Active acoustics and sound reinforcement at TUI Operettenhaus, Hamburg: A case study

Abstract

TUI Operettenhaus is a proscenium theater with one balcony which is host to drama, musical theater, and concerts. The venue hosts different sound reinforcement systems for different shows, and now has a permanent active acoustic system. The physical acoustics are very dry as is appropriate for modern theater with spatial sound reinforcement, and the active acoustic system allows the reverberation time to be extended as appropriate for different performances. The active acoustic system can also pass through signals to it's speakers for spatial surround reproduction. The installation of the active acoustic system in an older building posed many challenges. This case study presents the challenges that were overcome during installation, the integration of the active acoustic system with sound reproduction, and the measured performance of the system. © 2013 Acoustical Society of America.