Sounds good!

From this weekend, live musicians can be assured that their music will resonate around the Regent Theatre auditorium – and stage – just as it should.

This week, Regent Theatre staff are installing a sound shell, several translucent PVC sails that are draped in the fly tower and the wings to reflect sound in the best direction. The effect of the sound shell will be an auditory experience comparable to almost any other venue in the country, both for the performers and the audience.

Regent Theatre Technical Manager Nelson Miles explains, “It means the band members can hear each other rather than the sound disappearing into the fly tower. It also means that the audience will hear exactly what the bands are playing or the choirs are singing.”

The Regent’s continually improving infrastructure makes it an increasingly attractive venue for a diverse range of performing arts companies so they include Dunedin in their tour circuit. Such improvements also have the flow on effect of providing a larger selection of events for Dunedin’s patrons to attend and a measurably better experience.

During a conference in Dunedin last year, Theatre Director Sarah Anderson took the opportunity to demonstrate the effect of the sound shell to four of the country’s top conductors with just part of the shell installed and the Returned Services Association Choir.

She says, “We wanted to give them a sense of what it would be like to perform here if we had a sound shell and they were very happy with the results, which gave us the confidence to go ahead with the funding applications.”

The 2016 Otago Southland Brass Band Association Provincial Contest - Festival of Brass - will be the first event in the Theatre to make use of the sound shell and are delighted the installation could happen before their event.

Event hosts Kaikorai Metropolitan Brass are excited for the installation and the chance to test out the new sound shell during the Festival. They hope this feature will further enhance live performance for both the audience and performers of all the arts in Dunedin.

The installation is also in plenty of time for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s performance at the Regent on the 14th of April and the Regent is thrilled that this piece of infrastructure means the national orchestra can play here.

Where once these pieces of infrastructure were made of wood product and cost $200,000 or more, the technology has advanced considerably with this one made of heavy duty polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and costing about $50,000. Approximately one third of the cost has been raised through funding applications and the balance will be covered by income from this year’s Anything But Books and 24-Hour Book Sales.

The sound shell has been custom made for the Regent’s stage and packs down into bags for easy storage. It increases the decibel (dB) range by approximately 4-5dB for late support values (relates to the response of the hall (perceived reverberance) as heard by the musician) and approximately 8dB for early support values (relates to the ease of hearing other members of an orchestra).

While there are always sweet spots for sound in any auditorium, the sound shell will enhance the sound in every area in the Regent Theatre, both in the Circle and the Stalls.

ENDS

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