Lyric Hammersmith theater upgrades sound system with EM Acoustics

This London theater needed a powerful system, with equipment that would be integrated into the space as much as possible. To carry out the update, Reference series and EMS speakers from EM Acoustics.

He teatro Lyric Hammersmith It is one of the most important producers in the country, based in the central neighborhood of Hammersmith, in west london. Recently, has invested in an audio upgrade based on the EM Acoustics product portfolio, project that has been directed by the theater's head of sound Daniel Ronayne.

“Our existing system needed to be updated. I had around 30 years and was made up of many products from different brands. We had hired a demo rig from EM Acoustics for previous productions, like our annual Panto, and we wanted to make these products a permanent feature of the theater and the audience experience”.

A complete upgrade is a serious decision for a busy theater, but after a trial period, The decision to bet on EM Acoustics was easy. “By having the system up and running for six weeks in our Panto, “All key decision makers at Lyric had the opportunity to hear the difference for themselves and it was clear that these speakers are in a class of their own.”, Ronayne explains..

Originally built in the late 19th century, the theater was later demolished and relocated, piece by piece, at its current location on King Street. The auditorium retains its traditional appearance and, although a powerful system with a lot of free space was needed, It was also important that the speakers be integrated into the space as much as possible.

The new PA is designed around the EM Acoustics Reference series. Six R10 and two R8 make up the sistema FOH principal, installed on the proscenium in a left-to-right stall configuration, circle from left to right and top circle from left to right, with the addition of a center group for improved coverage. Low frequencies are handled by four S-215 subwoofers.

To complement the Reference series, a total of six have been deployed EMS-61 under the balcony for the delay of the stalls and in the circle for the filling, given the challenges of setting up a delay in this area of ​​the Lyric.

Finally, four EMS-51X provide front fill and four others provide delay to the top circle, while six pre-existing EMS-61s are arranged in pairs on each level for surround sound.

It only takes three EM Acoustics Di20D amplifiers Eight channels to control all speakers. “Being able to run it all with just three amps is definitely a plus”, comments Ronayne. “It is easy to handle technically and it is also easy to teach others how to work it.”. Besides, “We use much less rack space”.

In addition to improvements in efficiency, The Lyric Hammersmith theater team have also found a greater sense of confidence thanks to their new audio system. “You don't need to do a lot of tinkering or thinking when using EM Acoustic. It just sounds great, with little or no equalizer, Which is one of the best compliments I can give.”. Besides, Ronayne and team cite EM's software platform and Dante support as a big plus after years of needing to tweak things manually.

The new system is already being tested on a wide range of materials, from quiet works to loud, film-like performances. “It doesn't matter what comes out of the speakers, sounds good", Ronayne confirmed. “It is also highly scalable.”. For example, our production of Minority Report required some really shocking sound reinforcement, so we add 10 R10 and a couple of subs S-15 on stage with three DQ20 amplifiers, which was perfect since the entire EM Acoustics portfolio has this great unified sound”.

Looking to the future, Lyric Hammersmith theater continues to stage new, more ambitious productions with confidence, knowing your theater is backed by a consistently excellent audio system.