d&b audiotechnik has supplied an XSL and U-Series sound system for Sibelius Hall in Lahti, Finland, home to the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. The 1,250-seat venue, completed in 2000, hosts several hundred events each year, spanning classical music, amplified performances, speech and multipurpose productions.
The previous system was struggling to deliver consistent tonal quality across different types of content. Technical producer Jukka-Pekka Nissinen said the hall needed greater versatility for productions such as pop and rock performed with the symphony orchestra. Technical manager Jukka Kaunisto also highlighted the challenges posed by the main hall’s reverberant acoustics, bowl-shaped rear seating area, reflections and on-stage sound build-up.
The system, installed by Oulun Kongressitekniikka Oy, uses XSL8 loudspeakers and XSL-SUBs for the main left and right arrays, supported by two SL-SUBs at the front of the stage. U3 point sources provide front-fill, balcony delays and additional fill, alongside Y7P and Y10P loudspeakers. d&b’s ArrayProcessing software was used to address the hall’s seating geometry.
The U-Series also supports the venue’s requirement for flexible deployment. Touring racks and carts allow loudspeakers and amplifiers to be moved between the main hall, lobby and congress centre as required. Nissinen said the system was designed to remain in the main hall for most events while allowing parts of it to be redeployed elsewhere in the venue.
Following auditions of several systems, the venue selected d&b, with cardioid performance, software and serviceability among the considerations.
Nissinen said: “Reputation, reliability, service, and especially the software were big factors.”
He added that staff familiarity with the d&b ecosystem and the XSL system’s balance of price, performance and size made it suitable for the venue.
The new system is designed to provide more controlled on-stage sound and consistent coverage for audiences, while supporting the dynamic range required for amplified music and the clarity needed for speech and orchestral performances. The venue’s team was particularly impressed by the U3 during a demonstration, with Nissinen recalling that the audition lasted around 15 minutes before they were convinced.
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