The Posthuis Theater in Heerenveen has continued its long-standing relationship with Allen & Heath thanks to a state-of-the-art digital upgrade, bridging the theatre’s rich history dating back to the 1880s with cutting-edge audio technology.
The theatre’s relationship with Allen & Heath spans decades, dating back to the era of analogue mixers. “We used to work on an Allen & Heath S2 back when mixing was handled from the lighting booth,” recalled Eric Noorman, a Technician with over 40 years of experience at the Posthuis Theater.
However, the new main attraction is the recently installed dLive C3500 Surface, which takes centre stage in the theatre’s large hall, partnered with a CDM32 MixRack fitted with an AES 4in / 6out card, and complemented by an AHM32 Matrix Processor and a DX32 modular expander, forming a comprehensive audio ecosystem at the heart of the historic building’s various spaces and rooms.
When selecting a digital mixing platform, Noorman found dLive to be the obvious choice. “Most digital mixers were not intuitive to me,” he explained.
“However, when I tested the dLive C3500, I didn’t have that issue. This console has a nice analogue feel in terms of layout – at least if you set it up that way – which allowed me to quickly get familiar with the workflow. It was very quick and easy for me and the team.”
The dLive C3500 surface features a pair of 12” touchscreens, 24 faders, 19 assignable SoftKeys, and 6 assignable rotaries, providing the theatre’s technical team with a wealth of physical control while maintaining a relatively compact footprint.
The connected CDM32 offers 32 mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and an audio networking I/O port, which the theatre loaded with an AES 4in / 6out card – with 128 channels of input processing and 64 configurable mix busses.
The AHM-32 Matrix Processor and DX32 expander are deployed as a system preset controller for the newly installed Martin TORUS constant curvature array system.
To facilitate any show with options for analogue and digital inputs for Left, Right, Center, and Sub, the DX32 is fully loaded with a combination of AES and analogue cards allowing the correct preset to be selected via the AHM. The CDM32 MixRack is connected to the DX32 with AES-lines for default operation.
The setup, supplied by Ampco Flashlight Sales, provides operators with unprecedented flexibility according to Noorman. “Visiting technicians can easily choose how they want to control the new Martin Audio system with just the push of a button,” he said.
“Thanks to the extensive patch panel, various theatre groups can continue to use their own connections quickly and easily, both via AES and analogue.”
As the Posthuis Theater continues to host a diverse range of productions in its classical and modern spaces, Allen & Heath stays at the core of its audio infrastructure, ensuring every performance sounds as magnificent as the theatre’s storied history.
