The opening of a new multi-million euro concert and conference venue, the Kodály Centre, marks the culmination of Hungarian city Pécs’s tenure as a European Capital of Culture.
Inaugurated by Hungarian president Pál Schmitt, state secretary of culture Géza Szőcs and Pécs mayor Zsolt Páva, the multi-purpose venue was opened on the 128th anniversary of eminent Hungarian composer and music teacher Zoltán Kodály’s birth, after whom the centre is named.
Featuring a total area of 11,000sqm, the extensive new facility includes a 999-capacity concert hall, recording studio, two conference rooms (one which also functions as a ballet room), rehearsal rooms, changing rooms and offices for the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra (pictured).
Yamaha audio equipment has been installed throughout the venue by Budapest-based audio specialists Interton Electroacoustics. The specification includes: PM5D, M7CL-48ES, LS9-32 and DM2000-VCM digital mixing consoles; MG206c and MG166c analogue consoles; five SB168-ES stage boxes; HS80M, HS50M and HS10W powered reference monitors, plus MY16-ES64 and MY16-EX Ethersound interface cards.
“The PM5D is the main front of house console, the M7CL-48ES is used primarily for monitors, where it can be can be placed in four different positions. But it can also be used as the FOH mixer,” said Interton design engineer Ferenc Volár. “There is a full Ethersound network throughout the building, so it’s straightforward to move the consoles, if required, and it makes the use of the SB168-ES stage boxes very versatile.”
The LS9 will be used for smaller conferences in the main hall, while the analogue consoles will be employed in the conference and rehearsal rooms. The studio, which features the DM2000, is primarily being used to record concerts from the main hall via EtherSound, but can also record from the largest rehearsal room.
Volár summed up: “Yamaha produces reliable, world-wide acclaimed equipment and it is also a big advantage that, for visiting engineers, the mixers are well-known in the industry. Both the venue and we are very happy with the system. It’s working just as we planned.”
