Amadeus, based in France, one of the premiere manufacturers of high-end sound reinforcement systems and custom studio speakers, has announced the install of the company’s newest array speaker, the Amadeus DIVA M² at the prestigious Paris Gaite Lyrique Theatre digital arts and modern music centre.
Initially equipped by Amadeus for the theatre’s 2011 re-opening with the company’s EtherSound-enabled speakers, DIVA XS and XL Series, among other Amadeus models, La Gaite Lyrique decided to upgrade its Front of House speaker system in the facility’s Large Hall and naturally has chosen the newest Amadeus DIVA M² array speakers (pronounced “M Squared”). Along with the fourteen Amadeus DIVA M² loudspeakers, Amadeus has also installed four new Amadeus DIVA M² SUB bass complements, paired with Lab.gruppen amplifiers and LAKE controllers.
The Large Hall performance space at the theater features a 750-person standing capacity (with over 300 seats), an adjustable stage with multiple heights, configurations and surfaces, and 46 independent visual screens spread out over the four sides of the room to create a total immersion experience for the audience. The Large Hall includes telescopic tiers of bleachers for seating, which can be folded away sideways. Projection screens can be mounted at various levels on any of the four walls, and a large variety of audience and stage setups can be accommodated.
“The growing demand from artists, as well as producers for immersive video setups, brought us to look for a more discreet sound system,” stated Jean-Marc Harel, Sound Department Manager at La Gaite Lyrique. “We wanted speakers placed in a configuration minimizing the projected shadows on the visual screens, but without compromising on the power, on the sound pressure level and the clarity and quality of the sound itself. This is why we became interested in the newest Amadeus DIVA M2. Both the speaker’s size and harmonious visual aesthetic perfectly matched our equipment needs.”
Jean-Marc added: “The power and size ratio of the new DIVA M² array speakers compared to the older version is really impressive – even compared to the Amadeus DIVA XL that we used during the past few years. Its new built-in technologies, including the new proprietary waveguide, paired with its coaxial drivers and linear-phase crossover filters – featuring a steep 96 dB per octave cutoff slope – help to offer a total linearity throughout the theatre’s listening area.”
“Thanks to these new capabilities, we have been able to rethink the layout of the main FOH clusters by adding two Amadeus DIVA M² SUB bass complements in line with the main speakers which are hung on the same bumper. The new subwoofers can be adjusted from 0-to-10° which really helps control the low frequencies beam,” explained Jean-Marc.
Digging deeper into the technical benefits of the speakers and the sound system design, Pierre Le Cardinal, FOH Mixing Engineer at La Gaite Lyrique, added: “The ease of adjustment of the new variable curvature rigging system, which is based on a ‘logarithmic structure’ of inter-element angles, along with its reduced weight, bring a real added value allowing us to quickly implement different configurations for each audience – whether they are standing, sitting, using the telescopic bleachers opened or closed – within the Large Hall concert area. This new speaker installation perfectly meets our integration constraints for the concert hall, as well as our ambition for a qualitative evolution of the sound – thanks to a higher sound pressure level, more dynamic response, and better coverage definition across the entire audience.”
The Gaite Lyrique is entering a new era with this technological upgrade. The City of Paris has bestowed the management of this exclusive showcase for digital arts on SEGL. The new management of the Gaite Lyrique initiated deep changes in equipment and programming. “The Amadeus DIVA M² speakers allow us to confidently offer excellent sound reinforcement for every international artist who performs at the theatre and to satisfy the most demanding productions in various music genres including rap, pop or EDM, which are some of the centerpiece styles of our programming,” concluded Jean-Marc.
In 1862, the same year as Paris’ renowned Theater de la Ville and Theater du Chatelet were debuted to the public, the Theater de la Gaite Lyrique was also inaugurated. Nearly 150 years later, this important venue of Parisian culture was brought back to life after being closed to the public for over twenty years. In 2011, la Gaite Lyrique returned to the forefront of modern theater presentations under an initiative by Bertrand Delanoe, Mayor of Paris, and Christophe Girard, Deputy Mayor in Charge of Cultural Affairs, who were motivated by the desire to bring this leading venue of Parisian culture back to life. Within the modern theater building there are now 5 levels open to the public, and 2 private levels that host workspaces reserved for the artists. In total, the theatre has a capacity for 1,400 people.
“Since its reopening in 2011, the Gaite Lyrique has stood out by its commitment towards creation and innovation, establishing digital culture at the center of this Parisian undertaking, while at the same time meeting with a high level of acceptance from the public,” relayed Bruno Julliard, First Deputy Mayor of Paris.
“With the deep conviction that artists should play a part in the emergence of a more fraternal and collaborative society, the Gaite Lyrique will welcome all those who share this ambition, at the crossroads of artistic creation and scientific, technological and social innovation,” added Bruno. “The Gaite Lyrique is an extraordinary venue for the creation and the promotion of today’s music, whether amplified, DIY, experimental, immersive or international. It is a stepping stone of choice for voices whispered, raging, low-tech, or carried by the most advanced technologies in the field of sound and image.”
