Led by Head of Sound, Daniel Ronayne, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre recently undertook a comprehensive upgrade of its sound system, based on EM Acoustics’ product catalogue.
‘Our existing system was due for an upgrade – it was around 30 years old and composed of many different products from different brands,’ Ronayne says. ‘We had hired a demo rig from EM Acoustics for past productions, such as our yearly panto, and wanted to make these products a permanent feature of the theatre and the audience experience.’
It was a serious decision for a busy theatre but, following a trial period, the EM Acoustics option proved an easy one: ‘By having the system on a six-week run of our panto all the key decision-makers at the Lyric had the opportunity to hear the difference for themselves and it was clear that these loudspeakers are in a class of their own,’ Ronayne explains. ‘We all agreed on the full upgrade with EM Acoustics.’
Built in the late 19th century, the London theatre was later demolished and relocated, piece by piece, to its current location. The auditorium retains its traditional appearance and, while a powerful sound system with plenty of headroom was required, it was also important that the loudspeakers blend into the space.
‘The in-house team and I were responsible for system design and installation,’ Ronayne says. ‘We worked with EM Acoustics’ Greg Clarke, who made recommendations on how to get the best out of the system.’
The new PA is designed around EM Acoustics’ Reference Series. Six R10s and two R8s make up the main FOH system, rigged on the proscenium in a stalls left-right, circle left-right and upper circle left-right configuration, with a centre cluster for enhanced coverage. Low frequencies are handled by four S-215 subwoofers.
Complementing the Reference series, six EMS-61s are installed under the balcony for stalls delay and in the circle for fill, given the challenges of configuring a delay in this area of the Lyric. Finally, four EMS-51Xs provide front fill and a further four provide delay to the upper circle. Six pre-existing EMS-61s are arranged in pairs on each level for surround sound. Three eight-channel EM Acoustics Di20D amplifiers drive all loudspeakers.
‘Being able to run it all off of just three amplifiers is definitely a benefit,’ Ronayne says. ‘It’s easy to deal with technically and easy to teach others how to work it too. Plus, we’re using a lot less rack space.’
Alongside efficiency improvements, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre team have also found an added sense of confidence thanks to their new audio system. ‘There’s not much tinkering or thinking you need to do when you’re using EM Acoustics,’ Ronayne says. ‘It just sounds great, with very little to no EQ, which is one of the best compliments I can give.’
Ronayne and the team also cite EM’s software platform and Dante compatibility as a big advantage following years of needing to tweak things manually.
While the R10 is not a small loudspeaker, its sleek form factor means they’re hardly noticeable on the proscenium, leading a visiting Sound Designer to remark that they couldn’t quite believe what they were hearing.
As a producing house, thet heatre crafts all its own shows and co-productions. The new system is already being put to the test on a wide range of material, from quiet plays to loud movie-like performances.
‘No matter what comes out of the loudspeakers, it sounds sweet,’ confirms Ronayne. ‘It is also highly scalable. For example, our production of Minority Report required really impactful sound reinforcement, so we added 10 R10s and a pair of S-15 subs to the stage with three DQ20 amps, which has been seamless as the whole EM Acoustics portfolio has this great unified sound.’
Looking to the future, the theatre continues to stage new and more ambitious productions with confidence, in the knowledge that they are backed by a commandin audio system. ‘EM Acoustics have been really supportive of us, and the upgrade has further enhanced our ongoing relationship,’ concludes Ronayne. ‘It’s great to know everything you’re hearing in the theatre is EM Acoustics and sounds incredible.’
More: www.emacoustics.co.uk
