To guarantee that all plays, musical shows, conferences and cultural activities presented at the Humanitas Theatre in Atizapán de Zaragoza (near Mexico City) have all the technical resources to offer their best performance, the Mexican company GeneSist, an expert in AV systems for stage facilities, designed a comprehensive solution including audio, video, lighting and backdrop, in which the Bose Professional ShowMatch DeltaQ system is one of the key components.
Founded in 1979, Humanitas University has eleven campuses in Mexico, the newest of which is the Presa Madín campus (2018), located in Atizapán de Zaragoza. Featuring neoclassical architecture with gardens and fountains that invite study and reflection, this campus stands out for its spectacular view of the Madín Dam (which manages the fresh water supply for much of the Mexico City region) and its state-of-the-art Humanitas Theatre, the first one of the university. “Humanitas University was born 40 years ago; our ideology and values promote respect and cordiality, good deeds and dialogue. We focus on preparing our students for modern life with expert teachers in each area,” explained Professor María Guadalupe Lima Morales, Humanitas Theater Coordinator.
With a capacity of 512 people, the Humanitas Theatre has a professional-size stage, rehearsal and warm-up areas, spacious dressing rooms, a control booth, and a large foyer. Because the facility was conceived as a multifunctional space, a versatile technological infrastructure was required to respond to the needs of any production. As for the sound system, it was necessary to have a high power and intelligibility solution that provides optimum performance regardless of the type of presentation. “Theatre, dance, opera, classical and popular concerts, oratory, academic events and even corporate presentations: everything fits in the Humanitas Theatre,” explained Professor Lima.
From the moment the theatre was a blueprint project, GeneSist became involved in providing advice on different technological solutions, visuals and theatrical mechanics. “Initially we were only going to advise the university about the necessary equipment for the theatre, but our participation grew during the project, and we took care of all the technological integration,” said Fidel Molina, Operations and Project Manager at GeneSist.
To meet audio needs, GeneSist chose Bose Professional as the provider of the entire solution. “For sound in the theatre hall, we decided to use a DeltaQ ShowMatch system. We worked with the blueprints and data to generate a predictive model through the Bose Modeler software and give us a clear idea that our proposal would be heard as we wanted,” added Fidel.
The theatre room has a high ceiling and rectangular shape overall, and the stage is located at one of the baselines, that is, the longest side. These characteristics presented a challenge for GeneSist, since the objective was to achieve full coverage, without “sound gaps.” To solve this, they selected a ShowMatch line array system with four modules and a subwoofer per side, plus a Bose RoomMatch Utility loudspeaker as sound reinforcement in the centre. “The ShowMatch system was ideal for its wide horizontal coverage, and, although the room is very high, its modules offer different angles of coverage, so with an appropriate design we could reach the last seat with impeccable fidelity and a high level of sound pressure,” explained Fidel.
Four PowerMatch PM8500 power amplifiers provide the power needed for the DeltaQ ShowMatch system, while a ControlSpace ESP-880 ControlSpace sound processor ensures the quality of signal processing. The ShowMatch system is composed of four modules per side (two SM5, one SM10 and one SM20); two SMS118 subwoofers, one per side; and an RMU208 RoomMatch Utility loudspeaker in the centre of the stage. This application is an excellent example of the performance of DeltaQ technology, as the sound is managed to direct more accurately to the audience while the interchangeable waveguides in each module allow for varying the coverage and even creating asymmetric patterns. The result is unrivaled sound quality and exceptional vocal clarity for every seat in the room.
In addition to the sound system of the room, GeneSist installed a basic paging system to cover the foyer area and the dressing rooms. The sound was distributed in two zones using 16 FreeSpace DS 100SE loudspeakers, controlled by a FreeSpace DXA 2120 digital mixer and amplifier. The paging system informs both the public and the dressing room area about the start of the shows, plays music to set the mood for events, and is used to deliver valuable messages to both zones.
From the beginning of the project, GeneSist received the support and advice of the Bose Professional engineering staff in Mexico. “By working with Bose, we know that the operation will be truly professional,” added Fidel. “We chose Bose because we like the reliability and robustness of the equipment, its power and the versatility to achieve the required coverage. We are satisfied to have delivered on what the university asked us to do, that commits us to be better and of course to continue working with Bose.”
Professor María Guadalupe Lima remarked: “The sound of the theatre is amazing. it is a great support for our activities. The companies that come to present their works receive a professional, warm, and special technical treatment with this Bose Professional sound that is only available in big auditoriums. We are pleased with this audio solution.”
