VERONA, Italy – The Verona Opera Festival, which has been performing at a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre since 1913, has never used any sound reinforcement.
But there was a need for better overall sound quality in the back rows and terraces – and perhaps and even greater need to preserve the natural quality of un-amplified sound at the venue, which had been prized by the singers, musicians and directors.
"It was a difficult concept to convey that, in reality, our system wouldn't amplify at all, but would merely enrich the sound to a minimum degree," said Alessandro Tatini, CEO of K-array, who met with the sound provider, Musical Box Rent owner Giambattista Zerpelloni to discuss the project.
The solution came in the form of 128 K-array Kobra KK50 speakers at the foot of the stage, each connected to a microphone directly above. K-array KK200s were also placed around the perimeter of the arena to improve the sound for those listening from the surrounding terraces.
For each column, there where eight amplifiers with two different signals – one signal directed toward the audience, and the other steered toward the orchestra as monitors. With the help of DSP, each speaker could be programmed to precisely disperse sound waves within a selected section of the audience. The KK50s were compact enough to be fitted below the stage, hidden from view.
For more information, please visit www.k-array.com.
