From Rock to Theatre, Alcons Impresses at Chorzów Cultural Center

Chorzowskie Centrum Kultury (Chorzów Cultural Center), a leading cultural venue in Poland’s Silesian region, has established a new benchmark for sound reinforcement with an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon system. Featuring 16 LR18 line-array modules, five LR18B bass extensions and five Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers, the installation is among the largest permanent Alcons systems in Eastern Europe.

Located near Katowice, the cultural center hosts a diverse programme of rock concerts, theatrical productions, family entertainment and community events. Its main auditorium, accommodating more than 600 guests, demands exceptional speech intelligibility, consistent coverage and sufficient dynamic headroom for high-energy performances.

Following an extensive evaluation of leading professional sound systems available on the Polish market, the venue selected Alcons Audio.

“We evaluated several top-tier systems available on the market, and ultimately decided on Alcons,” explains Tomasz Zorychta, Technical Director at Chorzowskie Centrum Kultury.

A decisive factor was Alcons’ proprietary pro-ribbon technology, offering exceptional transient response, extended dynamic range and distortion levels up to 90% lower than conventional compression drivers.

“I had never experienced pro-ribbon technology before,” says Łukasz Giemuła, sound engineer at the venue. “What immediately surprised me was the incredible detail, particularly in the high frequencies. Thanks to pro-ribbon technology, we can achieve precise high-frequency coverage from the very first row to the back of the auditorium.”

The auditorium’s relatively short but high geometry presented particular challenges for uniform sound distribution.

“The users wanted perfect coverage,” explains Tomasz Trzebiatowski, Technical Sales Support Specialist at Aplauz, Alcons’ Polish distributor. “Through extensive testing and system prediction modelling, we achieved the optimal result.”

The main system comprises two eight-module LR18 arrays, each combining six LR18/90 modules with 90° horizontal dispersion and two LR18/120 modules offering 120° coverage.

The compact three-way LR18 incorporates Alcons’ proprietary pro-ribbon high-frequency technology, a coaxially mounted 6.5-inch neodymium midrange driver and dual 8-inch woofers with oversized 3-inch voice coils. With 1,500W peak power handling, it combines exceptional intelligibility, controlled projection and substantial dynamic headroom.

Five LR18B bass extensions, each featuring a high-performance 18-inch long-excursion woofer, provide powerful, accurate low-frequency reproduction with minimal distortion.

The system is driven by five Alcons Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers, providing 20 individually controlled amplifier channels. Each four-channel Sentinel10 delivers up to 10,000W of output power, combining proprietary Class-D amplification with advanced DSP processing and dedicated loudspeaker protection.

The installation continues to impress both resident and visiting engineers.

“Our institution hosts everything from rock concerts to theatre and children’s entertainment, so versatility was essential,” says Giemuła. “Whenever I return and sit behind the mixing console, I am always struck by the beautiful, transparent sound. That’s something you don’t encounter very often.”

“What matters most to me is the opinion of visiting sound engineers,” adds Zorychta. “Their feedback is consistently positive.”

Aplauz also supplied Sennheiser EW-DX wireless microphones, EW IEM G4 monitoring systems and a MIDAS Heritage-D mixing console.

“After many different events, the system has demonstrated that all our original objectives were well founded,” concludes Radek Strzeżek, Systems Engineer at Aplauz.

The installation demonstrates how Alcons’ integrated pro-ribbon technology delivers uncompromised sound quality, precise coverage and exceptional versatility across demanding performing arts applications.

More information on www.aplauzaudio.pl and www.chck.pl

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