Grande Halle de la Villette switches to L-Acoustics K3
- Details
A stunning example of 19th century cast iron and glass architecture, designed famous French architect Victor Baltard, the venue was originally an abattoir and was transformed into a multi-use space in 1985. The Grand Halle hosts diverse events including exhibitions, concerts, theatre shows and festivals. The annual Jazz à La Villette festival, hosted here, attracts more than 30,000 jazz enthusiasts every September.
The Grande Halle, which includes the 5,000 capacity Grand Halle, the Salle Charlie Parker and the Nave, was one of the first venues in the world to benefit from V-DOSC, L-Acoustics first full frequency line source array. Installed there in the mid-90s, the system offered more than 25 years of faithful service. When the venue’s team decided it was time for an upgrade, they chose to invest in the powerful yet compact K3. Supplied and installed by B Live, a mobile K3 system was chosen to deliver the versatility required by the Grand Halle’s diverse programme of events.
The Grand Halle’s 18,000m2 space is modulable, to accommodate a wide variety of events, from a cocktail party for 8,000 to a formal seated event for 4,000 visitors. K3 is the ideal solution, complementing the venue’s existing inventory of Kara II, X Series and SB28 subs, it also has the potential to be reconfigured according to the needs of the production, or deployed in other venues as needed.
For most of the year, the system is set up in a left, centre right configuration, with nine K3 per side flanking a centre hang of six K3. KS28 are deployed in cardioid configuration and surround is provided by four X12 per side. Following the installation, the team at the Grande Halle received a full week of training from L-Acoustics Application Engineer, Arnaud Delorme.
For this year’s Jazz à La Villette, technical director Daniel Matthews designed a configuration using the new system, working closely with head of audiovisual department, Olivier Olry, and freelance system engineer Valérien Langlais. The design comprised left / right main arrays of 12 K3 per side to limit reverberation, optimise coverage and deliver an even SPL across the entire audience area. Two Kara II per side are hung below the K3 for down-fill with a centre hang of six Kara II to help provide vocal clarity. AutoFIR array-processing was applied in groups of two K3. Four KS28 subs were flown in cardioid configuration.
A further two Kara II provide delay to ensure top level audio precision for the last rows of the audience close to the roof. X8 are positioned on the stage lip for front-fill. The system is controlled by LA12X amplified controllers on a redundant Milan AVB network and AES fallback. Processing is managed by a P1 processor.
“The quick and easy rigging system for K3 and KS28 is a big advantage for us,” says Olry. “It took no time to hang the system, and we quickly got used to using the Delta 1.5T accessory to remotely adjust the azimuth angle of the K3 lines from two rear motor points. It's a life changer as everything can be set, adjusted, and fixed at ground level.”
"We’ve had great feedback from visiting engineers,” adds Matthews. “K3 is a true full range system which responds very well from 40Hz with great coherence across the spectrum, and it sounds great straight out of the box.”
