Theater St. Gallen Chooses Alcons Audio

Main sound reinforcement with LR18 line-array systems tackles complex acoustic challenges and meets the highest standards

Theater St. Gallen is a renowned three-genre theater in eastern Switzerland. With around 20 new productions per season, the ensemble performs approximately 450 shows per year. The performances take place in an iconic theater building that, at first glance, resembles a three-dimensional work of art.

As part of a general renovation, the entire stage technology, including the sound system, was upgraded. Dutch audio innovator Alcons Audio prevailed with its LR18 line-array system as the main sound reinforcement, along with additional systems.

“Clear, silky, natural, full, dynamic, and, ideally, emotionally moving.”, Marko Siegmeier, Head of Audio Theater St. Gallen on the new sound of the theater

Complex Requirements

“Konzert und Theater St. Gallen [the official name of the institution] covers a very broad spectrum, including opera, drama, dance, youth theater, and occasional guest performances,” explains Marko Siegmeier, Head of Audio. “We often have around +/- 150 inputs and about 70 output paths at the mixing console. As the largest musical theater in eastern Switzerland, we also host the St. Gallen Festival, featuring large open-air opera productions and other performances at various locations. This results in a demanding set of technical requirements for our sound system.

In drama productions, for example, we aim for natural, subtle amplification that ideally remains imperceptible. In classical music, we strive for maximum naturalness to create a high-quality auditory experience. In musicals, we require reinforcement that is appropriate for the genre, providing sufficient volume and richness without disruptive artifacts. Dance theater presents yet another set of challenges.”

The goal was to find a sound system that could deliver high-resolution, a broad and balanced frequency response with optimal transient behavior over the required, fairly large power range. Additionally, the dispersion characteristics needed to be as ideal as possible, ensuring maximum coherence between individual systems.

Due to the specific requirements and architectural conditions, a curved line-array system was chosen as the main sound reinforcement solution. Theater St. Gallen organized a shootout with leading manufacturers. Alcons Audio impressed across the board with its LR18 line-array system in terms of tonality, resolution, uniformity (even at high levels), and feedback resistance.

Main Sound Reinforcement with 22 Alcons LR18 Line-Array Systems

The Swiss company Kilchemann AG was awarded the project and installed the main sound reinforcement system, consisting of:

8x Alcons LR18/90 dual 8” compact line-array systems (left/right), 4x LR18/90 and 2x LR18/120 for the center, 10x BC272 medium-output 15”/12” cardioid subwoofers, installed near the PA in the ceiling.

For near-field coverage, the setup includes: 4x Alcons SR9 dual 5” fill monitors, 2x Alcons QRP20 4x 5” point-source columns as infills.

For stage monitoring, the system uses: Flown Alcons VR5 5” micro-monitors, VR8 8” compact monitors, RR12 12” point-source array systems.

For mobile applications, additional units such as QR24 4x 6.5” column-array modules, QRP20 4x 5” and QRP40 8x 5” point-source columns, as well as VR5, VR8, BC272, and BF121 12” compact subwoofers are available.

The in-house sound system is powered by 12x Alcons Sentinel10 4x 2.5kW amplified loudspeaker controllers, with additional Sentinel10 and Sentinel3 controllers used for mobile applications.

Successful Debut

The system had its first trial on October 21, 2023, during a sold-out reopening ceremony featuring the symphony orchestra, drama, dance, and other performers. “It was a fantastic debut, receiving a lot of praise from both the audience and industry professionals,” says Marko. “Since then, we’ve staged well over 100 performances, and the feedback from production teams and our guests has been consistently positive. A big thank you to Uwe Biesgen from Creativsound and Carsten Albrecht from Alcons Audio Germany for their outstanding support!”

So how does the new sound of Theater St. Gallen compare? Marko sums it up: “Clear, silky, natural, full, dynamic, and, ideally, emotionally moving.”

You couldn’t ask for much more from a sound system.

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