M Series Ensures Flexibility at Sydney Opera House
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The courtyard at the famed Sydney Opera House was recently transformed into a spectacular open-air performance space, set against the stunning backdrop of the "white sails." The Forecourt had been used previously for New Years Eve celebrations and special concerts during the Sydney Olympics. While in past years rented sound reinforcement was acceptable, this new use demanded a dedicated production setup that was flexible enough to meet the variety of performances and configurations planned for the space. In keeping with the high standards associated with this prestige venue, a Meyer Sound M Series system was chosen. Prior to selecting the Meyer Sound system, the Sydney Opera House sound department, headed by David Claringbold, carried out comparison tests of leading loudspeaker brands. The Meyer Sound system was judged to have the best sound and performance during the tests, and came with the added bonus of complementing the large quantity of Meyer Sound loudspeakers already installed in the Opera House. "We were keen to listen to as many of the new systems available, line arrays or otherwise, to make sure that we were doing the best thing, as this was a significant investment," says Claringbold. "The Meyer system was quite simply the best sounding and the most flexible." The system was supplied by Meyer Sound Australia, and designed in consultation with the Sydney Opera House and Greg Linhares of the Meyer Sound design services team. The system comprises 20 M2D Compact Curvilinear Array loudspeakers, six M2D-Sub Compact subwoofers, four M3D Line Array loudspeakers and four M3D-Sub Directional subwoofers. The latter are particularly useful in allowing events to utilize powerful, full bandwidth sound, despite rigorous noise restrictions imposed by planning authorities. The nearest residential block is 50 meters from the rear of the main stage, and without the directional benefits of the M3Ds and M3D-Subs the shows could have been seriously compromised. "We were able to tickle 115 dB A at front-of-house during testing and stay within the guidelines of less than 90 dB A at the nearest residential point," Claringbold explains. "This, combined with the ability to interface existing systems and expand our rig with M3Ds hired from Sydney's CODA Audio, was a major influence on our decision to continue our excellent relationship with Meyer Sound." The Forecourt, which can accommodate up to 6,000 patrons, can be configured in a number of different ways, according to the type of production being staged. "Using Meyer Sound MAPP Online we looked at three different possible stage locations and audience sizes," says Meyer Sound Australia's Steve Devine. "The system had to be flexible enough to handle all of these, plus a variety of acts from acoustic, electric, symphonic and/or operatic. It also had to be easy to interface to additional M3Ds hired in for larger events, with the added provision that it should also be possible to use it in the Concert Hall, where it is already receiving rave reviews." Part of the hand-over process of the new system included a three-day line array training course for the opera houses' audio operations staff, given by Mauricio Ramírez, Meyer Sound's technical education coordinator. The first two days consisted of theory, with a final day of practical, hands-on experience. As the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall was dark on this day, participants were able to connect to Meyer Sound MAPP Online to develop a design, then set it up and align and verify the performance of the system using SIM System II FFT Analyzer. Meyer Sound's consultant engineer Dave Dennison came to Sydney to carry out part two of the hands-on training, setting up and tuning various system configurations in the Forecourt. "As with all our dealings with Meyer Sound, they provided a significant educational input to enable our technicians to maximize the system performance in all the various configurations," says Claringbold. "Dave Dennison was outstanding in bringing his field experience to enable us to achieve the highest quality result. We are now using MAPP Online extensively to assist in our predictions for all system configurations in all our halls." The Forecourt opening season included the Sundown Carnival, featuring Australia's top country artists; an appearance by British funk band Jamiroquai, who played to a sell-out audience; and Symphony Under the Sails featuring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a concert that they declared their best ever amplified result. Other events included Testimony, an Australian-conceived tribute to the life and music of Charlie Parker staged on a five-story scaffold and featuring the 18-piece Australian Art Orchestra. A large-scale performance piece entitled Sticky is planned for January as part of the Sydney Festival, and the Forecourt will also be used in 'intimate' mode for a 900-seat theatre presentation, Incognita. The Meyer Sound M Series products are ensuring that this diverse program of events enjoys consistently excellent live sound, whatever the show. January, 2003 |
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