Kaohsiung, Taiwan (March 10, 2021)—Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Music Center (KMC) isn’t unique merely because of its shape; it’s also the site of the first d&b audiotechnik KSL Soundscape installation. The new music venue is the result of a local government initiative to rejuvenate the former industrial site.
The Kaohsiung Music Center comprises the Hi-Breeze Square outdoor stage, four auditoriums, the Hi-Ing Hall main stage, and an outdoor auditorium on a bridge overlooking the Love River. The main stage and auditoriums can be subdivided into smaller units, giving the center greater flexibility in its hosting capabilities.
In order to make the most of Hi-Ing Hall, venue management and supplier Topsound Audio chose to install d&b Soundscape immersive technology and d&b KSL loudspeakers. The venue features seven hangs of KSL line arrays (five for the mains, and two for outfills) to provide full-band directivity control to the space, with the aim of providing the same sound to every audience member regardless of their location in the venue.
The Soundscape installation is powered by the DS100 Signal Engine, an audio system processor based on a Dante-enabled signal matrix. The technology’s coverage is controlled through its software module, En-Scene, a sound object positioning tool allowing the individual placement and movement of sound objects.
The venue’s asymmetrical shape posed audio challenges, with the additional concern that the entire venue needed to ensure optimum rear rejection, as it backs directly onto a noisy shopping mall. “We were concerned with the proximity of the shopping mall and needed to make sure that wouldn’t cause any issues during performances,” commented Kenny Liu, general manager of Topsound. “Everyone was absolutely taken aback by the exceptional rear rejection provided by the d&b SL-SUB cardioid subwoofers. It really helps us control the sound.”
The center opened on Feb. 3 with a technology testing event held at the Hi-Ing Hall. There, hundreds of music professionals were invited to hear the system in order to rigorously test and provide feedback on how the system handled multiple genres. While the d&b team could not be on site due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, all parties involved have vocalized extreme satisfaction with the training they received through d&b virtual webinars.
“We were supported by d&b every step of the way, and their online training initiatives taught us so much and ensured we felt extremely comfortable with the system,” said Liu. “This is an extremely impressive looking venue and we needed a sound system that would match. d&b gave us that and more, and we are very excited for audiences to experience this one-of-a-kind system in a one-of-a-kind venue.”
d&b audiotechnik • www.dbaudio.com
