An Allen & Heath GLD-112 digital audio mixer has been installed at the centre of the audio system in the new Wanhe Grand Theatre – the first of its kind ever built inside a large shopping mall in China.

Set inside the Wanhe Mall in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the venue covers an area of 1,500m² and can accommodate approximately 500 people with multi-functional facilities that can manage a host of events from concerts and arts performances to corporate presentations and lectures. The design brief was to provide audiences with an immersive experience based on advanced A/V technology with digital FX, and a discreet audio system with a small footprint and great sound quality.

The mixing system selected comprises A&H’s GLD-112 digital mixer in the audio control room, along with two AR0804 IO audio racks and an AR2412 IO rack is in the equipment room to receive any additional sources from the stage. The mixer and racks are connected via Cat5 cable to minimise wiring.

‘GLD is a fantastic system for this theatre,’ says EZpro Technical Manager Lian Xuejun, representing Allen & Heath’s distributor in China. ‘Not only does it have highly-efficient processing capability with low distortion and latency to ensure system reliability but it also features a high-quality FX library, which can really enrich the audience’s listening experience.’

Accompanying the mixing system EZpro supplied an EAW loudspeaker systems and Powersoft amplification.

The architectural layout of the venue brought unique challenges for its sound system design. Featuring nine 6m x 5m concave ceilings and a huge glass lighting fixture as its centrepiece, the structure inevitably suffers interference and focusing issues. ‘The concave surface directs the sound reflection to a specific area, making it louder here and there and almost impossible to achieve consistent coverage,’ Lian Xuejun explains.

After modelling the hall with EAW Resolution and Ease 4.0 software, he specified a house system comprising KF720 three-way line arrays with Powersoft M28Q and M50Q as his amplifiers of choice.

The system features left and right line arrays, each consisting of six KF720 modules, hung separately on the splayed walls on both sides of the stage, providing even coverage for the entire space. To meet the theatre’s aesthetic requirements, all subwoofers and monitors are hidden – six EAW NTS250 subwoofers, three on each side are mounted in the splayed walls. Four further EAW MK8126iU enclosures are unobtrusively installed on the proscenium wall, alongside four EAW VFM129 full-range loudspeakers acting as mobile stage monitors.

‘The nominal coverage angle of KF720 line array speakers is 110° x12°, which perfectly avoids the concave ceiling and help minimise interference and helps to improve the speech intelligibility,’ Lian adds.

To cater for other function needs, the theatre also installed eight EAW CR72z two-way, passive full-range loudspeakers on the side and back walls of the audience area to provide ‘immersive’ surround experiences.

All the speaker systems are controlled with an EAW UX8800 digital signal processor and powered by Powersoft M series digital amplifiers – three M28Qs and four M50Qs.

‘Powersoft was chosen mainly because of its outstanding high efficiency,’ Lian says. ‘With patented PFC technology, Powersoft amplifiers can adapt to a wide range of voltages and will not reduce the output even in very low voltage levels, ensuring maximum output in any circumstances. Besides, Powersoft M series amplifiers only take up a single rack unit – a very small footprint that allows for rapid heat dissipation and safe operation.’

Since it opened, the Wanhe Grand Theatre has hosted a variety of events including the Shanxi Qingqu Community Conference and a production of Cinderella.