Sound system of the Bastille Opera House in Paris

2016-10-14

The sound system of the French National Opera

The installation of the new audio system at the famous Opéra Bastille in Paris was based on the Focus Modular system by Fohhn, which allows for directing the acoustic beam. Thanks to this, acoustic problems caused by the multi-level auditorium and the location of the balconies were eliminated. The slim, compact dimensions of the speakers ensure excellent sound quality and “hide” in the interior architecture.

The main auditorium consists of three auditorium levels, two main balconies and 8 side balconies. In total, the opera house has 2,745 seats. The furthest seat is 40 meters from the stage, at a height of 18 meters. Replacing the existing opera sound system with a new, better one that could reach every listener was quite a challenge for designers and sound engineers.

The management of Opera Bastille chose the Focus Modular solution from Fohhn. It was the first choice for the main sound system due to:

high sound quality
excellent clarity of speech and clarity of music
high uniformity of coverage for individual ranges of the acoustic band
even sound throughout the entire audience
possibility of integrating speakers into the interior architecture

7.48 meter columns, consisting of five loudspeaker modules, were installed on each side of the stage. The balconies were amplified with Fohhn Linea loudspeakers.

Below is the opinion of the technical director of the Opera Bastille about the new sound system of the opera house:

We wanted to change the sound system of the Bastille Opera House, but we didn’t want to spoil the beautiful architecture of the hall by having stacks of speakers scattered everywhere.

While looking for the best possible solution, we discovered Fohhn. The Focus Modular system has proven to be ideal for achieving high-quality music and voice reproduction, and their acoustic beam steering technology provides impressive, direct sound coverage. Moreover, the speakers were completely integrated into the interior of the opera house, leaving its appearance untouched. I’m very happy.

– says Philippe Taberlet, technical director of Opéra Bastille.

Source of information: “Focus Modular w Operze Bastille”
DYSTEN is the exclusive distributor of Fohhn devices in Poland.