"In a concert hall of this calibre, with its truly exceptional natural acoustics, there are limitations on what can be done in terms of sound reproduction," says Klaus-Peter Groß, Berlin Philharmonic Hall's audio engineer.
Provided by Berlin-based Werner Audi, the completed system is a multi-faceted design that creates natural imaging localising two sound sources. A centre array of 12 M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers is augmented by five UPJunior ultracompact Vario loudspeakers, which provide the source point imaging. A second array of five M1D loudspeakers is positioned above the choir position at the rear of the stage, with three arrays of two UPJ-1P compact Vario loudspeakers. Each M1D array is equipped with a customized grille built by Werner to hide the cabling behind the loudspeakers for preserving the aesthetics of this 360-degree facility.
Coverage for the steep upper seating is provided by a delay ring of 18 UPJ-1P loudspeakers in six positions. A single UPA-2P compact narrow coverage loudspeaker provides coverage for the FOH position on an upper balcony. A Galileo loudspeaker management system, utilising four Galileo 616 units, drives delays and processing for the entire system.
(Jim Evans)
