range of productions.
After careful deliberation, the venue concluded that L-Acoustics L-ISA technology was the bpreferred fit, landing on a 20.1. Scene System of five hangs of two SB15m loudspeakers over eight Kiva II with a centre-flown cluster of six KS21 subwoofers. Thirteen X8 boxes placed around the sides of the venue, balcony edge and ceiling provide surround sound to the parterre, while 17 further 5XT speakers in the walls provide surround sound to the under-balcony seats.
‘The full surround configuration provides exceptional sound quality without compromising any of the space’s aesthetic splendour,’ says Alexandre Tramontin of BLive, who lead a team of engineers and experts throughout the specification and installation process.
Five LA7.16i amplified controllers were adopted for their low energy consumption and high channel count, requiring less rack space and cabling. The LA7.16i was found to provide exceptional power output when required, but consume minimal power when not, leading to 30 per cent lower power consumption over similar systems.
A vital element of the success of the project was the close collaboration between Théâtre de la Ville and BLive, which took an especially proactive role in helping the theatre to achieve their desired results. BLive and L-Acoustics also provided theatre staff with comprehensive training on the new system, and helped them to adapt their process from stereo to fully immersive surround sound.
The new system has allowed Théâtre de la Ville to reinforced its status as one of the globe’s most prodigious and pioneering spaces, combining the historic with the contemporary in a way that is set to delight visitors and performers alike for generations to come.
‘L-Acoustics proposed a relevant and elegant solution, in the face of significant technical and artistic constraints, and considered our concern for the current environmental context,’ says Théâtre de la Ville Sound Manager, Benoit Goupillon. ‘After several months of intensive use, we are proud to have this system, which in our opinion presents a major evolution in the quality of sound reinforcement for shows, with subtlety and efficiency.’
