AFAS Theater is First in the World to Create L-ISA Immersive Experience with L Series Speakers AFAS Theater is First in the World to Create L-ISA Immersive Experience with L S...
The multi-purpose venue, purpose-built for AFAS Software, chooses L-ISA Immersive and L Series to embody the brand’s forward-thinking philosophy
LEUSDEN, Netherlands – June 2024 – “We wanted the best system in the Netherlands. it had to be sophisticated, and it had to be future proof,” says Daniël Bril, Audio Engineer at AFAS Theater, who found the perfect solution in a combination of L Series and L-ISA immersive technology. The first L-ISA installation using L Series in the world is a perfect match for AFAS Theater, a cutting-edge, purpose-built multipurpose space commissioned by AFAS Software, a leading ERP developer. Like the company itself, the venue, which opened in 2021, had to be flexible, multi-faceted, and innovative in its approach to everything from the layout and décor to its audio-visual technology. To find the best solution for these requirements, they consulted Jeroen ten Brinke, a sound designer with tons of experience. His involvement streamlined the process and kept the focus on finding the best solution for the venue.
“AFAS is a company that likes new technologies and when L-Acoustics came out with the L2 it was something that really blew our minds,” exclaims Bril. The centrepiece of the AFAS complex, the 800-capacity theater hosts everything from conferences, corporate events and awards ceremonies to theatrical productions and live concerts. Committed to new technologies and innovation, the AFAS Theater team tested a variety of systems. And from the second they were introduced to the new L Series professional audio system from L-Acoustics, their mind was made up, and they embarked on the world’s first permanently installed L-ISA deployment using L Series.
Pushing boundaries
Bril collaborated closely with Rene van der Linden at Fairlight, L-Acoustics Certified Provider Distributor for the Netherlands and Gert Wiersema, application engineer at L-Acoustics. Using Soundvision audio modelling software, they designed a system that would serve the wide range of events at the theater while also ensuring the system remained aesthetically unobtrusive. “Sightlines were a major consideration for this project,” explains Bril. “The L Series enables a relatively small PA to provide full coverage, from the top row on the balcony all the way down to the edge of the stage. The L Series is so much smaller than boxes with similar power, and to make things even better, it just looks sexy!”
Installed by Fairlight, who served as audio partner for the project, the L-ISA Scene system comprises five hangs of one L2 over one L2D, and 10 KS21 subwoofers. Two X8 coaxial enclosures were used for in-fill, while 12 5XT serve as spatial front-fill. Two X8 are placed under the balconies, to close two small gaps that the main system did not cover, while four 5XT serve the private boxes. A catwalk in the ceiling blocks coverage for the top rows on the balcony, so three A10 Wide recover this missing coverage and are fed by an LCR downmix from the L-ISA Processor II. The entire system is powered by 11 LA7.16i, two LA12X, and one LA4X amplified controllers.
Making immersive audio easy
Van der Linden notes that the incorporation of the L-ISA technology was incredibly straightforward, with L-Acoustics providing first class training and support throughout. “A visiting FOH engineer told me L-ISA was simple to programme and the production team were happy with the results,” he says. “The given idea is that implementing immersive technology is complicated, but this project shows how easy it is. The AFAS Theater team were eager to learn and picked it up very fast.”
“The synergies between this L2 L-ISA system and a venue so centred on technological innovation are clear for all to see. It is a perfect pairing that allows the AFAS Theater to continue to expand and diversify its offering. Everyone who has put it to use, from engineers to artists, has been absolutely delighted with its performance,” concludes Bril.
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