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Freiburg's "Quick-Change Artist" Rolf Böhme Hall Features Flexible Meyer Sound M'elodie System
Known as the "Quick-Change Artist," the Rolf Böhme Hall of Germany's famed Freiburg Concert Hall was designed for utmost versatility. In different configurations, Rolf Böhme Hall hosts performances of the SWR Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden and Freiburg and other concerts, banquets and congresses. The Rolf Böhme Hall is now equipped with a Meyer Sound M'elodie line array loudspeaker system to deliver superior sound quality and fully support the flexibility of this world-class concert hall. Management realized Rolf Böhme Hall's former distributed system with three delay lines no longer met the venue's speech intelligibility, even coverage and sound quality requirements. Having spent a year testing many different systems, Freiburg's master of event technology Thomas Schnitzer finally found what he was looking for. "Because of the extreme flexibility of the venue, it is not easy to set up an adequate sound system in this hall," reports Schnitzer. "The Meyer Sound system was the only one that really worked." Rolf Böhme Hall is frequently reconfigured depending on the needs of a presentation. For concerts, the floor can be arranged in 24 tiers, providing a tiered viewing area for the audience, while the wood panels on the sides can be opened forming side galleries with permanently mounted tiers. During congresses, the galleries are lifted up and closed, making room underneath for additional seating. The stage can be extended from nine to 17 meters (10 to 18 yards) deep and it can be lowered to ground level when necessary. "There is also a reverberation time of two and a half seconds," adds Schnitzer. "Nobody expected so many congresses to be held here where speech reinforcement is needed. Once in a while an orator would point to the microphone asking: 'Could you please stop the reverb?'" The core piece of the installed system is two arrays comprising ten M'elodie line array loudspeakers each. In addition, one flown UPA-2P loudspeaker per side is deployed for out fill. A low flown UPJ-1P VariO loudspeaker provides coverage for the seats situated underneath the side galleries when the hall is arranged in congress style seating. When moved slightly, the two UPJ-1Ps can be used for additional stage monitoring from above when the galleries are opened up in concert style seating. If required, four 600-HP subwoofers can be arranged in cardioid configuration, while six UPJunior VariO loudspeakers are used directly on stage. The system is driven by a Galileo loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616 processors. "Before installing the new system we had strong reflections coming from the side galleries. With the Meyer loudspeakers' varying rigging heights and sophisticated curving, now we can avoid this by turning the array by two to three degrees outwards. We are able to project the first reflections on the floor thereby generating a more pleasant overall sound," Schnitzer explains. "When the hall is arranged in congress style seating, however, the array is directed nearly straight into the room, while its curving hinders the sound from reaching the protruding side galleries on one hand and provides perfect sound for the tiers below the balcony on the other. Interfering delay lines are thus made redundant. "Now we have a sound system that delivers excellent speech intelligibility. The first concert sounded fabulous - no other system has ever come close to this," Schnitzer summarizes. "I also have to mention the easy operation the Galileo 616 provides, as well as the amazing support we received from the Meyer Sound Germany Tech Support Group. The new sound system has turned the Rolf Böhme Hall into an even greater venue." September, 2008 |
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