Broadway on the Bosphorus / Pro Audio MEA

Istanbul’s Zorlu Center PSM performing arts complex can quite simply be described as ‘rider-proof’. In part one of an exclusive series, James Ling explores the PA installation at the state-of-the-art facility

WHEN PRO AUDIO MIDDLE EAST

first saw the Zorlu Center back in 2010, it was a mere concrete skeleton. 'This is going to be a very big project,' we were promised at the time, and never has a truer word been said. Fast-forward to the end of 2013 and Pro Audio Middle East is back at the site. The transformation, it has to be said, is breathtaking. Where once there was a concrete shell, now there is a gleaming shopping mall, tower blocks for offces and a hotel, and the highlight of it all, the Zorlu Center PSM.

There are many superlatives that could be used to describe the performing arts complex, but the simple description that comes to the mind of Pro Audio Middle East is 'rider-proof'. Just as an example, in terms of the mixing consoles available, the Zorlu Center can offer acts a choice from Midas Pro 9, Pro 6, Pro 3, Pro 1 or Venice VU16 desks, as well as Soundcraft Vi6, DiGiCo SD7, Yamaha CL5 or Avid Venue Profle consoles. These are all stored below the main theatre and when a particular desk is required, a lift brings it up straight to FOH where it can be connected directly into the PSM's network.

When it comes to microphones, there is even more choice. On the wireless side there are a couple of Sennheiser Digital 9000 systems as well as options from Shure. The wired collection includes literally hundreds of units, consisting of various models from Shure, AKG, Sennheiser, Neumann, Schoeps, DPA, Audio- Technica and Earthworks. These are all stored in one locked room just off stage which can rightly be described as a sound engineer's sweet shop. 'We wanted to be able to offer everything,' smiles George Andreou, assistant general manager of the Zorlu Center PSM for Nederlander World Wide Entertainment, the building operator. 'Most of the time, when someone sends us a rider, we send back the list of equipment that we have and they will say "okay, we can work with that". People can come in here and choose what they want to use, there is nothing to discuss.' The PSM itself is the very embodiment of this philosophy - it genuinely offers everything. Designed in conjunction with theatre consultant AMPC's Anne Minors and Bob Essort from acoustic designer SSD, it features four different performance sites: The 2,262-seat Main Stage, the 738-seat Drama Stage, a community stage in its own area of the cavernous lobby and the studio which acts as a rehearsal room, recording studio or small performance space. While these are very diverse spaces, they are all tied together by one unifying feature, the loudspeakers. Across the venue, systems from d&b audiotechnik have been installed to provide even coverage for every seat.

'We went to d&b and asked them to design us a system based on the plans for the different spaces,' recalls Mr Andreou. 'Their engineers know the speakers better than anyone else, so we wanted the design to come from them.'

The result is possibly one of the largest d&b theatre systems ever created. More than 200 of the manufacturer's speakers have been used for the permanently installed solution in the Main Stage theatre, with over 100 more covering the smaller Drama Stage and more still for the stage monitors. 'd&b has done an excellent job,' smiles Mr Andreou. 'Wherever you sit, from every seat, you hear the same things. We made sure that we measured every single seat so we have a huge cluster of data with the specs for every seat and we know exactly what is happening at every point,' he explains.

'We have two delay lines, and we have a full surround system which is split into 32 channels,' notes Mr Andreou as he sits down with Pro Audio Middle East in the centre of the Main Stage theatre. The surround is courtesy of 68 d&b E8 speakers while the box flls and delays come from d&b 8S cabinets. Added to this, front and side flls are predominantly from E6 enclosures, with added support from 10S, 12S and 12S-D units. The loudspeakers have all been custom-painted to blend in with the wooden ribs that perform dual aesthetic and acoustic functions in the theatre.

