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d&b delivers in Ireland's National Theatre
The Abbey Theatre in Dublin has an impeccable heritage of which it is rightly proud. Founded in 1903 by a group of literary giants, among them W B Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory who was the theatre's director/manager until 1928, the Abbey is the National Theatre of Ireland. In 1925, the Abbey became the first ever theatre in the English-speaking world to receive an annual state subsidy. Although the original building was damaged by fire in 1951, the Abbey continues its proud tradition in a building first opened to the public in 1966, still in Abbey Street.
The building has two auditoriums, the Abbey being the main theatre seating 628 and a smaller studio space called the Peacock Theatre seating 157. The Abbey auditorium is in the shape of a fan, 39 feet wide at the proscenium extending to 85 feet at the back. The height of the auditorium can be adjusted for different types of productions. The Peacock can be configured to have either a traditional seating arrangement or transformed to a central playing area surrounded by seating on three sides. Because of the versatility of both auditoriums a flexible sound system is a primary requirement and recently the theatre management took the opportunity to install a d&b audiotechnik system that could be used in either auditorium.
"When the prospect arose to acquire a new sound system I consulted my technical staff for their views," said director of technical services, Tony Wakefield. "They were very enthusiastic about the quality of d&b systems," he continued. One of the Abbey's sound engineers, Cormac Carroll takes up the story: "We had a show called 'The Shaughraun' which used a rental sound system supplied by Dublin pro-audio dealer MoscoDesign. It turned out to be a d&b system using Q7s and it was very impressive indeed," he said. "We'd also had the opportunity to listen to a few other d&b systems over the past year and there was no doubt they produced great sound."
After discussions between Tony Wakefield, Cormac Caroll and his fellow sound engineer Eddie Breslin, the decision was made to install a d&b audiotechnik system designed by Caroll and Breslin with input from Mosco's Kevin McGing. The system comprises Q7s, Q-SUBs, E3s and E12 SUBs all driven by d&b's E-PAC amplifiers and was supplied by Dublin based dealer, Big Bear Sound.
Caroll and Breslin installed the system themselves. The installation is semi-permanent and can be used in either auditorium as well as other areas of the building in a variety of configurations to suit a particular performance or event. "The Q7s are perfect and fit very well into the restricted space available," said Caroll. "They could have been made for the space and they sound fantastic. The E3s are equally good and we frequently use them in the bar area for launches and corporate events," he continued.
3rd November 2006
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