Austria’s Bühne Baden — formally known as Theater Baden Betriebs – has improved its wireless microphone capabilities for its wide-ranging performance schedule with new Digital Hybrid Wireless technology from US-based wireless audio solutions provider Lectrosonics.
The storied theatre offers diverse performances, including spoken-word theatre, opera, operetta, musicals, plus classical, rock, and pop concerts. The theatre enlisted Austria-based TON Eichinger Professional Sound Systems to handle a wireless microphone system upgrade, as these are used on a regular basis.
Priorities for the new system included a solution that would mirror a new high-end digital mixing setup installed by the very same firm. What’s more the new transmitters needed to have resistance to perspiration and have slim, compact builds. With that in mind, Othmar Eichinger, TON Eichinger Professional Sound Systems’ technical director, specified a system that incorporated thirty Lectrosonics transmitters, including SMDB/E01 beltpack transmitters, HH/E01 handheld transmitters, and HM/E01 plug-on transmitters. On the receiving end, he chose a 24-channel Venue system consisting of four modular receiver mainframes, each stocked with six VRS receiver modules.
Eichinger explained that because the installation necessitated a big equipment rack with double receivers and splitters, plus extra antennas with combiners, Lectrosonics Venue receiver’s design was ideal as its 24-channels only accounted for four rack spaces.
“The Lectrosonics system delivers perfect sound with higher dynamic range—free from the sonic artifacts that wireless systems using a compandor frequently exhibit,” said Eichinger. “I also like the redundant powering of the SMDB transmitters and their very compact form factor, which makes them easy to hide on tight dancer’s costumes.”
“There is one additional feature that can’t be beaten,” Eichinger continued. “When actors unintentionally swap the transmitters, which can easily occur when multiple actors have identical costumes, and the sound guys don’t know about this, they can always set the correct frequency before the actors enter the stage via the Lectrosonics RM remote or the iPhone audio-remote app—without removing the transmitter from the costume!”
Eichinger finished: “The audio tech can receive actors in wardrobes without any extra antennas, whereas the previous installation used extra antennas near wardrobes plus antenna-combiners to be able to reach the required distance. Bühne Baden’s new Lectrosonics system has made a dramatic difference in all the theatre’s presentations.”