On top of this is the main L-C-R FOH PA system with both fying and ground-stacked subs. 'This is made up of V8 and V12 cabinets with V subs and J subs,’ says Mr Andreou. 'We have set it up so the left-centre- right follows back through the delay lines.’

Power for the speaker system comes from d&b D6 and D12 amps, which are also used for the crossover. 'In front of them we have a huge Net Max system from Electro-Voice for processing,’ explains the assistant general manager. 'It has 64 inputs and 64 outputs and we are doing all the matrixing from there - it is programmed so we can do anything.

This is important because Net Max is a very expandable system with Dante and that offers us close to zero latency,’ he smiles. ‘When we were searching to fnd the processing system, we looked around the market and Electro-Voice was one of the only processors you could use for such a big system.’

For the team behind the Zorlu Center PSM, the system was created with one goal in mind, keeping the audience happy. ‘When we got the building and started putting it together, we said that sound and seats are two of the things that people will comment on,’ recalls Mr Andreou. ‘When they come and they are uncomfortable, they will scream about it. When they come and they can’t listen to what the singer says, they will say the sound was bad. That is why we were very careful on the elements that we designed.’

From our extensive tour, Pro Audio Middle East is confdent that neither of these problems will occur. The seats are large, comfortable and all feature their own A/C while the acoustics of the room and the fnely tuned system combine to ensure there isn’t a bad sounding seat in the house.

The same goes for the smaller Drama Stage. In this space, the system has been reproduced on a smaller scale with d&b Ti10L speakers put to use for the main L-C-R solution with J subs and 27A subs providing both fying and ground stacked low end support. The majority of the delay and flls are courtesy of E6 enclosures, with Ti10L cabinets and 8S units also called into action.

‘The acoustics for the Drama Stage make the sound much more intense,’ says Mr Andreou. ‘It was designed for theatre companies and small concerts. The acoustics in here are so nice, we had two jazz concerts in here recently and it just takes your breath away. The system gives a little support to the actual sound so it just becomes amazing in here.’

The PSM was given free-rein by the main contractor to deal directly with the sub-contractors and make any necessary changes for the audio installation. ‘Normally this wouldn’t happen in the construction world, but because of mutual trust, we managed in a year and a half to put this place together, and build it in the best way you could ever do,’ smiles Mr Andreou.

‘Atempo were the main sub- contractor for all the lighting and sound systems,’ continues the assistant general manager. ‘We actually bought everything through them, even the products which they don’t distribute – we asked them to go and source it for us. We wanted to deal with only one company.

‘They have behaved very well to us, they are one of the most professional companies you can ever find,’ says Mr Andreou. ‘They keep their promises, there is a mutual trust here and that is the most important thing. They wanted a fagship reference project, worked hard on it and this is the result.’

While the audio side of the installation was the main consideration, it is clear that equal attention has been paid to the lighting and video systems. Manufacturers including ETC, Robert Juliat, Robe and Clay Paky dominate the list of lighting gear, while a Roland V-1600HD video switcher, Coolux processors and multiple Barco projectors are the core elements of the video system.

Added to this on the visual side is a large IPTV system which allows notice. While Mr Andreou deserves much of the credit for ensuring this outcome, he is quick to pass any plaudits on to the team around him. ‘I have a fantastic and talented team who have worked very hard to make this venue a reality,’ he smiles. ‘It was a big challenge to put this place up and keep it running. The crew here work 24 hours a day and it takes 175 people to operate the building.’

The challenge of operating a venue of this stature is very real, but with the equipment the venue has both installed and at its fngertips, meeting performers’ technical needs should never be an issue. It takes a great deal of courage to specify an equipment list of this scale for any venue, but by having made that investment, the Zorlu Center PSM has put itself on the map and will doubtless attract repeat visits from countless artists.

The frst few months of operation have seen some interesting usage for the Zorlu Center PSM, particularly on the recording side with its Avid-based system. And it is this aspect that

Pro Audio Middle East will explore in detail in the next edition.