Martin Audio German rental partner, Kotsch-Showtechnik recently supplied sound reinforcement for classical music at the Schlosshofkonzert 2020.
In order to meet the Covid-19 requirements, the Gotha Thuringia Philharmonic Orchestra moved for three evenings into the beautiful courtyard of the baroque Friedenstein Castle in the German city. Here, taking into account the rules of distance, a baroque evening, an operetta gala and a concert with violin and grand piano were able to take place in front of an audience of 400.
Torsten Kotsch, owner of Kotsch Showtechnik and his team handled the sound and lighting design: ‘The dynamic range of a classical concert is far greater than at many rock concerts,’ he says. ‘Since the concerts were open-air, and not in a theatre or concert hall, we had to pay special attention to the correct set-up of the system.’
Martin Audio MLA Compact was used as the main PA, with the area in front of the stage covered with DD12 speakers, and CDD-Live8 loudspeakers were used as stage monitors.
‘I can connect all speakers via Martin Audio’s VU-Net and control and monitor them in the software,’ Kotsch explains. ‘Since we wanted to achieve the same sound experience at all seats, the mix of MLA Compact and DD12 was perfect. Both systems distribute sound homogeneously, ensuring all instruments are heard equally at all seats. The CDD-Live8s were used as stage monitors, as they have the same properties and are extremely compact.
‘The main PA was rigged continuously in the castle courtyard for a week. There was no rain on the three days of the event, but there was rain between the days. That didn’t make much difference to the system, however,’ he adds.
Due to the structural requirements in the castle, the FOH position had to be set 40m from the stage. In addition, the many reflective surfaces on and around the courtyard did not make mixing any easier. Here Kotsch used a special function of the MLA Compact to minimise reflections: ‘With Martin Audio’s proprietary MLA technology I am able to set a Hard Avoid preset, among other things. These areas are defined and identified beforehand in the software.
‘The preset for the speakers is then calculated so that as little energy as possible is emitted to these reflective surfaces.’ The result was outstanding, and classical music fans and artists alike praised the quality of the sound system. ‘One guest told me that he found the violins as soft as butter and was very satisfied with the sound. Overall, the conductor and the soloists were delighted with the monitoring. And that’s the kind of positive feedback you like to hear – especially in times such as this.’
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