At the dawn of the 20th century, Argentina was a prosperous nation with a booming economy and a burgeoning cultural scene.
Because of this, the Teatro (Theatre) Colón opened its doors In May of 1908 in the capital city of Buenos Aires, quickly earning a reputation as one of the top five opera houses in the world.
During its heyday, names such as Stravinsky, Strauss, Toscanini, Callas, and Baryshnikov graced its stage.
In 1991, Pavarotti stated, “This theater has a huge defect—its acoustics are simply perfect. Do you know what this means for a singer? Each little mistake, no matter how minimal, is immediately noticed.”
In 2006 the theater closed its doors to undergo a massive four-year renovation. According to Pablo Abal, Teatro Colón’s Multimedia Area Director, it was a project that simply had to be done right.
“Refurbishing the Teatro Colón was an exceptionally complex undertaking,” he said.
“From selecting the seat upholstery to relocating the lighting controls and large glass surfaces, nothing has been taken lightly. If the acoustics that made this theater famous had not been respected, the entire project would have been meaningless.”
The same attention to detail went into designing the theater’s sound system. “The theater’s acoustics are designed for opera and orchestra, and the audio system had to be up to the task of mixing a live performance in this hall,” Abal explained.
“We also had to meet the need for high-quality live recordings and multiple TV and radio feeds. And, of course, providing 10 monitor mixes to the stage.”
Abal called on Digital Audio Group, the audio division of Argentina’s Sistemas de Video Comunicación S. A., to assist in the system’s design. Digital Audio Group’s Ricardo Pegnotti and Diego Keller worked with renowned engineer Pichon Dal Pont to design the grand hall’s new audio systems.
They selected the Avid VENUE Mix Rack System as the main FOH console, with a second VENUE Mix Rack System dedicated to providing multiple stereo mixes for recording and broadcast feeds. Both systems are equipped with integrated Pro Tools|HD systems for redundant multitrack recording.
“The Pro Tools platform was our obvious choice for industry-standard recording,” says Abal, “and the connectivity between VENUE and Pro Tools made it an easy decision. We believe VENUE has become the standard console worldwide.
It’s the only system with a workflow that really matches the needs of live theater. It gives us live processing TDM plug-ins without outboard filled racks and, of course, snapshots and total recall of any act.”
The theater uses a third VENUE system—a VENUE SC48 console with Pro Tools LE—for stage floor monitoring and playback of prerecorded announcements and sound effects.
“We produce our own sound effects by recording incidental audio, voices, and instruments,” Abal explained.
Teatro Colón reopened its doors on May 24, 2010 with a multimedia gala that included film, dance, 3D movies, and live performances by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic and numerous guest artists.
The event was broadcast live worldwide and recorded to Pro Tools|HD using the dual Mix Rack Systems. Engineer Pichon Dal Pont operated the broadcast rig through remote control from his laptop while seated in the ninth row for an audience perspective.
As Digital Audio Group’s Ricardo Pegnotti explained, the VENUE system’s Virtual Soundcheck feature proved invaluable in the show’s complex setup.
“The VENUE systems enable us to not only record each concert, but to use Virtual Soundcheck to adjust the positioning and set the gain of every microphone on the stage without having the musicians present,” he says.
This becomes particularly relevant when considering Teatro Colón’s famed chandelier, a massive fixture that can seat up to 16 performers. “Many times members of the choir will have to sing from there,” said Abal.
“But when there’s no time for that in rehearsals, now we can record them in a dressing room or other location and play it back from speakers in the chandelier, creating the same effect.”
Of course, the sound quality of the opening day production was of utmost importance, and VENUE delivered.
“The radio and TV broadcast staff were very pleased with the quality and the dynamic range of the VENUE preamps,” said Pegnotti.
“Much of what we’re able to do now wouldn’t be possible without the VENUE technology. This is really the first system that combines high-definition live sound with studio-quality recording.”
