Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup has equipped the new Linz Music Theatre (located in Linz, Austria )with audio, communication and multimedia technology. Europe’s largest newly built theatre recently opened its doors with an adaptation of Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal” by the Spanish Theatre Company “La Fura dels Baus,” directed by Carlus Padrissa.
The new venue hosts opera, drama, ballet, youth theatre and – for the first time in Linz – musical shows. The theatre, designed by London-based architect Terry Pawson, offers a main stage with an impressive 2,066 square meters of stage space in three performance halls.
The Mediagroup supplied and installed all the sound technical systems for the project, including an extensive oratis intercom system, a stage-management system based on oratis and the Media Control system, a NEXUS network for signal distribution throughout the building, and four AURUS mixing consoles for each of the three halls and the additional recording studio.
In addition, the sound reinforcement systems, video installations, monitoring, hearing assistance, and media controller were also supplied by the Mediagroup.
The backbone of the project is the comprehensive NEXUS system that provides networking to all three venues. Fifteen (15) NEXUS base devices, some of which are intended for mobile use, make audio network ports literally available everywhere in the huge building complex.
One of the main tasks for NEXUS is integrating the four AURUS consoles, including a large console at the main hall’s front of house room (1,000 seats), a portable console for rehearsals, another portable one usually used in the studio stage (“Black Box” with 270 seats) and finally one at the recording studio associated with the orchestra hall (200 seats).
The concept emphasizes on versatility: because all consoles are integrated into the same network, each and every single resource may be accessed from all four desks and every desk can be freely used in each of the halls.
“A new theatre of this size requires technology that guarantees for a smooth switch between genres and for versatile usage of the halls,” states Wolfgang Salzbrenner, managing director of the Mediagroup’s theatre and integrated systems division. “Therefore, apart from factors such as sound quality and reliability required in this project, versatility and the high level of integration tipped the scales for our offer.”