The Coopers Malthouse in Melbourne has had a technical upgrade of its audio system with integrators Norwest Productions installing an L-Acoustics X Series loudspeaker system.
The venue was originally built in 1892 as a brewery and malting works, but has been home to the Malthouse Theatre since 1990. Today, the theatre presents mainly cabarets and musicals, but also plays, conferences and seminars.
The venue is run as a non-profit organisation, so budget was a major criterion in the choice of a system. The Coopers Malthouse consists of three theatres (with respective seating capacities of 500, 200 and 100), rehearsal studios, meeting rooms, a bar and a café. Seating configurations in each theatre change depending on the performance criteria, so the new system also needed to be flexible and easily reconfigured.
In choosing the new system, weight limitations and the venue’s low ceiling steered the decision towards L-Acoustics’ new coaxial range, the X Series.
“The new L-Acoustics X Series loudspeakers caught our eye, given their size, weight and the fact that they satisfied all our criteria,” said Baird McKenna, technical manager at Malthouse Theatre. “We were a little nervous at first, because they are a new range and this was possibly the first theatre installation in the world to use them, but the fantastic reliability of the previous L-Acoustics system gave us the confidence that they were the right choice.
“Norwest reassured us that quality and reliability is paramount in the design and development of L-Acoustics products. It gave us further confidence that we were making the right choice.”
Supplied by Hills Limited, the new system comprises eight L-Acoustics X12 for main front of house sound, four X8 delays, six 5XT with two SB15M subs for front fill, and two SB18M subs in addition to the MTD subs from the previous system. Five LA4X amplified controllers power and control the system.
“Approvals for this major sound system upgrade were received in 2015, and the system had to be installed by the end of January 2016. We worked closely with L-Acoustics to meet the deadline,” said Gerry Gavros, brand manager (Pro and Commercial Audio) at Hills Limited.
