Since the start of the 2017/18 season, the Zurich Opera House has excellent sound equipment, using LAWO technology. A new mixing console and sound control room aim to make it easier to prepare and mix in the hall. The mc2 series are compatible with a wide range of uses and ensure an unforgettable listening experience.
New Lawo technology in the Zuerich Opera House
The Opera House had already relied on LAWO technology. Now the mc256 model replaces the mc266. It is structured as a mirrored console, and simplifies the use of snapshots, adjustments on all consoles. Even Microport systems can be quickly and easily prepared, used, and mixed. A mc256 with 48 faders and a mc256 with 16 faders are put to use as hall consoles and complement the existing technology. The consoles hardly take up any space and can be used in tight spaces. Both consoles have a common core, and have been expanded with Gold Bundle, Wave SoundGrid, and an additional Dante card. Both consoles can be used standalone or in two-person operation so that, for example, recordings are activated and controlled from the sound control room while the auditorium console is used as part of the sound reinforcement system. The capacity of the redundant routing card is 8192 x 8192 mono channels; four DSP cards provide 192 DSP channels of processing.
3D-Sound with IDMT technology
The work for technicians at Zurich Opera House is eased by additional technology using Wave Field Synthesis (WFS), in which 32 possible listening positions are controlled via the Lawo consoles. The large matrix, a routing system from LAWO, is another addition. It enables easy integration of 3D Sound SSW (Spatial Sound Wave) from Fraunhofer IDMT for Surround and Spatial Acoustic Applications (Fraunhofer IDMT für Surround- und raumakustische Anwendungen) – currently 88 channels. This ensures all surround and spatial acoustic applications can be perfectly used and offer every visitor and audience member an outstanding sound experience. The IDMT technology enables all object-based audio playback and generates an extended sweet spot as compared to conventional playback systems, as well as the ability to create audio productions compatible with any loudspeaker setup.
