dampb audiotechnik chosen for Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Published: ASIA
CHINA: A d&b audiotechnik Qi7 system has been installed into a new amphitheatre within the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The amphitheatre is set to be used for orchestral concerts and seminars.
Situated in close proximity to the Hong Kong Conference & Exhibition Centre, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) provides comprehensive and performance focused training for students who wish to become professional performers, composers and teachers of music. Hong Kong has seen a rapid and continuing expansion of the performing arts in recent years, with a corresponding rise in job opportunities. Courses in Chinese and Western music run side-by-side, with students choosing to major in a Chinese instrument, a western instrument, voice, or composition and electronic music. A mixture of dance, music, film and television, theatre and entertainment, arts, drama and Chinese traditional theatre are all extensively covered.
With the addition of the new amphitheatre at the Gloucester Road site, the HKAPA now boasts four theatres in total. The 180-degree fan shaped venue can host performances under natural daylight courtesy of a glazed roof, while the sunlight can be screened off by electronic shutters. Following a full speaker evaluation, the HKAPA management committee opted for a d&b audiotechnik Qi7 system to be installed into the space. The resulting configuration consists of single Qi7 and Qi Sub cabinets placed behind the proscenium as FOH L-R systems. This has been supplemented by a central cluster of three time-aligned Qi7 speakers in the overhead aluminium and steel beams catering to the side and rear seats. The speakers have been custom painted to match the metalwork.
‘We wanted a simple compact system for orchestral performances and video playback,’ explained chief sound technician Sanco Lee. ‘However, with this d&b system, we hardly need any outboard at all as the R1 software allows us to control the DSP parameters in the three D12 amplifiers remotely on a laptop.’ Elsewhere, a Yamaha DME24 digital media engine performs some speaker processing via the Yamaha IM8 analogue console, while Belden 1810A speaker cable was used throughout.
The Sound Works Supplies team who installed the loudspeaker system into the new amphitheatre configured the speaker system using EASE 4.2 simulation software in advance.