Harlow Playhouse

The Project

Harlow Playhouse sits at the heart of Harlow’s thriving Arts & Cultural scene, offering an important platform for encouraging participation in the arts for everyone. After many years of heavy use, the sound system in the main 400-seat Theatre 1 was no longer able to maintain the same quality of sound, reliability and control. With a mission to upgrade their existing system, the Playhouse wanted a versatile solution that would ensure more consistent audio coverage and resolve the uneven sound coverage.

The Brief

d&b helped to design and deliver a high-quality solution, perfectly suited to their versatile programme of events. Ideally suited to venues of this type, d&b audiotechnik’s top of the range XSL8 line array loudspeakers were chosen due to their exceptional clarity, high power handling and outstanding broadband directivity control. These were driven by 40D amplifiers, boasting high efficiency and sustainability. Additional speakers were installed at the front of house and control areas to further enhance the overall experience.

The Solution

A monitoring array was integrated around the sound system to assist the sound engineers and ensure clarity of sound from front to back, across the full width of the theatre. To facilitate the diversity of events and shows, several pre-sets were created in collaboration with the Sound Designer and the Playhouse’s Head of Sound as part of the project.

The final solution offers a versatile and well-balanced system, that produces consistent quality and clarity of sound throughout the theatre. Through sustainable choices and with a focus on longevity, the sound system encompasses the Playhouse’s ethos and reflects the values that theatre is “for all”.