Cracow Opera is located in four buildings at Lubicz 48 street in Cracow. It consists of:
• Foyer located at the historical riding stable,
• Auditorium with 764 seats and a 443 m2 stage. Two bays, one located to the left and one to the right of the stage. A private chamber is located above the right bay, whilst the left bay there is a choir and soloist rehearsal room.
• The remaining two administration/technical support buildings contain offices, wardrobe rooms, workshops and a rehearsal hall.
As a member of the Cracow Opera Technological Consortium, M. Ostrowski company supplied the Cracow Opera with the following systems:
• electro-acoustic system,
• opera management support system,
• video system.
The abovementioned systems embrace the entire Cracow Opera, especially:
• main auditorium / stage hall of the Cracow Opera,
• private chamber used also as the orchestra rehearsal room,
• choir and soloist rehearsal room,
• ballet rehearsal room,
• foyer,
• technical support facilities.
1. Choir and soloist rehearsal room and ballet rehearsal room
The choir and soloist rehearsal room as well as the ballet rehearsal room were provided with a specially designed integrated audio/video system, allowing for handling of signals from wireless microphones and from a DVD player, as well as for video playback on a large LCD of signals from the DVD or other external sources. The proposed solutions are easy to use and allow for efficient work of the choir singers, soloists and ballet dancers.
2. Private chamber
The private chamber was equipped with a sound system allowing for transmission of signals from the 24 onstage inputs, four wireless microphone sets, CD player, CF player and MD player to the YAMAHA LS9 digital mixing console. The signals are then transferred to the YAMAHA SP2060 signal processor, and further on to CREST AUDIO power amplifiers. Considering that the private chamber does not have a fixed stage/audience arrangement, the signals from the amplifiers are directed to a speaker distribution matrix, allowing for direction of signals to various output connections located on the lower floor and in the technical gallery. The stage and audience sound reinforcement system is based on RENKUS-HEINZ equipment.
All of the private chamber equipment is installed in flight cases, allowing for its easy rearrangement or usage at other locations.
3. Auditorium
The auditorium, as the main and largest stage, was equipped with an advanced sound system, containing among others four onstage connection boxes and two signal connection boxes at the orchestra pit. Each of these contains 16 XLR audio inputs, 4 XLR return lines and 4 SPEAKON speaker return lines. Signals from these inputs are directed to a matrix, which allows for selection of 64 of the available 96 signal inputs. Selection is made in groups of 16 signal channels. These signals are then directed to a passive audio splitter, where they are divided into 3 groups:
• DIRECT – signals connected directly to the microphone preamplifier inputs of YAMAHA AD8HR A/D converters,
• TRAFO-1- signals connected through separating transformers to the YAMAHA LS9-32 monitoring console,
• TRAFO-2 – signals connected through separating transformers to outputs located on the external wall of the building – intended for 3rd party use, like radio or TV.
Digital AES/EBU signals from the A/D converters are sent to a RME AES/MADI converter and then to a digital MADI matrix/distribution panel, also made by RME. Analog signals are used only on the stage, whilst all of the remaining locations (i.e. acoustician cabin, recording room, amplifier room and the external digital outputs) are all linked using the MADI network, which uses the digital MADI format to transfer signals over coaxial and fiber-optic cables. Use of a digital audio transmission network automatically implied the use of digital consoles, where this configuration included: YAMAHA DM2000VCM in the acoustician cabin, YAMAHA 01V96 in the recording room and a YAMAHA DME64N digital mixing engine used as the speaker processor. Use of digital devices for audio transmission and processing allowed for: considerable shortening of the travel distance for low-level audio signals, maintenance of a high signal to noise ratio and high dynamics, which is of key importance to signal quality, limited number of signal conversions consisting only of one A/D conversion at the stage and one D/A conversion immediately before the inputs to active speaker sets of the auditorium sound reinforcement system or the power amplifiers used for stage monitor speakers for artists or special effects / soundstage creation.
Some of the other audio sources include: sixteen wireless microphone sets installed in a convenient flight case, which can be connected directly to the audio console at the acoustician cabin or to the splitter input, as well as CD, MC and CF players, also installed in a flight case, connected directly to the audio console.
The main sound system operates in a stereo configuration. Speaker signals are processed by a multichannel YAMAHA DME64N digital mixing engine. The RENKUS-HEINZ sound reinforcement system consists of two clusters – one left and one right, built using PN102LA units in a linear arrangement, along with PN82 units mounted below the balcony – used to provide sound reinforcement for the area shadowed by this balcony, PN81 units mounted on the rail between the orchestra pit and the audience – for the first rows of the audience as well as ST5L low frequency modules.
Furthermore, there are additional speaker outputs located on the walls, allowing for connection of additional speakers as required for the given soundstage configuration.
The installed sound reinforcement system allows for uniform sound distribution throughout the audience, providing full dynamic range and appropriate sound pressure as required for concerts and other performances.
Another system provided by M. Ostrowski Company is the opera management support system, providing the following functionality:
• two-way wire-based communication system, covering among others: stage manager stand, acoustician / light engineer cabin, stage director stand located in the audience, orchestra conductor stand, acoustician stand located in the audience, recording room, amplifier room and stage device operator stands.
• two-way wireless communication system, consisting of wireless intercoms providing coverage at the audience floor, technician rooms, main stage and side chambers, the stage/backstage ceiling as well as all adjoining facilities.
• stage action light feedback system covering the following locations: mezzanine, orchestra pit, stage, proscenium entrances and technical galleries.
• video monitoring system, including as sources: the revolving camera covering the stage, stationary camera pointed at the orchestra conductor, stationary camera overlooking the stage from the right portal column, stationary camera overlooking the cloakroom hall as well as signals from the video mixer handling two DVD. Camera signals are fed directly as well as through a video multiplexer to HF modulators. This signal is then available through a network of amplifiers and HF splitters at a few dozen locations of the object, including among others: the foyer, stage manager stand, technical cabins, recording room, main stage, buffet as well as other rooms of the building.
The abovementioned systems were designed and implemented in cooperation with the design studio PRACOWNIA AKUSTYCZNA PIOTR KOZŁOWSKI sp.j.
