Summary:
- The Box at Trilith LIVE installed a d&b audiotechnik Soundscape 180-degree spatial audio system powered by SL-Series, A-Series arrays, and the DS100 Signal Engine, using En-Scene object positioning and En-Space room emulation to maintain exceptional speech intelligibility, high clarity, and natural spatial perception without overwhelming the intimate room.
- The 2,200-seat, three-tiered venue wraps the audience up to 180 degrees around a thrust stage.
- Visiting sound engineers can supply standard Left/Right console mixes without needing specialized training in spatial audio.
Trilith LIVE, a premier entertainment complex within the visionary Town at Trilith in Fayetteville, GA, has completed a landmark acoustics and audiovisual installation at its crown-jewel venue, The Box. With architectural Acoustics and Audio-Video systems designed by Threshold Acoustics and AV integrated by 3G Productions, the multi-purpose theater features a comprehensive d&b audiotechnik Soundscape 180-degree system. Combining SL-Series line array loudspeakers and subwoofers, A-Series augmented arrays, and the DS100 Signal Engine running both En-Scene and En-Space software, the system delivers an incredibly pristine, intimate auditory experience that effortlessly adapts from high-energy rock shows to spoken word conferences and weekly worship services.
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The Box was inspired by Austin's legendary Moody Theater. The intimate, three-tier 2,200-seat venue features a stage thrust wrapping audience members 180 degrees, ensuring no seat is further than 75 feet away. To serve its diverse programming and primary Sunday tenant, Passion City Church, Trilith Live required a highly versatile, rider-friendly sound solution.
"We wanted to ensure that no matter where you sit, your experience is at the highest level," said Matt McClain, general manager and executive director of Trilith LIVE. "d&b audiotechnik stood out as the right provider. They are highly respected, and having this caliber of gear immediately puts touring engineers at ease."
Threshold's scope spanned the room itself and the systems within it to shape the theater's acoustics alongside the audio, video, and control infrastructure. To achieve complete coverage without overpowering the intimate room, the team specified a d&b Soundscape system. En-Scene object-based positioning aligns what the eyes see with what the ears hear, while En-Space room emulation adds natural sounding acoustics.
"The request for clarity and intimacy stretched from concerts to worship," said Maddie Daily, principal consultant at Threshold Acoustics. "Soundscape offers robust coverage regardless of SPL and we optimized the space using room mics fed through En-Space so congregants and audience members can hear each other singing along, fostering a community-oriented energy.“ Because Soundscape systems are producing audio from multiple loudspeakers simultaneously using both level and delay, the perception of loudness is very high while the measured SPL is lower than a traditional system.
Daily also noted that the system's exceptional broadband directivity control also helps mitigate reflections in the untreated theater, resulting in improved musical clarity and speech intelligibility for the listening audience.
The venue's physical versatility added further complexity. The Box features multiple mechanical stage lifts that transition from a proscenium stage to various thrust layouts allowing the venue to transition into a variety of configurations. Because these shifts alter the performance boundaries, front fills are built directly into the lifts. To address this, Threshold developed 15 distinct ArrayCalc files to map out coverage, allowing the staff to instantly reconfigure the PA profile via presets in d&b R1 Remote control software. The same flexibility guided the venue's video and control design, so a single room can serve a touring concert, a film screening, a corporate general session, or a Sunday service without reconfiguration becoming a production in itself.
"The nice thing about Soundscape is that visiting engineers don't need a crash course in spatial mixing," explained Jerrod Cring, director of integration at 3G Productions. "They can easily feed a standard left-right mix on the front end, and the DS100 processor handles the Soundscape distribution seamlessly so acts immediately get perfect, even coverage. The ultimate compliment is when a major touring act rolls up with five trucks of gear, and all of their P.A. equipment stays on the trucks. That’s one of the benefits of choosing d&b audiotechnik.”
