Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1999 - 41

Scale of Installed System

* Proscenium loudspeakers: moderate
[high] SPL
* Delayed loudspeaker: High SPL
* Stage lip loudspeaker system:
Moderate SPL
* Reverberation enhancement: Moderate
level

Elements of Installed System

Left-center-right above proscenium
Left and right beside proscenium
Stage and lift lip
Delayed systems over and under
balcony
* Stage monitors
* Reverberation enhancement

Support For Temporary Systems

* Music: high SPL proscenium systems
* Rigging points, lay-in trays and 8"
mouse hole systems from stage to
house apron and loudspeaker rigging
points in audience chamber

Scale and Elements
of Installed System

* 8 12-channel matrix production
intercom
* Reverberation enhancement
* Paging &program monitor, backstage and
lobby rJw separate reception areas zone(s)
* Video distribution

*
*
*
*

Table 6. Output Systems

results are presented in the Table 1. This information was
helpful in determining the past users' requirements, and
shed some light on potential future requirements. However,
note that as the proposed plans included changing from a
recital hall-style to a proscenium-style theatre, this information could only be given so much importance.

* Sound (system) Problems
After considerable study and review ,vith John O'Keefe (acoustic consultant), Rae Ackerman (director), Barney Soros
(technical director), Kenny Gould (house sound man), local
sound companies and freelance sound techrucians, we established a defirutive list of the problems "~th the Orpheum's
room acoustics and geometry related to the sound system.
They are discussed here.
Under-Balcony Reverberation: Well over half of the seats
on the orchestra level are beneath the balcony. Consequently,
these seats are not exposed to the volume of the room and tlley
have a considerably different reverberation time tllan the balcony
seats and the orchestra level seats at the front of the room.
Under-Balcony Level: The depth of the underbalcony is
so great that there is a substantial difference in sound pressure
level from the front to the back. Tllis shortconling is, in part,
due to the lack of sight lines to loudspeakers suspended from
the ceiling.
Rear-Balcony Stage Sound: As ,vith many non-prosceruum theatres (in other words, concert and recital halls), the
sound from stage morutors during amplified performances is
not absorbed in the stage house, but is reflected by the orchestra shell or rear wall of the stage and tends to roll to the back
of the auditorium, landing in the balcony. Tllis problem is very
evident in the Orpheum Theater.
Rear-Balcony Level: Again, as in the case of the orches-

Support For Temporary Systems

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

CCTV
Hearing assistance
Stage manager's desk
House production position
Auditorium/stage page
AN control system
Portable lobby P.A.

*
*
*
*
*

Recording/broadcast truck tie lines
Technical AC stage disconnect
Technical AC truck disconnect
Utility AC bus disconnect
Mouse holes, finger-tray and other
raceway to support all of the above AC

Table 7. Other Systems

tra, the level at the rear of the balcony is considerably lower,
simply due to the depth of the room. Tills, combined with
"Rear Balcony Stage Sound" results in poor quality sound.

* Characterization of Future Systems
In assessing sound system design options, we characterized
the types of events to be encountered. The characterizations
recogruze Input Connectivity and Output System Loudness
as the key scaling factors. In other words, these are the two
most telling aspects of a system for deternlining its overall size
and cost. Table 2 summarizes our conclusions.

* Sound System Support
Table 3 shows recommendations on how each performance
level could be acilleved, either by using in-house sound systems or by providing techrucal support for external production systems. In some cases, it is recommended not to provide
any support for certain types of events.

* In-house Capabilities
Given all of tlle preceding infonnation, tlle final pre-design stage
was to prepare a list of the appropliate sound and related S) terns
to meet our best estimate of ilie needs. Tables 4 through 7 describe tlle capabilities of the installed sound systems proposed for
ilie tlleatre, presented in tlle order of tlle signal flow from ilie
source (ilie artist or recorded program) to ilie listener. Table
presents otller systems not directly related to sound production.
The proposed petfonnance levels are intended to meet tlle
needs of those groups to whom ilie city is responsible for providing technical artistic support, wllile also providing sufficient facilities to attract commercial use, tlms increasing tlle revenue base.
T'Z>&T

MER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1999