The outlay in terms of equipment was considerable: the two systems had to cover all areas (and the entire staff) of the complex. For the 2,000-seater theatre alone this meant the two stage manager's desks (stage right and stage left), the lighting and sound control rooms, all doors, the engineer's room and the video production workstation. The stage manager system selected for the purpose was an RTS Telex BTR-700/TR-700 intercom system.
To cope with the elaborate communication requirements of the complex, the management decided on a Zeus matrix from Telex. Only two rack units in height, this compact digital matrix offers a range of possibilities, being equipped, for example, with a variety of keypanels to cater to the requirements of different types of workstation. The matrix is linked up to three BTR-700 intercom systems for mobile use by the stage manager as well as the sound and lighting directors.
A Dynacord ProMatrix system was selected for the public address. This system was tailored to allow announcements and audience recall signals to be directed to selected areas of the complex. The ProMatrix system is one of Europe's most successful solutions for paging, background music, announcements and alarms. In Germany alone, over 3,000 of these 100V systems have been installed, the company reports.
Before the system was commissioned in October, EVI Audio specialists Manuel Brico and Christian Ranker flew to Zagreb to apply the finishing touches. These included not only fine-tuning the Telex RTS and Dynacord software but also training the technicians who would be operating the equipment. Brico commented: "We created a solution that was 100% tailored to the needs of the house and with which the customer is 100% satisfied."
(Lee Baldock)
