As the old public address system of the theatre had become too complex and, above all, maintenance-intensive, the venue’s management decided to update their concert salon with an Alcons Audio system.
The Duisburg Theater am Marientor in Germany has experienced quite a bit in its 23 year-old history. Originally the home of the musical “Les Misérables”, it is now hosting the Duisburg Philharmonic and is mainly used for show, tour and TV productions. The main hall has 1,546 seats, which are distributed approximately evenly over parquet and rank.
The new public address system for this versatile venue consists of 18 Alcons LR14 pro-ribbon line array, six Alcons SR9 as nearfill and four Alcons BF362MKII for bass support and three Alcons Sentinel S10. For installation and calibration of the Alcons system, Uwe Biesgen, an Alcons-experienced sound engineer, was called upon. The Alcons LR14 is a passive two-way line source system. Thanks to Alcons’ multi-patented midrange and high frequency pro-ribbon transducer technology, the Alcons LR14 offers a completely linear response with excellent speech intelligibility and uncompressed tonal balance at any sound pressure level. The ultra-compact size with lightweight neodymium drivers guarantees easy handling.
The operator of the Marientor Theater was anxious to place the new speakers as far out of sight as possible – as high as possible, as deep as necessary. At the same time, direct sound should be generated below the rank. Precise calibration and appropriate curving allowed for both requirements and, in combination with the four Alcons SR9, achieved the best possible near-field transition to the PA. For this purpose loudspeakers in 90° and 120° configuration were used. The four Alcons BF362 MK2 subwoofers have been distributed evenly on stage and in the uppermost boxes.
“Here it was important to note that the construction of the orchestra pit and the resulting first two rows resulted in a bass resonance in the range of 70 Hz to 160 Hz and 300 Hz,” explained Stefan Heynen, freelance sound engineer at the Theater am Marientor and owner of QSS Quality Sound Systems. Heynen, who has been working regularly with the Alcons LR14 for several years, is still surprised by the efficiency of the comparatively small device. “The system’s two 6.5” woofers effectively cover the lower mids and the bass region”, he added. Particularly impressive is “the experienced pressure through the balanced lower mids and lows, as well as the ‘silky’ resolution of the upper mid-range into the high frequency range”.
Torsten Köppen, technical director of the Marientor Theater, concluded: “The Alcons system has met all our requirements, but it has also been and is very lucrative in terms of price. In addition, it is compatible with all other systems and can be easily extended; with visiting productions, it can also be quickly de-rigged and re-installed. ”
