Taiwan installs first Constellation system at Traditional Theater Center

The Constellation system Meyer Sound that has been installed in the Taiwan Traditional Theater Center incorporates 128 full range speakers along with 16 subwoofers.

The Taiwan Traditional Theater Center (Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center) It is the permanent home of the Guoguang Opera Company and the Chinese National Orchestra, as well as hosting a wide variety of other events.

With the recent installation of an acoustic system Constellation of Meyer Sound, the first in Taiwan, the center has enhanced the audience experience across all musical genres, while reducing operating expenses and eliminating downtime between performances.

“When the center was first proposed almost ten years ago, the resident opera company was transitioning to using wireless reinforcement for singers. The room was designed with acoustics to accommodate amplification, which meant that a large and very cumbersome stage shell had to be erected to support the orchestral performances. It required a team of 10 o 15 to climb from the basement, as well as a whole day to install and then dismantle, which reduced rental availability”, explains Huai-min Jen, technical director of the center.

Leaving aside operating costs, the physical casing also introduced acoustic compromises. “The shell was not optimal for all performances. Cannot be adjusted to provide the perfect environment for all performances. But at Constellation we can optimize every performance and ensure the same listening experience in every seat.”, Jen adds..

The Center is operated by a government entity, the National Center for Traditional Arts, therefore a rigorous bidding process was required prior to the selection of the active acoustic system. The final decision was entrusted to a committee.

Four systems were evaluated and Constellation was considered the best option. “Because they use a higher density of speakers and microphones in the space, It is the only system that is natural.", aclara Jen. “You never feel like the sound is localized to a nearby speaker”.

As installed, The Constellation system incorporates 128 full range speakers (Ashby-8C y Ashby-5C, MM-4XP, UP-4slim, Ultra- X20XP) along with 16 subwoofers (MM-10XP and USW-112XP) provided by Meyer Sound. The Taiwanese distributor, To Gather, with Taipei's In Li Cha Ha advising on complementary physical acoustics.

The system was programmed with 17 presets: 10 for orchestra, one for opera and six options for rental clients. Longest preset, for choral music, expands the reference RT60 1,2 a 3,8 seconds. Also programmed to offer dynamic Spacemap panning for spatial sound effects.

Designed by Taiwanese architect Kris Yao of Artech, The Taiwan Traditional Theater Center is located in the Shilin District of Taipei. It also includes a music library and an experimental theater 300 seating. The National Center for Traditional Arts operates under the Taiwan Ministry of Culture.