L-Acoustics technology was used to create a versatile concert sound system at Potsdam’s Hans Otto Theatre, famous for its striking glass façade that reflects back the image of Lake Tiefer See, upon whose banks the venue is built. The 485-seat theatre features three stages and traces its history back to 1795 when King Frederik Wilhelm II founded The Royal Playhouse on the banks of the Potsdam City Canal.
Having changed names and moved to different buildings several times, the current building, designed by Paul Böhm with a red shell-like shape that evokes the Sydney Opera House, hosts theatre classics, drama and ballet, modern experiments, and engaging children’s theatre. The diverse repertoire led the sound department to search out a versatile concert sound system.
The theatre team turned to Hamburg-based L-Acoustics certified system integrator Protones. They chose immersive configurations beginning with five arrays of three A10i Focus and one A10i Wide, with two hangs of two KS21 subwoofers spread above the main stage. Seven 5XT coaxial speakers are placed across the stage lip for spatial front-fill.
Meanwhile, ten X8 coaxial speakers placed around the side and back wall create surround sound, while two X12 and 4 X8 serve for on-stage monitoring. The theatre lacked rigging points, but the Protones team was able to find mounting space on the edge of the stage or the orchestra pit parapet, creating special rigging points where mounting space didn’t exist.
Felix Vollmer, head of installation, Protones, said: “When L-Acoustics came to showcase their products, we were enthralled by the simplicity of the L-ISA interface and the immersive sound it delivered, reaching every corner of the theatre.”
He added: “Hans Otto Theatre requested a sound system that was fully immersive, high-performance, and easy to use. It had to be highly versatile, and we were confident that L-Acoustics would be the right solution. The combination of L-ISA technology with X Series and A Series loudspeakers offers an unmatched immersive audio experience that is appreciated by the audience and crew alike.”
Protones had already used L-Acoustics equipment in notable projects like Theatre Neumünster, AIDA Cruises and Palazzo Berlin.
