L-Acoustics L-ISA technology has been installed at Paris’s Théâtre de la Ville, one of France’s most historic and prestigious theatres, which featured Sarah Bernhardt for almost two decades and staged the first play by Jean-Paul Sartre. Following a seven-year refurbishment to equip the 19th century building with 21st century innovation, it is now able to offer L-ISA immersive experiences via its BLive-installed sound system.
As part of a wider refurbishment, the venue embarked on a number of visits to immersive system demos in collaboration with L-Acoustics Certified Partner BLive. Optimal audio was the primary goal, but other considerations were weight restrictions and placement limitations due to the historical architecture and a need for versatility to address the range of productions. Throughout its 150-year history, it has staged all manner of productions and today is known for modern dance, theatre and world music.

Théâtre de la Ville concluded that L-Acoustics L-ISA technology was the best fit, landing on a 20.1. Scene System of five hangs of two SB15m over eight Kiva II with a centre-flown cluster of six KS21 subwoofers.
Thirteen X8 hung around the sides of the venue, balcony edge and ceiling provide surround sound to the parterre while 17 further 5XT speakers nestled in the walls provide surround sound to the under-balcony seats.
Five LA7.16i amplified controllers were specified for their low energy consumption and high channel count, which allowed for fewer rack space and less cabling. The LA7.16i was found to produce 30% less power consumption as compared to other similar systems.
Alexandre Tramontin of BLive, said: “The full surround configuration provides exceptional sound quality without compromising any of the space’s aesthetic splendour.”
A vital element of the success of the project was the close collaboration between Théâtre de la Ville and BLive, which took an especially proactive role in helping the theatre to achieve the desired results.
Benoit Goupillon, sound manager, Théâtre de la Ville concluded: “We are very happy with the support from L-Acoustics on this project. They proposed a relevant and elegant solution, in the face of significant technical and artistic constraints, and considered our concern for the current environmental context. After several months of intensive use, we are proud to have this system, which in our opinion presents a major evolution in the quality of sound reinforcement for shows, with subtlety and efficiency.”