Project

Amptec installs first d&b XSL system in the Netherlands

Wilminktheater

22-08-2022 / Live /


Wilminktheater and Muziekcentrum Enschede form part of De Twentse Shouwburg NV, an important cultural facility for the municipality of Enschede and the surrounding area. The company operates four buildings with six stages in the city centre, including the Wilminktheater, which is home to the Dutch Reisopera. After 14 years of service, the time had come to replace the sound system in Wilminktheater's main room, the 1001-capacity PAY. Hall. Following a successful tender bid, Amptec installed the first d&b XSL system in the Netherlands, and one of the first in Europe.


The initial design was for a Y-Series system with a cardioid sub array and R90 control. However, after further discussion with the client, it was decided to redesign with XSL – the newest and most compact of d&b's SL family of line array systems. "Our progam here is extremely varied, from opera to comedy to full-on rock shows, so we needed a system that could handle all of this," explains Eelco Braakhuis, technical manager at Wilminktheater. "Also, the venue is acoustically challenging with hard, reflective surfaces and a domed roof, plus it's difficult to achieve adequate coverage for the outer seats under the side balconies."


The XSL system complete with ArrayProcessing and R90 control provided the ideal solution: "Cardioid performance across the full frequency spectrum was the key," notes Amptec's Mike Manders. "Full broadband directivity control drastically improves the ratio of direct to reverberant sound in acoustically critical spaces – which was the case here – and ArrayProcessing enhances sonic performance further still." Another draw was the fact that XSL is a brand new system, thus longevity is assured, and it can be easily expanded to Soundscape in the future.


"We're proud to have the first XSL system in the Netherlands, and we'd definitely recommend it to other venues, especially theatres," says Braakhuis. "It's powerful, transparent, and handles both big and small shows with ease."





Wilminktheater
Wenninkgaarde 40-42
7511 PH Enschede
Netherlands
https://www.wilminktheater.nl