The technology of&b audiotechnik enhances the natural sound of the National Theater of Managua

Since its inauguration in 1969, The National Theater of Managua was operating with a sound system that, over time, had become obsolete. For their modernization they opted for d technology.&b audiotechnik, installing a system that allows them to manage all types of actions.

The National Theater of Managua (Nicaragua), known as Rubén Darío, stands over the city from 1969. When the earthquake hit the area in 1972, It was one of the few buildings that survived the earthquakes. Since its inauguration it has maintained its original style and is considered one of the best theaters in Central America. This building consists of a concert hall with a capacity of 1.200 people in the auditorium with inclined seats and three amphitheaters. There is an acoustic vault above the stage and the room has a reverberation of 1,8 seconds.

“For an orchestra performance, The acoustics are quite good and it is a great room for the public, because all the seats have full vision. But things get livelier when a sound reinforcement system has to be installed., how did I have to do. The specifications also asked us to take into account internationally touring shows., which led me to propose a system solution based on equipment d&b audiotechnik which is the system most frequently specified by touring riders”, comments Andreas Baldenweg, audio advisor of the project integrating company, International Sound.

Baldenweg directly contacted d&b audiotechnik. “Ralf Zuleeg, of the Application Support department, helped us in the system design process. More than taking charge of the project, “He guided me through the process and we designed the coverage for the room using his ArrayCalc software.”.

In this way, An installation was carried out at the Rubén Dario National Theater with T10 systems hanging left/center/right. The left/right clusters cover the amphitheaters and the seats at the back that are out of the shadow of the protruding amphitheaters. The central cluster covers the front seats, while the left/right ones were completed with a pair of SUBs 27A from the xA Series of d&b flown immediately behind. They are all small, aesthetically pleasing speakers that don't clash with the classic '60s architecture of the wooden stage..

The 27A is cardioid in nature and eliminates potential unwanted projection of bass energy downward onto the performance platform.. More T10s were placed in stacks left and right at stage level to provide more power in the two lower amphitheaters and, more specifically, to the seats under the clusters.

These stage stacks are placed on top of a pair of d's V-series V-SUBs.&b on each side. It is a source of bass power that extends the bottom reach of the 27A (40 Hz) until 37 Hz.

The Baldenweg company carried out the installation in mid-September 2013 and the system was ready for the grand opening on 3 October. “We receive direct support from d&b for that adjustment phase, with Jesús Díaz Iñiguez, freelance IT systems engineer&b for Central and South America, who traveled to Nicaragua with Ralf Zuleeg”, aclara baldenweg.

“Performances are fundamental to our art in Theater and technology is a very important part. For many years the National Theater has been using the inherited audio system, but now we needed a system that could manage all types of actions: teatro musical; classical music concerts, rock and folk. The latter could not even be taken into account when the theater was built. International Sound has provided us with a perfect solution. for us, This system flatters and enhances the natural sound of the Theater that we like so much”, explains the director of this building, Mr. Ramón Rodríguez.