This past July, the largest L-Acoustics L-ISA Live immersive system to date was deployed for a singular performance of Verdi’s Requiem by the Orchestre National de Lille (ONL) and the Choeur Régional Hauts-de-France at 30,000-capacity Stade Pierre-Mauroy, located near Lille, France.
Founded by Jean-Claude Casadesus and the Nord-Pas de Calais region (now the Hauts-de-France region) in 1976, the ONL has focused on “bringing music wherever it will be heard,” performing both in Lille as well as in over 30 countries. After spending 40 years at the head of the ONL, conductor Jean-Claude Casadesus continues to lead three series each season.
For this special stadium performance, François Bou, managing director of the ONL, consulted L-Acoustics founder Christian Heil, with the L-Acoustics team custom-designing an L-ISA immersive system to reinforce a world-renowned orchestra to the entire audience while seeking to preserve the emotional and artistic intensity of the performance.
“Our challenge was to put on a classical music performance for 13,000 people in a football stadium… but make it sound like an acoustical performance in an intimate venue,” explains ONL front of house engineer François Gabert, who worked with Frédéric Blanc-Garin, sound engineer for the project. “When L-Acoustics told us that they had a product that could dramatically improve the experience for the audience, Fred and I were intrigued.”
Sherif El Barbari, L-ISA head of applications, studied the Stade Pierre Mauroy closely, modeling it in L-Acoustics’ Soundvision software before proposing an L-ISA system comprising seven hangs of nine Kara stretched across the stage. A mirror system of seven ground stacks of two Kiva II each across the stage lip provided front fill.
Further, two hangs of eight K2 served as out fill and two central hangs of four KS28 subwoofers provided low end. The loudspeakers were driven by LA8 and LA12X amplified controllers. An L-ISA Controller provided an object-based multichannel environment for the event.
“We found the L-ISA controller very simple to use,” Gabert says. “The interface is intuitive and very functional. Once the sources are placed in their space, the mixing is fairly conventional and any adjustments within the software during the concert were quick and easy.”
He also notes the clarity and “natural feel” of the sound: “The greatest compliment that I could receive would be for someone to ask me after a concert if there was any sound reinforcement. Given the results we obtained at the Stade, I’m convinced that in a more traditional environment, the audience wouldn’t know that there was any sound reinforcement at all.”
Heil concludes, “We’re proud to be working with Jean-Claude Casadesus and the Orchestre National de Lille again. We’re excited to have deployed our newest creation to help them offer an authentic and immersive concert experience.”
Francois says that, having experienced L-ISA, going back to using any other system would be “heartbreaking”.
“It is an indispensable tool for classical music, opera and large ensembles,” he says. “I look forward to working with L-ISA again and deepening this experience. L-ISA has a bright future ahead.”
