According to the AV systems integrator for the project, the current primary use of the venue is for musical theatre. However, Song Dae-young, general director of the Sohyang Arts Centre, insisted in planning that the hall acoustics and sound system be able to handle a wide variety of events. In light of that requirement, Constellation was a logical solution for the space.
The Constellation system at Sohyang is designed to create ambient acoustic environments ranging from an intimate chamber music hall to a vast cathedral. The system is built on Meyer Sound's D-Mitri digital audio platform and uses 40 miniature microphones, 157 small mid-high loudspeakers, and 12 compact subwoofers.
The D-Mitri core of the system comprises 17 frames, including four DVRAS processors (for the four acoustical zones) plus additional frames for core processing, input/output, GPIO, mixing, and WildTracks digital recording and playback. The precisely positioned loudspeaker assortment includes MM-4XP, UPM-1P, and UP-4XP loudspeakers, UPJunior and UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers, and the UMS-SM subwoofer, all of which are concealed around the side walls and overhead.
Acoustic flexibility is a high priority for the space, explains Song. "I asked the Constellation team to provide six presets with enhanced reverberation times from 1.3 to five seconds," he says. "I know five seconds is not necessary, but it does demonstrate to some guests how dramatically Constellation can change the reverberation time."
The Constellation system equips the venue with settings for unamplified orchestral concerts. It can also be used with the theatre's Meyer Sound main reinforcement system for anything from jazz to classic rock musicals.
Since its opening, the hall has hosted a steady stream of events, including screenings for the Busan International Film Festival, the musicals Chicago, Mamma Mia!, and Les Misérables, and the Korean musical Kwanghwamun Younga.
"When the Les Misérables team visited the hall, they were impressed by both the Constellation and PA system," says Song. "They decided not to bring their own equipment for reinforcement."
The Avix Tech team responsible for system integration and installation was headed by Lee Sung-bok, project manager, with support from Eric Han, senior engineer, and Tom Jung, who served as project communicator and translator.
(Jim Evans)
