Restoring sound and reputation: d&b in the Théâtre Granada Sherbrooke
“Théâtre Granada Sherbrooke, Quebec had a lot of problems, mainly sound getting lost in such a large space. The materials of the walls are very hard, like parget, and it’s an old heritage building, making it a little bit complicated to do acoustical treatment,” explains Michel Payeur, Technical Director at the theatre.
“Everyone knew that production at Granada Sherbrooke was a challenge. High ceilings, a deep balcony, and every show had to load in their own system. It was a sound nightmare,” confirms d&b Regional Manager Francois Corbin. “When Patrick Clerc started as Head of Sound for the theatre, he knew that a new sound system was a must. d&b audiotechnik is still building a reputation in Canada, but has been popular in Europe for years. Originally from France, Clerc knew d&b was his first choice, he even called our office in France to find a contact. Our offices around the world strive to work together to provide a consistent service, no matter where the project is located.”
Popular regional system integrator Audiobec won the public bid for the project. Providing various aspects of production, including lighting and video, Audiobec has been passionate about sound for over forty years, and was eager to work with d&b. “The final design was based on the d&b Qi system with J-SUBs on the sides,” explains Corbin. “The cardioid nature of the J-SUBs, combined with the flown Qi-SUBs in CSA mode help control the resonance in the thousand seat auditorium." With careful planning and testing from the ArrayCalc software, the team was able to direct the sound around the theatre, avoiding walls and concentrating sound energy at the audience.
“While we still did the official multi company audition, with our building, the best was d&b audiotechnik,” continues Payeur. “They are listed on a lot of riders, and everyone on our team has had positive experiences with the systems. It was the clear choice.”
Director at Audiobec, Nicolas O’Malley, and all involved with the project, are impressed with the results, “The difference is amazing. Granada Sherbrooke used to be a theatre people would dread, and now everyone looks forward to their shows. Not only does it sound great, but there is no need to load in any other system, the new d&b system works for all the theatre’s needs.” Payeur and the theatre’s technical team agree. Granada is currently selling more tickets than ever. O’Malley continues, “Just recently we went back to install new delays in and under the balcony, to offer the most consistent balanced sound for each person in the ever expanding audience. Having already used the d&b 5S loudspeaker from the White installation range as front fills on the lip of the stage, we matched this in and under the balcony using 5S and 8S loudspeakers. Now, every seat is a great seat. It was fun to be a part of the team that helped create Théâtre Granada Sherbrooke’s new reputation as one of the best venues in town.”
