Audio Highlights by Vilar Technical Director, Cheyenne Mendoza
Ever wondered what makes performances sound so stunning at the Vilar? In this blog post, Vilar Technical Director Cheyenne Mendoza, dives into some of the world-class production equipment we use to create an unparalleled audio experience for every Vilar audience member.
Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys | L’Acoustics PA System
When it comes to delivering world-class sound, every detail matters. Crafted by French speaker manufacturer L’Acoustics, our sound system ensures that every audience member – from the front row to the back of the balcony – gets the same rich, immersive audio experience. Here’s what sets it apart:
⚡ With 44 speaker cabinets and 104 transducers, our rig packs 40,000 watts of amplifier power designed to produce crystal-clear quality at every level.
🔊 Our subwoofers are flown in an inverted gradient array, meaning three speakers face the audience while one faces the stage. By carefully adjusting timing and polarity, we minimize unwanted spill onstage and direct clean low-end sound exactly where we want it to go – towards the audience.
🔀 The system makes use of the DOSC waveguide to prevent interference between multiple speakers. Instead, it creates a single, unified wavefront, ensuring seamless sound coverage across the entire theater.
🎚 Thanks to variable curvature geometry, our speakers are precisely angled and tuned to match the audience layout, maximizing impact and minimizing audio drop-offs.
From soaring symphonies to electric rock concerts, our state-of-the-art setup ensures you hear every note exactly as intended – no matter where you sit.
Echoes – Pink Floyd | Acoustic Banners
Not all performances are created equal: some thrive in a crisp, controlled sound environment, while others need a rich, lingering resonance. At the Vilar, our acoustic banners let us fine-tune the space’s reverberation time for each performance. Here’s how we put these banners to use:
🔇 To create a clearer, more controlled sound for amplified performances, the acoustic banners are deployed along the theater walls. Through the sound-absorbing qualities of the fabric, we can reduce the RT60 reverberation time (the time it takes sound to decay by 60 decibels) to 1.4 seconds – ideal for concerts, musicals, and amplified events where control is key.
🎻 For unamplified classical performances, the banners are stowed, and wooden orchestra shells are deployed onstage. This increases the RT60 reverberation time to 3.2 seconds – enhancing the richness and depth of acoustic instruments and vocals.
Our variable room acoustics enable every genre, instrument and voice to resonate in its ideal listening environment.
Technologic – Daft Punk | Audio Processing Infrastructure
Great sound isn’t just about power; it’s about precision. At the Vilar, our state-of-the-art audio signal chain incorporates cutting-edge converters and formats for maximum fidelity. Here’s how we keep things pristine:
🎤 Every component in our system operates at 96 kHz, and our microphone pre-amplifiers run at a whopping 192 kHz before being converted. This high-resolution processing delivers a studio-quality experience, live.
🔄 Most sound systems subject audio signals to multiple rounds of analog/digital switching, which can degrade quality. At the Vilar, we’ve streamlined this to just one conversion to analog and one to digital, eliminating signal loss or degradation.
🎶 From the mics to the amps, every element in our setup rivals the best high-fidelity audio systems, filling the entire theater with breathtaking sound.
Through this meticulous attention to detail, we ensure every performance sounds as pure and immersive as possible – exactly as the artists intend.
Want to learn about our lighting equipment? Check our this blog post by Vilar Lighting Designer Riley Goossen: