When Prague’s Queen tribute band Queenie set out to collaborate with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, they needed to find a means of combining the impact of stadium rock while allowing a full symphony orchestra to maintain its own clarity and presence. They found the solution in L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology.
Working with Pink Panther, a major Czech touring company and L-Acoustics K2 Partner, Czech Certified Partner Pro Music proved the concept over two sold-out nights at Prague’s O₂ Arena with Queenie Relived: The Philharmonic for 30,000 fans.
Since 2006, Queenie have earned international recognition for their authenticity, performing more than 1,400 concerts worldwide, including seven sold-out O₂ Arena shows, and the Montreux Jazz Festival. But this presented them with their greatest technical challenge to date.
‘Traditional stereo reinforcement would have forced us to choose between the orchestra getting buried under the rock mix, or the rock losing its punch,’ says Pro Music CEO, Daniel Krčmář. ‘L-ISA gave us a third option: spatial separation that let both elements exist without compromise.’
The breakthrough came through L-ISA’s object-based approach. Rather than fighting for the same sonic space, each orchestral section was positioned and amplified to preserve its natural timbre, then distributed spatially across the system. Meanwhile, Queenie’s rock elements maintained their characteristic power and punch through dedicated positioning.
Using L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D simulation, the Pro Music team pre-modelled the O₂ Arena’s acoustics to optimise coverage and predict the balance between orchestral clarity and rock power - critical for a venue where every seat needed identical immersive impact.
Pro Music’s deployment centred on five hangs of 18 K2 line array speakers across the stage, forming the main Scene system. To create width and depth, two extensions of 21 Kara II per side provided an exceptionally wide soundscape, while a further fill hang of 15 Kara II per side ensured complete coverage for the vast arena.
Low-end came from two centre-flown arrays of ten KS28 subs each, reinforced by eight ground-stacks of KS28 pairs in cardioid configuration, with 15 Kara II for spatial front fill and localisation. Processing was by a L-ISA Processor II running on a Milan-AVB network, with amplification via partially flown LA-Rak II units.
The spatial design allowed audiences to localise every instrument, from screaming electric guitar solos to delicate woodwind phrases, while experiencing them as a single cohesive performance. Each orchestral section retained its classical character while supporting, rather than competing with, the band’s rock energy.
‘L-ISA allowed us to build layers of sound with clarity and precision,’ Krčmář continues. ‘The audience felt the rock energy at its full intensity, but heard the orchestra as an essential performance element, not just background music. That created true audio immersion – that would be impossible with a traditional stereo system.
‘Queenie are masters of their craft, and the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava are among the finest orchestras in the Czech Republic, Bringing them together required technology that could respect both musical worlds. With L-ISA, we didn’t just reinforce the show; we shaped it into something bigger than the sum of its parts. It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance.’
More: www.l-acoustics.com