The newly constructed Winspear Opera House, located in downtown Dallas, Texas, is a reinterpretation of the traditional opera house.
The main performance space seats 2,200 and was engineered specifically for performances of opera and musical theater, with stages equipped for ballet performances as well as other forms of dance.
Jeffrey White of Clair Brothers Audio Systems (Dallas) along with Dan Heins of the Nashville Office of Clair Brothers, provided the engineering, shop drawings and installation of the audio systems for the space.
“As a multi-use facility it required a multi-use sound system,” noted White and Heins. “The space was acoustically tuned and designed for Opera complete with a system designed to provide necessary vocal or orchestral support.”
“Another sound system for live music productions was installed for non-opera use. There is very little overlap between the systems.”
The only components that bridge both systems are the 58 Tannoy CMS 501 ceiling speakers that are used for all under and over fill on four tiers of balcony, along with rear fill of the main deck, mezzanine and upper balcony.
Martin Van Dijk of Engineering Harmonics, based out of Toronto, consulted and designed the system and specifically selected Tannoy 501 ceiling speakers.
“Sonic quality was extremely important, especially for an opera system,” said Dijk. “The Tannoy speakers not only provide exceptional audio quality, but they blended seamlessly with both primary systems.”
Initial spacing of the speakers was determined using acoustic software, with critical listening employed in the upper deck to ensure quality coverage. The fourth balcony is situated close to a sloping ceiling which added to the acoustic challenge. Because the 501s are utilized in both systems, it was important that their placement be optimized for both.
These high power and high sensitivity ceiling monitors, containing a 130mm (5.00”) ICT transducer, are specifically designed for applications requiring the combination of premium sonic quality for music and speech reinforcement and exceptional reliability – making them the ideal choice for the Winspear Opera House.
