TWAUDiO installed in Grand Theatre, Heyuan, China

TWAUDiO installed in Heyuan Grand Theatre, China

The Heyuan Grand Theatre, fully equipped with TWAUDiO loudspeakers, has opened its doors after two years of construction. Fondly known as “Peach Blossom Freshwater Jellyfish Theatre” by the locals, the name was derived from the jellyfish in the nearby river. Looking at the extraordinary design of the theatre it is clear what the architects had in mind and where this “pet name” came from.

The theatre is a cultural highlight in the city of Heyuan, built to host both local and international performances. With a space of 16 000 m² and a capacity of 1200 seats, it is the largest theatre in the northeast area of Guangdong province. It is said that this theatre is the most advanced in China in terms of technical equipment. Accordingly, there were very high expectations placed on the sound system. In charge of the installation of the audio system was Ruisheng Lighting & Audio Equipment Co. Ltd.

Chill Yip, Ruisheng’s senior audio technician for this project, explains: “Fortunately we were involved from the very beginning of the construction. We were confronted with two main challenges from the owner. First, due to the interior design of the theatre, all loudspeakers had to be hidden, and of course space and working load were extremely limited. Secondly, there could not be any compromise with the sound in terms of quality and intelligibility. The owner just wanted to have the best possible sound system available - compact, light, powerful, and high fidelity.”

To overcome these challenges, 6 x VERA10 and 2 x B30 subwoofers were installed above the stage on each side behind an acoustic screen. As center cluster 4 x T24N were installed. 2 x M12 are hidden in the frame of the stage serving as a down-fill. 10 x C5 were embedded at the front of the stage along with 2 x BSX subwoofers flanking them, one on each side. Placed at regular intervals in the walls of the auditorium on the main floor and on the balcony are a total of 24 x M8. The only speakers not hidden are 4 x C12 and 4 x M12 which serve as movable stage monitors. 18 x Powersoft K3DSP amplifiers power the whole system in a room of its own.

“The owner was more than satisfied by the way of the installation and the sound quality. Like the design, the sound system sets a new standard for theatres in Heyuan”, concluded Mr. Yip.