The recent 15th edition of the Frankenberg Open Air Classic, held annually in Frankenberg, North Hesse, Germany, saw audio provider Auditiv GmbH (based in Kassel) deploy a main sound reinforcement system headed by Alcons Audio pro-ribbon loudspeakers and supporting components.
The open-air event, themed “One World – United in Music,” featured music ensembles from the Edertal School in Frankenberg and the Christian Rauch School in Bad Arolsen, who treated more than 1,000 spectators to a varied classical music program. The orchestras, choirs, and big bands of about 200 students from both schools were supported by the brass ensemble of the Kassel State Theater. The program included works by Brahms, Dvořák, a symphonic suite from Wagner’s Tannhäuser and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as well as modern titles such as the Scorpions classic “Wind of Change” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
Front of house engineer Rolf Dressler, who has been managing the sound of the event for 10 years, specified nine Alcons LR14 double 6.5-inch line array modules on each side of the podium in conjunction with two QR24 modular line source arrays as near and side fills. Loudspeakers were driven by four Alcons Sentinel 10 amplified loudspeaker controllers.
Dressler has been a dedicated Alcons user for many years and says of the Dutch manufacturer’s pro-ribbon systems: “In my opinion, Alcons pro-ribbon transducers are simply the cutting edge of sound reinforcement systems. No matter the musical genre or application — their tonal warmth, the unobtrusive resolution of the speakers, and their sound dispersion are unparalleled. With Alcons, I can actually hear 1:1 what I’m putting out at the mixing console.
“At classical open-air concerts, you have to deal with a lot of dynamics, which means that the audience must be able to hear and localize pianissimo parts just as well as fortissimo moments. In Frankenberg, we always have about 1,000 listeners who are looking forward to a nice evening. Since it is youth symphony orchestras playing there, I’m set up to provide some ‘help’ at the mixing console, working partly with technical and partly with manual interventions. This means that I’m quite challenged as a sound engineer and cannot additionally take care of the loudspeakers at the same time. Fortunately, with Alcons, I don’t have to.”
