A new JBL vertec line array sound system is successfully installed in the Royal Wanganui Opera House (RWOH).

Built in 1889 in celebration of the long reign of the then Monarch of the British Empire, Queen Victoria, the Royal Wanganui Opera House was opened with much fanfare in Feburary 1900. The total construction and fit out cost was a little over £5000.00, which equates to nearly $8 million today!

The RWOH was the first theatre in the Southern Hemisphere and only the fourth in the world to utilise electric lighting. Additionally the theatre’s acoustics are acknowledged by experts to be of outstanding quality and the Opera House is one of very few wooden theatres, of it’s size, left in the world.

In 1999, in recognition of its 100 year anniversary, the RWOH was granted the Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth II and is the only building in New Zealand to be honoured in this way.

Naturally such a “Grand Old Lady” should be treated with respect and this was no different when it came to carefully choosing a new Audio System for the RWOH.

After hearing, seeing and being impressed by the JBL VRX installation at the Bruce Mason Centre on Aucklands North Shore, John Richardson the Manager at RWOH contacted Peter Van Gent of PVG Productions to learn a little more about the system. Shortly after this Peter contacted Paul Edlin of JANDS and plans, wiring diagrams, equipment schedules and EASE models were soon being drawn up.

The heart of the new system at the RWOH is based around a total of 12 JBL VRX932LA and 4 JBL VRX718S Line Array Elements, powered by a total of 11 QSC PLX2502 Amplifiers. Speaker Management is handled by a dbx Driverack4800 with a dbx 2231 Dual 31 Graphic handling FOH EQ.

A 32 Channel Soundcraft GB4 handles both the FOH mix sound and stage montior mixing duties. Each monitor feed passes through its own 31 band Grpahic EQ (one side of 4 x dbx 2231) with on-stage monitoring provided by 8 JBL PRX512M Powered speakers. Effects processings comes via way of 2 Lexicon MX series processors with dynamic processing handled by a dbx 1046 Quad Compressor/ Limiter. All microphones, both wired and wireless, are by Shure. A total of 8 Shure SLX sytems (4 SLX24-Beta58 and 4 SLX14-WCE6) were chosen for their ease of use, expandibility and sound quality. A smattering of Shure SM and Beta wired models round out the mic selection! Whirlwind cabling is used throughout the installation. As well as all microphone, instrument and insert cabling a 32×8 Medusa Snake is used for all stage inputs and returns from the mix position.

The system was supplied, installed and tuned by Peter Van Gent of PVG productions with assistance from Paul Edlin of JANDS NZ.

Of the new sound system John Richardson says “The new production system for the venue will enable the touring companies to shorten the venue set up time and with the new VRX array’s produce a better quality of sound. The local users now have access to the basics during rehearsal time without having the extra hirage expense.”