Meyer Sound News : Renovation and Meyer Sound Return Olympia Theater To Glory

Renovation and Meyer Sound Return Olympia Theater To Glory

"We popped a CD in and were amazed. Wherever you walked in the theatre the sound was crystal clear; there were no dead spots. There was a richness everywhere, which meant we were getting the sound to all areas of the auditorium....No matter where you sit, the theatre's amplified sound is as rich and rewarding as its natural acoustics."

- RJ Heisenbottle, architect

The Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Fla., first opened her doors in 1926 as an elegant silent movie palace. Built by renowned theatre architect, John Eberson, father of the "atmospheric" theatre, it has been a vaudeville stage, rock and roll venue, orchestra hall, and multi-purpose auditorium. Despite its intriguing history, time took a toll and the theatre deteriorated so badly that it only narrowly escaped the wrecking ball.

But the Olympia's fortunes changed, and it has just undergone an extensive renovation process to restore it to its original grandeur and bring it up to current technological specifications. Adding new technology in a historical building is inherently daunting, but when considering their sound system options for this space, which was not originally designed for amplified sound, the theatre chose to install a substantial complement of Meyer Sound loudspeakers.

The main phase of renovation was begun in 2000 under the direction of architect R.J. Heisenbottle in Coral Gables, Fla. Architectural restoration was clearly necessary and visibly daunting: Heisenbottle tells of unsightly dressing rooms; inadequate public restrooms; antiquated air conditioning, electrical and theatrical systems; leaking roofs; peeling paint and deteriorating plaster work.

Not only could the eye see that renovations were necessary, the ear could hear it. Heisenbottle and Jerry Kinsey, the theatre's technical director, recognized that an infusion of new technology was critical to meeting current theatre standards. The architect's goal was to provide a sound system commensurate with the room's natural acoustics. This led to the hire of the acoustical design firm of Artec Consultants Inc. of New York, N.Y. Having worked with Artec in the past, Heisenbottle was "impressed with their credentials, experience, methodology and commitment to quality projects."

Artec certainly had their work cut out for them. Retrofits pose distinct logistical challenges not faced in new buildings. Being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the management's most stringent prerequisite was that the historical and aesthetic integrity of the space be preserved. Special care would need to be taken during the renovation of the Olympia's interior, and modern technology would have to be integrated with historical architecture.

"Because of the vintage quality of the building, we had to minimize (the size of) the speakers," explains Artec audio designer Ben Bausher. This limited his loudspeaker choices. When Eberson originally designed the Olympia Theater, his intent was to give the illusion of sitting in an open Mediterranean courtyard at night. White clouds float across a dusky blue sky, and as darkness slowly falls, twinkling "stars" emerge to form a canopy over the elegant Mediterranean courtyard. Says Heisenbottle: "We didn't want to lose the atmospheric quality of the room." This made the design and placement of the loudspeakers vital. "While we accept technology and embrace it in new theatres, the speakers in the Gusman had to be unobtrusive so as not to block architectural detail, and at the same time not compromise sound quality," he adds.

To accommodate space restrictions on either side of the proscenium, and after considering a wide range of speaker manufacturers, Bausher chose the Meyer Sound M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers. When asked about his choice, Bausher explains, "We knew we wanted to use a line array because given the architectural requirements, we wouldn't have been able to get the desired coverage out of trapezoidal boxes. Since line array systems have a wider horizontal field of coverage than most trapezoidal systems, the speakers are panned towards the center of the room to avoid spill onto the walls. In addition to the size/performance factor, the superior pattern control of a line array was an added bonus. The fact that our architectural needs were addressed by a Meyer product was the icing on the cake. We weren't worried about trying to eke out our desired level of performance because we knew it would be a superior product out of the box."

To specify the system accurately, Bausher used Meyer Sound MAPP Online software, which allows designers to experiment with loudspeaker deployments in "what if" scenarios and then see accurate predictions in graphical form of how the proposed system will perform in a venue. His first time using the free tool, Bausher was amazed at its effectiveness. It enabled him to quickly determine that the theatre would need a hang of 14 M1D cabinets on each side of the stage.

The line arrays, as well as the rest of the Meyer Sound system, were supplied by Pro Sound of Miami to West Palm Beach, Fla.'s Peerson Audio, who managed the installation. In addition to the M1D loudspeaker's ideal size and coverage, Peerson's Steele Cooper liked the accessibility of the Meyer Sound solution, remarking, "The M1D line arrays come down to the floor on chain hoists so that they can be easily serviced."

To ensure the sonic image would appear to emanate from the performers onstage and not the hanging arrays, four Meyer Sound CQ-2 narrow coverage main loudspeakers were employed, two ground-stacked on each side of the stage, with a 650-P high-power subwoofer under each stack.

The theatre already owned six older, unpowered Meyer Sound UPA-1A loudspeakers, which the designer was able to incorporate into the design of the system, thus keeping down costs. Four were used for the stage sound system, with two per side in a high-side fixed position (one upstage and one downstage). The remaining two were installed left and right on the pit for side fills downstage. The side fills were powered by another Meyer Sound legacy product, an MS1000A amplifier.

This historical masterpiece theatre was saved from demolition through its purchase by philanthropist Maurice Gusman, in 1970, and now hosts a myriad of cultural opportunities. The Olympia's new sound system has made feasible a whole new range of performances that the previous audio system would not have supported. In the past, national acts brought their own equipment, but now that is not always necessary, which keeps costs down for the Gusman Center. Management's thinking is that the current specs will sell the theatre and create more bookings.

When designing and installing an audio system, the bottom line is always whether the customer is satisfied. In the case of the Olympia Theater, the answer to that question is gratifyingly clear. "The sound is fabulous," states the Olympia's audio engineer, Michael Feldman, adding "the clarity and coverage in the balcony is exceptional."

Heisenbottle is animated as he relates the first time he, Feldman and Kinsey heard the new sound system. "We popped a CD in and were amazed. Wherever you walked in the theatre the sound was crystal clear; there were no dead spots. There was a richness everywhere, which meant we were getting the sound to all areas of the auditorium. There was uniformity in the upper balcony and under balcony, as well as in the orchestra; it was truly exciting. No matter where you sit, the theatre's amplified sound is as rich and rewarding as its natural acoustics."

With the Olympia's interior restored and new Meyer Sound system in place, patrons are now enjoying an expanded range of theatrical and cultural events. The smooth jazz sounds of the New World School of the Arts, the graceful and introspective performances of the Maximum Dance Company, the exquisite voice of Luciano Pavarotti, the long-running Miami International Film Festival, and local high school graduations all have a place in the awe-inspiring venue. Eberson would be proud.

October, 2004