Construction of a theatre sound reinforcement system (theatre sound reinforcement system)

The theater always changes the staged performances and changes the repertoire of performances, which leads to a change in technical tasks. The production is edited, including within the technical capabilities of the stage complex, the sound reinforcement system and stage lighting. Almost every theater hall has a sound reinforcement system, which consists of a microphone park, a sound engineer's console (sound mixing console), acoustic systems, a signal switching system and equipment for processing and amplifying the sound signal. Perhaps all components are located in relatively different rooms such as an amplification room, a technical center and a stage. All of the listed components of the sound path are created at the design stage. The structure of the theater's sound reinforcement often requires several groups of acoustic systems. Portal acoustic systems and additional loudspeakers complete the entire structure of sound reinforcement. The choice of these components is approached at the first stage of developing a project for sounding a theater and other institutions where sound reinforcement is required.

Acoustic systems

The main acoustic systems are installed or suspended near the portal wall of the hall, or on the border of the stage with the audience seats, to implement the task of transmitting the main sound information to the audience hall. When configuring these systems, it is necessary to calculate the number of systems that covers the maximum number of seats with uniform sound pressure, and does not block the stage window. For such an accurate selection, an electroacoustic calculation is made, for example, in the specialized program EASE 4.4. The resulting calculation gives an idea of ​​the coverage and the level of sound pressure and speech intelligibility. Based on the acoustic calculation, the number and locations of the installation of the main and additional loudspeakers are selected.

Additional acoustic systems in the theater. In addition to the left and right channels of sound amplification, as needed, or when uniform coverage of the hall is not achieved, additional sound lines are installed: the first rows (Front Fill), a line for reducing the image of the sound source for spectator seats in the stalls of the theater hall (Down Fill), a line for the effect of surroundings (surround) acoustic systems are placed along the perimeter of the hall, delay lines are usually for spectator seats that are located under the balcony and on the balcony.

The delay line serves as a sound amplifier or supports uniform distribution of the sound signal level relative to the portal systems, for example, on the balcony. The delay line also provides a more even tonal balance for viewers sitting under the balcony.

The Front Fill line serves to equalize the sound level in front of the stage, where the portal acoustic systems have a poor coverage, for example, in the middle of the first or second row. This happens if the acoustic systems do not have a wide enough HF horn opening angle. But to solve this problem, it is possible to use an additional central channel of the portal system, which is suspended in front of the harlequin.

It is also important to sound the theater stage itself for the artists. When performing on stage, the performers need to hear the soundtrack and feel the rhythm of the music. For this, stage fill line loudspeakers are installed on the sides of the stage. A completely different mix of signals is fed to this line, which is selected on the sound engineer's mixing console.

Mixing console

In the new trend, the choice of a sound engineer console is preferably of the digital category. A digital console is characterized by its structure of processing the musical signal, which comes from sources to the console, where it is converted from an analog to a digital signal. Then the signal is amplified and processed according to frequency characteristics, and also mixed, i.e. mixed with a signal from another source. At the output, a mixed and processed single signal is obtained, not one, but for each group of speakers as needed.

One digital mixing console replaces a whole cabinet of sound signal processing equipment. The functionality of the console is selected based on the needs of the sound engineer, in the theater, on the production tasks and on the equipment complex.

The sound engineer will be able to control the music signal not only in the auditorium, but also, for example, in the foyer with background music.

The structure through which the sound signal passes after the mixing console consists of sound processors and sound power amplifiers. The processors perform the role of distributing the signal to the loudspeakers, to different lines of front acoustics, a delay line and others ...

In addition to distribution, the sound signal is divided into low, medium and high frequency ranges. Each band is sent to the corresponding component of the acoustic systems, through amplification.

Sound power amplifiers now often have built-in sound processors, which allows you to reduce the number of devices. It is advisable to place the amplifiers in a separate room in a rack cabinet under a lock and with good ventilation.

Almost the entire structure of the sound reinforcement system has been described, but the microphone park remains.

Microphones and radio systems for the theater.

Microphones are the main sources of sound in the theater. The number of input lines of the mixing console depends on the number of microphones. Some are suspended above the stage and installed on stands, connected via a cable; other radio microphones are attached to the actors' costumes, which allows freedom of movement around the stage and the auditorium.

All systems are configured and work in a balanced manner after the SZU is configured by a specialist. One of the important parts of the setup is the calibration of the sound in the hall, during which a balance of frequency characteristics is built during the interaction of the acoustics of the hall and the sound reinforcement system. After calibrating the system, the data is stored in the sound processor and can return to its original position when the settings are changed.