From humble beginnings above a shop in Sydney’s Kings Cross, a group of passionate musicians has developed and grown over half a century. Richard Lawn visits the new home of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO).
Having spent the last two decades rehearsing underground and playing in international concert halls, the ACO ensemble’s dream of finding a permanent home has been realised following significant investment from patrons and the New South Wales Government. Perched above the harbour in Sydney’s revitalised Walsh Bay Arts Precinct (WBAP), Pier?2/3 is now home to the ACO, the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company and Australian Theatre for Young People. Pier?2/3 has been in existence since the mid-nineteenth century as a cargo loading facility and later a departure point for soldiers in WW2. Some seven years since the project’s announcement, the ACO is beginning to appreciate the capabilities of its AV infrastructure.
Having cut his teeth at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and fast-tracked his credentials at London’s Autograph Sound, ACO Pier?2/3 head of technical and production, Robin McCarthy, is charting the ACO’s course. McCarthy plays down his role in attracting a wider audience, sharing the limelight with Arup and AV consultant Bosco Tan, which designed the AV system in conjunction with sub-contractor Fredon Technologies and Theatreplan theatre advisors.
On returning to his native Australia, McCarthy joined Sydney’s Arup consultancy to assist in designing the ACO’s new home. Forming a bond with the venue, he was drawn to a vacancy that would allow him to integrate and oversee its technology. “As both a theatre and an AV consultant, I was included in the redesign of the pier,” McCarthy explains. “There was an opportunity to maximise the potential of the ACO by deploying the highest level of technology.”
McCarthy created modes of operation to assist internal technicians and touring engineers. “As much as the built-in technology will take us forward, the challenge of trying to understand how the systems work was daunting. The construction documentation and schematics did not sufficiently explain how end users should interface with the technological systems. To better interpret them, I tasked myself to rewrite the documentation for our in-house technicians, and I continue to make amendments for stage managers and clients.”
The largest of the three venues at Pier?2/3 is The Neilson 277-seat, wood-panelled auditorium. Acoustically designed for musical performances, film screenings, spoken word, conferences and VIP functions, the intimate, flexible space comprises a balcony level and retractable raked seating. Architectural and production lighting together with a control room equip The Neilson for recording and livestreaming.
With a glass wall giving views of Sydney Harbour and the bridge, The Studio is used for musical rehearsals, intimate performances, talks, screenings, workshops and meetings for up to 80 people. Meanwhile, the 220-capacity Belgiorno Room embraces the heritage feel of the pier with views of the harbour to host events such as cocktail parties, private dinners, product launches and corporate functions.
The Neilson contains a d&b audiotechnik FOH loudspeaker system. Covering the main seating area and the balcony on all sides, a pair of full-range Vi10P point source speakers together with eight E8 fills are visually unobtrusive. Four ceiling-fixed Vi-Sub subwoofers provide low-end reinforcement and six M6 speakers can be patched in as monitors. Incorporating Dante audio interfaces and digital AES3 inputs, four d&b 30D amplifiers support network control and DSP.
“We can tune the room as desired; for example, in the round or theatre mode, but we can also de-rig when necessary,” explains McCarthy. “d&b audiotechnik produce beautiful sounding loudspeakers to complement the natural acoustics. When we host amplified performances, we have the option to add draping to absorb some of the reflections. However, the calibre and quality of the d&b point source components naturally blend in with the delicate room acoustics. The subtlety of the system is as valuable as the nuanced end of the PA system. The transient nature of how the audio is played back at a gentle volume creates an interesting balance and a wide audio bandwidth.”
“The output signal for amplified performances can be split between the d&b system and our media suite,” explains McCarthy. “Our hybrid system signals can be transmitted throughout the building, but you can do that unceremoniously by pressing the wrong button, so it is important to clearly communicate the parameters of the system.”
The flexible, hybrid nature of the venues allows McCarthy and his team to adapt to any situation. For online broadcasting, the seating can be retracted in The Neilson to create a studio floor. Recordings can also be made in The Studio and the Belgiorno Room.
During the pandemic, McCarthy better understood how video could help artists stay connected and grow their audience. “We often produce live/recorded streams or archival concert films,” he says. “In lockdown, the ACO launched a new video series and re-released back catalogue recordings.”
The smaller venues are connected via the same networks and incorporate similar technologies. The Studio has a d&b E12 point source loudspeaker located in each corner, powered by a 30D amplifier. The Belgiorno Room integrates a scaled-down version of the larger venues, with d&b 10S-D and 10S enclosures powered by 30D amplifiers.
McCarthy acknowledges that arts and music are in the midst of changing times: “ACO programmes have to be constantly evolving to ensure growth and to attract a more diverse audience to the venue. Richard Tognetti firmly believes that chamber music can cross a broad-spectrum and interrelate with more eclectic and contemporary music styles. By collaborating with modern-day artists, we are able to perform with groups such as Will Gregory’s Moog Ensemble to recreate soundtracks like Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner and Tron – a testimony to the ACO’s innovation and ambition to draw contemporary audiences.”
With the right AV infrastructure in place, the ACO should prosper. “We can easily install fly bars together with LED moving light fixtures and we have sufficient venue-wide power and data signal cabling to host such contemporary productions,” comments McCarthy. “Eighteen months after opening, we are starting to discover who we are.”
Original case study written by Richard Lawn and published by Pro AVL-Asia. Head here for the full write-up.
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