Case Study
Rådhusteateret i Ski
EAW ADAPTive PA delivers uncompromising sound – in every room configuration
When Rådhusteateret i Ski set out to upgrade the sound system in its theatre hall, with seating for up to 500, the goal was clear: a single system that delivers top-quality audio throughout the room, and that handles the venue’s own productions just as readily as large visiting acts. Together with the client, Hønefoss Lyd AS designed and installed a complete, ADAPTive loudspeaker system from EAW – built around the hall’s acoustic and architectural character, and ready to follow the room however it is configured.
CHALLENGE
One hall, many setups – without compromising the sound
The theatre hosts a wide range of events, and the sound system had to deliver uncompromising quality for both the venue’s own productions and visiting acts arriving with their own technical requirements. The expectation was simple to state and demanding to meet: even, clear and full sound from the first row to the last.
The biggest challenge lay in the hall’s flexibility. The room can be set up in several configurations – from a traditional layout to an extended stage reaching out onto the floor, and with or without the gallery in use. A fixed, mechanically aimed PA would have forced compromises: good coverage in one setup at the expense of the others, or time-consuming physical re-rigging between every production.
The client needed a single system that could adapt to all of these scenarios – without sacrificing sound quality, coverage or flexibility.
SOLUTION
EAW ADAPTive – coverage is shaped in software, not with a wrench.
The solution was an ADAPTive PA system from EAW. What sets an ADAPTive System apart from a traditional line array is that the coverage area is controlled in software through digital signal processing – rather than by changing the physical angle and position of the loudspeakers.
In practice, this means the sound can be shaped and aimed precisely at the audience in each room configuration, without anyone having to climb the rig to adjust the cabinets. When the stage extends onto the floor, or the gallery is brought into use, a new preset is simply loaded – and the system delivers even, controlled coverage where the audience is actually seated.
Energy that would otherwise hit the ceiling and walls is kept in check. That reduces reverberation and improves speech intelligibility, while the signature EAW sound stays the same regardless of the setup.
6 EAW Anna ADAPTive line array loudspeakers form the system’s main hangs and deliver precisely controlled, full-range coverage into the hall – shaped digitally for each configuration. 4 EAW Otto ADAPTive subwoofers are positioned beneath the stage for powerful, controlled low end, without taking up space in the audience area or breaking sightlines in the hall. 3 EAW MKD526 loudspeakers are used as front fill at the stage lip – installed together with the rest of the system – giving close, clear sound to the front rows where the main system does not fully reach. 4 EAW JF80 compact EAW loudspeakers were already present in the hall that were integrated into the new system for supplementary coverage. The system runs on EAW UXA amplifiers, a redundant network for the ADAPTive System and dedicated power distribution – configured for stable, straightforward day-to-day operation.
With the new ADAPTive System in place, Rådhusteateret i Ski now has a theatre hall that delivers the same high audio quality however the room is configured. The venue’s own productions and visiting acts meet a flexible, reliable system, and the audience gets a consistent, clear and balanced listening experience – from the first row to the last.
