AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – The new Kilden Performing Arts Centre (Konserthuset Kilden) in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand is one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated arts venues in Scandinavia. Constructed at a cost of 1.7 billion NOK (US $287.3 million) and covering a gross area of 15,000 square meters, Kilden features an advanced technological infrastructure across four separate halls. To meet the high demands of this prestigious new facility, territorial distributor LydRommet AS provided a massive variety of HARMAN audio components for the sound reinforcement systems in each space, including JBL VERTEC® line array elements, BSS Soundweb London digital networking, Crown CTs Series amplifiers and Soundcraft Vi Series consoles.
Owned by the Kristiansand Local Council and Vest-Agder County Council, who helped fund it, Kilden will be the joint center for Agder Regional Theater, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Sør (the regional opera company). ALA Architects of Finland designed the complex so that all halls can be used simultaneously. The Concert Hall is the largest space with 1,185 seats, while the Theater accommodates 700 seats, and the Multi Hall and Small Auditorium can seat 235 and 150 seats, respectively.
The Concert Hall is equipped with 24 JBL VERTEC VT4887DP-DA powered compact line array elements, a center cluster of two JBL VP7212/64DP-DA and one JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeaker, eight JBL VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, four JBL AC28 compact loudspeakers, 14 JBL AC2212/00 compact loudspeakers, four JBL AC26 ultra-compact loudspeakers, with Crown CTs amplifiers assigned to the non-powered loudspeakers. Processing was carried out in a BSS Soundweb London environment, with front of house mixing via a Soundcraft Vi6.
The Theater features 32 JBL VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array elements powered by Crown VRack systems, a center cluster of two JBL VP7212/95DP-DA and one JBL VP7212/64DP-DA powered loudspeaker. An additional eight JBL AC26 ultra-compact loudspeakers and 12 JBL 8350 cinema surround loudspeakers round out the system, powered by Crown CTs amplifiers. The same Soundweb components were installed as in the Concert Hall, along with another Soundcraft Vi6.
The Multi Hall is equipped with three JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeakers, with two JBL VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, BSS BLU800 and BLU120 digital signal routers and a Soundcraft Vi4 digital mixing desk.
The Small Auditorium features a pair each of JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeakers and VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, complemented by a BSS BLU800 and BSS BLU 120, and Soundcraft Vi1 (along with Vi6 stage box).
Monitoring resources for all stages consist of 24 JBL VP7212MDP powered stage monitors, 14 JBL VP7210/95DP powered loudspeakers, 10 JBL AC15 ultra-compact loudspeakers, a Crown CTs 8200 amplifier and a Soundcraft Vi6 desk.
In addition to these, LydRommet has also equipped a 5.1 recording studio and control room with five JBL LSR6328P studio monitors and an LSR6312SP studio monitor subwoofer. The room also features a Soundcraft Vi4 desk and BSS BLU100 processing.The control room can pick up the MADI from the mixers in each of the four halls to record the performances. Patching can be either manual, or via an RME MADI bridge if also routed to either of the two OB vehicles outside, for which provision has been made in LydRommet's clever cabling architecture.
The central sound distribution consists of a BSS BLU800 and BSS BLU120, with four BSS BLU16, and 50 JBL Control 25AV surface-mount loudspeakers. Kilden also features 30 channels of AKG DMS 700 wireless microphone systems.
For the official inauguration of Kilden on January 6, national broadcaster NRK brought its HD2 large TV bus and TR23 Soundbus, using its own Studer Vista 9 and Vista 8 mixing consoles respectively, in conjunction with the installed Soundcraft Vi6 and Vi4 (and three Soundcraft Si Compact boards).
The main music mix was carried out on the Vista 8 while a temporary control room was set up inside the building, where the 32-channel, 24-channel and 16-channel Soundcraft Si Compacts produced sub mixes for the TR23 OB—sending groups of strings from the symphony orchestra as well as groups from the 100-piece choir.
LydRommet had originally been invited to tender for the contract five years ago in a bid involving five companies. They successfully responded to a specification produced by Ivar Thommasen at Brekke & Strand Akustikk AS for a contract that included a video and digital signage section, a paging/show monitoring system and a stage management system in addition to the core speech and music reinforcement systems and complete cable infrastructure.
“The client asked for half-year adjustments to make the solution work in the best way defined for the job,” explained LydRommet project manager Alf Christian Hvidsteen. “This allowed us to optimize the system and make full use of the integrated solutions that HARMAN can provide.”
Working directly for the Kilden Project Group and alongside main contractor, AF Gruppen, LydRommet's own in-house product specialists, Espen Andersen and PÃ¥l Solli, designed the sound reinforcement and distribution systems with the aid of AutoCAD, HARMAN HiQnet Performance Managerâ„¢, System Architectâ„¢, London Architectâ„¢ and JBL's Line Array Calculator. The result was a show relay system incorporating 200 speaker stations—fed and controlled by IP over Ethernet.
“The results, to put it mildly, were stunning,” Hvidsteen said. “The preview concerts as well as the opening ceremony were a very good test of both the acoustics and our loudspeaker choices. All systems worked very well and the customer and audience were very pleased with the results.”
High-resolution photos of the Kilden Performing Arts Centre are available at http://www.definitionbam.com/downloads/2012/Kilden_pictures.zip
HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.