The Sydney Conservatorium of Music has completed a major audio upgrade to its heritage-listed Verbrugghen Hall, replacing a legacy PA system, installed at the turn of the century, with an Alcons Audio system from Loud And Clear Sales.
Part of the University of Sydney and founded in 1915 by Belgian conductor and violinist Henri Verbrugghen, is one of Australia’s oldest and most prestigious music schools, and landmark feature of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Originally constructed as stables for Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1821, the building was later converted into the Conservatorium, with extensive renovations in 2001 to accommodate its growing use.
The 528-seat concert Verbrugghen Hall is renowned for its exceptional acoustics, and requires little or no amplification for orchestral performances. It become increasingly unable to meet modern demands, particularly for speech and contemporary amplified performances, however.
The challenge was to deliver high intelligibility across the audience while preserving the hall’s architectural integrity and avoiding excessive acoustic excitation. Additionally, system components had to be lightweight – under 150kg/331lb per hang point – and visually discreet to maintain the hall’s Gothic aesthetic and historic features, including its century-old pipe organ.
To address these requirements, David Betterridge of Loud And Clear Sales, in collaboration with Drew Bisset Designs, proposed a LR Alcons Audio LR7/LR7B system covering the audience area, supplemented with VR5 front fills and BF362 bass extensions for performances requiring additional low-end support. ‘The modelling in Ease Focus suggested very even coverage, with excellent frequency response across all audience areas. As long as we could position the arrays precisely, the system would perform as intended,’ Betterridge says.
Collaboration with venue staff and specialist engineering ensured that hang points were provided where needed, respecting both structural limitations and sightlines. The system was subsequently installed and commissioned, and has already exceeded expectations.
‘As a classical hall originally designed for orchestral music, Verbrugghen Hall presents a distinct set of challenges for the growing number of events requiring live sound reinforcement,’ says Jarrad Salmon, Technical Production Manager at the Conservatorium. ‘The space is highly reverberant and was built long before modern production standards were considered, making it difficult to achieve clarity and coverage without compromising the venue’s structural integrity, sightlines, or limited stage space.’
The first use of the hall with the Alcons system came during an external client’s event, and staff were quickly impressed by the its speech intelligibility and overall performance.
‘As we explored options for a permanent installation, Alcons emerged as one of the few systems capable of meeting the quirks and constraints of the space, while remaining within budget,’ Salmon says. ‘Post-sales support from Loud and Clear has been outstanding, further reinforcing our confidence in the investment.’