The Kaho Theater, a 1,200-capacity live events venue in Iizuka City, Japan has been livestreaming a variety live various performances in light of the pandemic, working in collaboration with rental company, Toyo Amuse and its Martin Audio Wavefront Precision Compact (WPC) rig,
The facility has survived many difficulties since the original building opened in 1922, and along the way, this playhouse has been designated a Japanese national registered tangible cultural property. In recent years, it has been used as a multi-purpose event venue, and in addition to traditional performing arts, various events such as music plays, lectures, talk shows and concerts have all been staged there.
Because of the pandemic, the theatre was recently forced to close, but in collaboration with rental company, Toyo Amuse, which recently acquited a Martin Audio WPC rig, they’ve been able to livestream various performances at the theatre. Known as the “Yumebutai Project,” with fewer professionals coming to play at the theater at present, the production team decided to embark on a policy of open recruitment of performers, who in turn can feature their work online via a livestreaming service.
Masanori Keuchi, CEO of Toyo Amuse, explains, “When all events and concerts were cancelled due to Covid-19, the theater decided to collaborate with us to record and deliver performance online, to make people happy.”
Because the main program has generally been traditional performing arts, a loudspeaker system was previously not required. That’s changed, however, and Toyo Amuse has been able to install a temporary system that includes WPC, XD12, LE100 loudspeakers from their own stock in order to support a much broader range of presentations. “This makes it fully compatible with all music applications,” Keuchi adds.
Specifically at the theater, Toyo Amuse has ground-stacked eight WPC elements, with four SX218 subwoofers providing the low frequencies. The sound is further enhanced by a pair of Martin Audio XD12, and eight LE100 floor monitors are available for use as the performers’ reference sound.
“It’s important that the artistes maximize their performance even in an unprecedented environment without audience,” Keuchi continues, “and Martin Audio speakers have an excellent reputation for their amazing sound and ease of use.”
He concludes by noting that the acquisition of a the Martin Audio PA by his company has done much to boost staff motivation. “It was an inevitable move for us,” he summarizes. “As a partner that supports both regional activity and traditional Japanese culture, I anticipate further success with WPC in the future.”
