Hamburg Rathausmarkt Open Air 2019 Repeats, This Time with Alcons Audio

After the successful opening of the Rathausmarkt Open Air in Hamburg Germany last year, the classical music event with general music director Kent Nagano and the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra on August 31, 2019, enjoyed a brilliant new edition.

For the first time, the Farao Studios GmbH from Munich provided the acoustics at the event this year -- and started with a complex concept, that combined acoustic measures on stage with elements of virtual acoustics and a high-resolution pro-ribbon sound system of Dutch manufacturer Alcons Audio to an outstanding listening pleasure.

The concept, originally developed for Audi's "Vorsprung Festival" in 2014, was brought by the experienced team of Farao Studios at the Hamburg Rathausmarket square this year.

So here it was not just about reinforcing sound, but first of all creating controlled acoustic conditions on stage, so that the musicians can play in the way they are used to in the concert hall. The acoustics created on stage, both by means of acoustic measures, such as sound reflectors, as well as electro-acoustic measures should then be recorded and transmitted to the audience via the PA. That's where Alcons' proven pro-ribbon systems came into play.

Finally, a setup consisting of 15x Alcons LR28 large-scale pro-ribbon line array systems (l / r) and 14x Alcons LR18 as center cluster was simulated and installed. A total of 20 of the powerful BC543 3x 18'' cardioid subwoofer systems provided support in the low frequency range. The monitor system consisted of four 3 LR7 micro line-array and four VR8 compact monitor flown in the stage roof. 33 Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers drove the system, with 132 channels in total. With Uwe Biesgen from Ceativsound in Berlin, an experienced Alcons system engineer was on-site in Hamburg, who "did an outstanding job," as Gargerle points out. The Alcons systems were supplied by the PM Blue GmbH from Hamburg.

"We deliberately opted for a large-format system and also for tall arrays", says Florian Rauscher, who was responsible for the mix during the open-air together with Farao-Co managing director Andreas Cämmerer. "When working with an orchestra, we want to keep the stage as quiet as possible in order to provide the musicians with the accustomed acoustics that allow the musicians to hear each other well. With the length of the arrays, we therefore ensure first and foremost a good damping to the rear and to the side. However, we opted for the Alcons LR28 large-format system because we wanted a true full-range system. We work with a special multi-channel microphone technology, where the sound can be reproduced much more naturally with a real full-range system. And naturalness is always a crucial point in classical music."

What was then to be heard, not only inspired the trained ears of the Farao team, but also the conductor, the musicians, the audience, and the press. "Sonically, that was the best thing I've ever come across," Gargerle says about the pro-ribbon systems. "It was so much fun to work with it! The pro-ribbon driver technology from Alcons is a real benefit as it provides a very finely resolved sound. In addition, the PA is very versatile. In the mix, you can work very flexible with it. It does not impose a specific sound on you. The spatial image that we were aiming for was wonderfully translated by the sound system. All in all, the systems really met our expectations very well."

Rauscher continues, "The moment when you send a signal to the PA for the first time at an event is always very exciting. Of course, you first hear what the problems are. The Alcons systems sounded very natural from the beginning. Especially the high frequency range convinced from the beginning and everything sounded directly relatively homogeneous. It was a very nice moment for all of us."

"We thank Kent Nagano, the Hamburg State Opera, and the city of Hamburg for the confidence to implement our concept there. We look forward to a repeat -- then again very gladly with Alcons Audio," concludes Gargerle.

For more info, please visit www.farao-classics.de and www.pmgroup.de.