hetpaleis, a prominent performing arts centre nestled in the heart of Antwerp, recently upgraded its audio infrastructure with L-ISA immersive audio by L-Acoustics, marking the first L-ISA installation in Flanders. When considering upgrading the theatre’s sound, hetpaleis reached out to Brussels-based L-Acoustics Certified Partner XLR, building on their successful collaborations on previous projects.
The new system needed to be at least 180° immersive, object-based, and ideally expandable to 360° in the future. It had to be fully compatible with both LR and LCR mixing to meet existing requirements and perfectly suited to the venue’s aural and acoustic needs.
XLR accompanied the theatre’s audio team to L-Acoustics headquarters in Marcoussis where the decision to implement L-ISA technology was solidified after a demo where the team experienced firsthand the immersive capabilities of L-ISA.
Products specified included nine 5XT spatial front-fills, two X8, and four KS21i, fed by two LA7.16i amplified controllers which receive signal input via redundant Milan-AVB from the L-ISA Processor II.
The biggest challenge was the deployment of the L-ISA configuration, as a result of limited clearance due to acoustic panels and sharing the tight space with the lighting department. To utilise the limited height in the most efficient way possible, holes were drilled in the acoustic panels to allow steel wires to connect to each array individually, instead of rigging them all to one lateral truss, which would have taken up valuable space. This allowed for five hangs of three A10, without disrupting sightlines from the top rows of the balcony, while still maintaining impressive SPL, throw and vertical coverage.
The front of the stage is curved outwards. This means that the coverage of the scene system is challenged at the outer seats of the first rows. With nine 5XT spatial front-fills, the immersive element of the mix is represented for those audience members that don’t receive full coverage from the scene system. One X8 per side on the proscenium helps to keep coverage 100% when a performance does not allow for front-fills.
Low end is delivered by a horizontal array of four KS21i flown behind the sound system, providing perfect coverage straight up to the balcony. Cardioid mode limits rear rejection, keeping the performers on stage comfortable.
The entire system is fed by two LA7.16i amplified controllers which receive signal input via redundant Milan-AVB from the L-ISA Processor II. The combination of A10 clusters and KS21 subs, with the LA7.16i amps providing each cabinet with its own amplifier channel offered a perfect solution for their budget.
“We immediately recognised the need to explore immersive, object-based mixing for our future sound system. L-Acoustics emerged as the optimal solution, meeting our specific criteria for immersive audio while remaining within budget,” said Bob Hermans, sound designer/engineer at hepaleis.
“The ability to place objects, and for everyone in the room to actually experience that placement is just phenomenal. To me, the difference with conventional dual mono LR and LCR systems is very significant. We recently experimented with a Zactrack system that tracks actors’ positions on stage, and the L-ISA Processor automatically translates these positions to the system’s respective speakers, resulting in a very realistic listening experience. We hope to do this more often in the future.”
Nico Devroe, area sales manager at XLR, added: “The feedback from the theatre’s team has been overwhelmingly positive. They are extremely satisfied with the power and distribution of the audio, and they are pleased with the non-intrusive installation that delivers such an immersive sonic experience.”
