Press Releases

POTSDAM, Germany - May 2024 — Inaugurated in 2006, the striking glass façade of Potsdam’s Hans Otto Theatre, reflects back the image of lake Tiefer See, upon whose banks the venue is built. The 485-seat theatre features three stages and traces its history back to 1795 when King Frederik Wilhelm II founded The Royal Playhouse on the banks of the Potsdam City Canal. Having changed names and moved to different buildings over the ensuing 200+ years, the current building, designed by Paul Böhm with a red shell-like shape that evokes comparisons to the iconic Sydney Opera House, hosts a wide-ranging schedule that features the entire world of theatre on stage: great theatre classics, drama and ballet, modern experiments, and engaging children's theatre.

The theatre’s diverse repertoire of performances led the sound department to search out a versatile concert sound system that would be capable of adapting to various performance styles and audience configurations. Acknowledging the increasing importance of sound design for the modern theatre, the sound department wanted a sound system that would offer clear, natural sound to each audience member. The complex venue architecture, with a mix of reflective glass surfaces and hanging curtains, also came with acoustic challenges.

The theatre team turned to Hamburg-based L-Acoustics Certified System Integrator Protones, to tackle the complex project. Leveraging their vast experience installing L-Acoustics in notable projects like Theatre Neumünster, AIDA Cruises and Palazzo Berlin, Protones proposed a design using L-ISA immersive technology, which won Marcel Schmidt, Deputy Head of Sound Engineering at Hans Otto Theatre, over due to its ability to offer pristine, localised sound across the audience area, while also being visually appealing and, affordable. "When L-Acoustics came to showcase their products, we were enthralled by the simplicity of the L-ISA interface and the immersive sound it delivered, reaching every corner of the theatre,” comments Felix Vollmer, Head of Installation at Protones.

The immersive configurations began with five arrays of three A10i Focus and one A10i Wide, with two hangs of two KS21 subwoofers spread above the main stage. Seven 5XT coaxial speakers are placed across the stage lip for spatial front-fill. Ten X8 coaxial speakers placed around the side and back wall create surround sound, while two X12 and 4 X8 serve for on-stage monitoring. The theatre lacked rigging points, but the Protones team was able to find mounting space on the edge of the stage or the orchestra pit parapet, creating special rigging points where mounting space didn’t exist.

Hans Otto Theatre requested a sound system that was fully immersive, high-performance, and easy to use. It had to be highly versatile, and we were confident that L-Acoustics would be the right solution. The combination of L-ISA technology with X Series and A Series loudspeakers offers an unmatched immersive audio experience that is appreciated by the audience and crew alike, concludes Vollmer.

About L-Acoustics

L-Acoustics is renowned for developing innovative sound systems and technologies that elevate the listening experience. Founded in France in 1984, L-Acoustics currently employs 800 team members worldwide, with headquarters in Paris, Los Angeles, London, and Singapore. Recognized for pioneering the line source array, L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of sound with solutions such as the L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, which offers 3D multi-dimensional audio. L-Acoustics also offers exceptional concert-grade sound systems and immersive sound spaces for residential and architectural environments. In recognition of introducing these groundbreaking creative technologies, L-Acoustics was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2020 and 2023.

L-Acoustics sound systems can be heard around the globe in venues like the Hollywood Bowl and the Philharmonie de Paris, at the world's top-grossing festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland, international special events like the World Expo 2020 and World Cup 2022, and on tour with world-class artists such as Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Arctic Monkeys, and Jacky Cheung, and in the Las Vegas residencies of Katy Perry, Adele, and more.