Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Symphony at Sunset concert series—one which atrracts upwards of 20,000 guest—brought enhanced sound to concert-goers this summer. The venue upgraded to a d&b audiotechnik SL-Series loudspeaker system which was designed and deployed by Gearforce. The new SL-Series broadband cardioid technology reduced on-stage noise for the performers and simultaneously mitigated bleed into neighboring communities, while ArrayProcessing ensured consistent, high-quality sound to the sound to the crowd seated across the expansive outdoor waterfront venue.
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There were acoustic challenges, including long throw distances, potential wind interference, and the need to minimize noise disturbances to nearby residents. As Robert Nevalainen, founder and chief system designer of Gearforce, explained that two years prior Vancouver Symphony challenged Gearforce to create an ideal listening experience where each audience member, front row or in the furthest seats, could hear the orchestra with equal clarity. "People have been conditioned to believe that if they sit further away, it's just not going to sound as good, but d&b audiotechnik gives us the tools to address that," he explained. "Their proprietary and optional ArrayProcessing function compensates for varying temperature and humidity considerations in the field and enables us to provide consistent tonal balance and even level distribution over the entire audience area."
The VSO had previously relied on a sound system that required delay towers in the middle of the audience. These towers were visually disruptive and the older system did not provide adequate coverage or consistent sound quality throughout the venue."The VSO disliked the reliance on delay towers and they were skeptical that we’d be able to achieve full coverage without use of them," continued Nevalainen. "We've built their trust over the years on various projects and deployed a d&b audiotechnik V-Series system with ArrayProcessing the first year of Symphony at Sunset. With V-Series, we easily achieved the throw necessary to completely and evenly cover the outdoor venue.
"While VSO was happy, Nevalainen wasn't prepared to rest on his laurels, "What we deploy somewhat relies on available inventory," said Nevalainen. "So, when Gearforce took delivery of a d&b XSL loudspeaker system, I knew we could improve the performance even further.”
The first improvement addressed concerns voiced by the orchestra. "Orchestral musicians can be sensitive to the on-stage noise that emanates from most loudspeakers, and they typically don't like performing with a PA," commented Nevalainen. "When they discovered that the XSL system could do everything that their V-Series system could, and because XSL offered superior broadband cardioid pattern control, we were able to reduce the stage volume as well. They found this very appealing."
The quieter stage presented by the XSL system also had an unexpected benefit for VSO mix engineer, James Perrella. "Aside from having the reliably excellent sound of a d&b audiotechnik system, broadband directional control also helped on-stage with gain before feedback concerns," he explained. "I was able to capture the orchestra using wide-patterned microphones—without worrying about feedback. The results were similar to those I get when using omni-directional mics while recording. I could build the mix with the sound of the whole orchestra rather than isolated sounds of close microphones. It was a real joy."
Another improvement that the XSL system addressed was mitigating excessive audio bleed to the high-end residential properties located nearby. "Symphony at Sunset was staged right by expensive beachfront property, and whether it's the symphony or not, the neighbors are sensitive to any noise they hear," Nevalainen explained. "By using ArrayCalc to carefully design an XSL system with its cardioid configuration, we accurately predicted where the sound would propagate while still maintaining maximum coverage across the performance area. I'm happy to say that we didn't just satisfy the bylaws, city representatives said this year's Symphony at Sunset series were the best-sounding events they've ever held there."
"While it's satisfying to know that our upgrade to SL-Series this year was well received by the city, the VSO, and James Perrella, it really wouldn't matter without a positive response from the audience; VSO's audiences are very discriminating,” stated Nevalainen. “On that note, I have a funny anecdote to share: With their previous sound system, the VSO always felt the need to place someone at front of house to run interference for the mix engineer by fielding complaints. At first, they insisted that we have that person present for our installation, but after using their new d&b audiotechnik system for a while, they heard only compliments and realized he wasn't necessary anymore."