LD Systems loudspeakers have been installed across five floors for a production of Masquerade, an immersive reinterpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera, in New York City. The production takes place on 57th Street in Manhattan, in the former Lee’s Art Shop, which has been remodelled into a multi-storey venue.
Instead of fixed seating, audiences move freely through the building across different floors, each presenting different settings from ballrooms to catacombs. Sound designer Brett Jarvis was responsible for the audio system and he selected over 1,000 loudspeakers.
The system comprises around 660 CURV 500 satellites, 186 DQOR units and over 80 MAILA array systems. Additional equipment includes MAUI i1 in-line speakers, CFL in-ceiling systems and ICOA PRO SUB 21 A subwoofers. A pair of ANNY 8 Bluetooth PA speakers was also deployed.
The set-up is driven and controlled by 68 IPA 424 T 4-channel installation amplifiers, each equipped with an X-EDAI Ethernet & Dante expansion card to integrate components into the existing Dante network.
LD Systems says the venue’s requirements for the audio included uniform sound distribution across differently designed rooms, speech intelligibility at multiple angles, minimal susceptibility to feedback with headsets and lavalier microphones, natural high-frequency reproduction for classical arrangements, and low-frequency reproduction for organ sounds. The loudspeakers were integrated into the scenery to maintain the immersive experience, with audiences often positioned close to performers.
Jens Kleinhuis, pro audio field application engineer with the Adam Hall Group, which owns the LD System brand, said: “From the very first meeting with sound designer Brett Jarvis and Andrew Lloyd Webber producer Lee McCutcheon, it became clear that we had to pull out all the stops for Masquerade.“
Ivan Klepac, integrated systems field application engineer, added: “This project was anything but ordinary. We have supported Brett and his team at all levels to help them realise the full potential of the LD Systems portfolio. Our project support team was available around the clock to help solve installation issues. Working closely with other departments such as mechanical engineering and R&D, we were able to ensure a smooth set-up and configuration.”
Rob Olsen, sales director for Adam Hall North America, added: “Brett Jarvis was faced with the challenge of providing five completely different floors with a stable and consistent sound throughout. When he discovered the LD Systems product range, tried it out and heard it at the Adam Hall headquarters, he knew he had found the perfect solution.”
