When it came to upgrading the audio system at popular dinner theatre Wallmans Oslo, technical manager Raymond Hem contacted avon – VUE Audiotechnik’s Scandinavian distributor, and premier Oslo/Trondheim-based system designer – to specify a new solution.
Highly regarded as one of the largest and most popular dinner shows in Norway, Wallmans Oslo offers an immersive dining and entertainment experience that includes a nightly gourmet four-course dinner, nine different performances, and a lively after-show party.
The goals for the Wallmans audio update were fairly straightforward: deliver concert-grade sound quality that would appeal to the growing roster of discerning talent and guests, offer exceptional fidelity with ample headroom and low frequency extension to address a broad mix of music styles, and be up and running in time for the unveiling by May 2018.
“Many customers attempt to influence installs with their knowledge of home audio, but Raymond is a highly regarded FOH technician with more than 4,000 shows at Wallmans, 2entertain and other venues throughout Norway,” explained avon’s lead system designer and co-founder, Edgar Andraa Lien. “Raymond is a true pro audio guy who knows exactly what needs to be changed, added or adjusted, without being distracted by details that simply burn time and energy.”
Drawing upon numerous prior successes with VUE’s al-Class line arrays, the avon solution consists of left and right hangs of six mid-format al-8 elements each. The avon team incorporated custom fly bars to save both weight and space. A total of three VUE al-8SB subwoofers are stage-stacked for low-frequency support. Front fill and out fill coverage comes courtesy of seven VUE a-10 full-range systems, with an additional four VUE i-8 compact full range systems providing delay.
Line arrays, subs and support speakers are all powered by a total of five VUEDrive V6-d Series Systems Engines. Both Dante and analogue signals are fed to the VUEDrive units from a Soundcraft Vi-3000 console at front of house. All 30 V6 output channels are in use, with full user control available from the front panel of the rackmount VUEDrive units, or remotely via iPad or Mac.
Wallmans’ all-VUE solution has been up and running for just over a month, and feedback so far has been universally positive.
“The VUE speakers offer so much detail that my mix really comes to life,” remarked FOH technician Sigmund ‘Sigge’ Rønning. “The al-8 is virtually invisible to my ears. It has a wide-open voice that allows me to place the source of the sound right where I want it in the mix. I’m free to create an experience where sound is coming from something on stage, rather than from a speaker hanging above or to the side of the stage. I have never experienced anything like this before.”
Technical manager Raymond Hem added: “With great help from avon, we now have a speaker system that covers all 600 seats equally. The transition between top and sub is just amazing. I wanted a system with better definition in the low end than before, and I must say that VUE delivers way beyond my expectations.”
