Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre GOES BIG with L-Acoustics L2

The Adelaide Entertainment Centre (AEC) has been welcoming punters since 1991, and back in 2010, finished a $52 million renovation that added the AEC Theatre above the main arena. The Theatre can seat 1,900 in traditional theatre mode, can host 1,000 for cocktails, or 700 for a banquet. It can also be split in two. The original L‑Acoustics V‑DOSC PA was built on an ingenious system that could physically move the PA up and down the venue according to format, and make the space more intimate with less seating rolled out.

The V‑DOSC system provided great ROI, having lasted for 15 years of solid gigging, but as it does for all PAs, the time had come to replace it.

Adelaide’s own Novatech pitched their design for a replacement and won the contract due to a few points of difference. At the heart of their design was L‑Acoustics relatively new L2 “Progressive Ultra‑Dense Line Source” line array.

L2 differs from most other line arrays in that it’s not built out of many elements rigged together; it’s two models (L2 and L2D), and the maximum you can rig together is two L2s and one L2D. The L2 is what in a traditional line array would be the top, or flattest part of a J‑curve, and the L2D has wider coverage and the bottom part of the curve; effectively down fill.

Each L2 and L2D element has eight 3” compression drivers on DOSC waveguides, eight 10” drivers, and four 12” drivers mounted on the sides. Running on an L‑Acoustics LA7.16 amplified controller with 16 channels of independent DSP, users can sculpt the wavefront with what is essentially beam steering. All this means that an L2 PA goes up in the air with just two or three connections, no pins, and no angles, making deployment a breeze. System steering and optimisation all happens over the network via L‑Acoustics’ LA Network Manager software.

“We designed the L2 system ourselves and bounced ideas back and forth with L‑Acoustics,” explains Novatech’s Managing Director, Leko Novakovic. “One of the key differentiators in our design is flown as well as ground‑stacked subwoofers. It’s a room that does everything from heavy EDM through to a stand‑up comedian. For all the shows that don’t need the floor subs, when you roll the L2 forward, the four‑a‑side flown L‑Acoustics KS28 subs roll with it, and with L‑Acoustics Network Manager you can easily adjust the coverage to suit, not like a traditional array where you’d have to fly it in and re‑pin it.”

In the design phase, modelling in L‑Acoustics’ SoundVision software by both Novatech and L‑Acoustics suggested that the venue could be adequately covered by just one L2 and L2D per side. “The science is that one L2 is the equivalent to four L‑Acoustics K2 line array elements,” explains Leko. “We had used a K2 system in the Theatre, with eight elements in total, and already knew that performed well. The venue really wanted the extra power and the aesthetics of having a longer, more powerful looking array to overcome any visiting engineer’s apprehensions. They stretched the capex, because you can never have too much PA!”

Declan Smith, Venue Project Manager for Novatech, talks us through the full system; “The design brief was simple,” he says. “The system needed to perform across every room configuration without altering array geometry between formats. All up, it comprises two L2 and one L2D per side, with six KS28 subwoofers flown behind each array in a cardioid configuration.

Six L‑Acoustics X8 provide front‑fill coverage in a compact and unobtrusive form factor. For very high SPL shows, an additional twelve floor-deployed KS28 can be rolled in, with L‑Acoustics Kara II front‑fills pre‑attached, providing additional low‑frequency extension and output when required.”

As part of the project, Novatech designed a custom drive rack centred around the L‑Acoustics P1 system processor. The system runs on fibre‑based AVB, with Cat5 AVB and analogue redundancy paths. The rack also incorporates an XTA MX36 console switcher, SSL interface, and a Stream Deck Studio with custom‑programmed controls.

“We tuned the system using the M1 measurement and optimisation workflow built into the P1 processor,” continues Declan. “This methodology provides spatially aware feedback across the room, allowing confident decisions around timing, phase alignment, and EQ.”

With the simplicity of L2s installation, Novatech’s crew had a lot of time to optimise the system. “We were careful to tune it in all of its different modes and positions, pushing it up and down the room,” adds Leko. “We made absolutely sure it’s fit for purpose. The feedback from our crew as we put it in was, ‘How good’s this?! Can’t wait to get it into our hire stock!’ So, now we have our own L2 system on the way. Going in and out of a gig easily is what L2 is actually designed for; efficient truck space and ease of use. You get four L2 wide in a truck. That’s equivalent to 16 K2 elements, making it one of the most powerful PAs for its truck pack size. And you only clip two or three connections together, not 16.”

“The L‑Acoustics L2 system was a real pleasure to install and commission for the AEC Theatre,” agrees Declan. “The unique challenge of this venue is its flexible configuration; the stage position, and therefore the PA coverage requirements, change depending on the size and type of show. The motorised bleacher seating can be deployed for seated events or retracted entirely for standing shows. L2 provided an effective solution due to its high degree of control across the array, with full DSP control of each element. This allowed us to maintain consistent coverage and tonal balance across multiple room layouts.”

With quite a few shows already under its belt, the response from users and customers alike has been excellent. “The new system is getting rave reviews from punters, which is an excellent thing to hear,” relates Leko. “We’ve had nothing but praise from visiting touring engineers as well. I think that sonically, it has an edge over other systems. Its performance is on par with other L‑Acoustics arrays, but because of the advanced DSP and control, you notice more detail. The impact of the cardioid control is huge, both in the subwoofers and the performance of the L2s.”

“The L2 system delivers substantial headroom across all genres, with particularly strong high-frequency clarity and coherence compared to other current line array systems,” concludes Declan. “Shows have been met with consistently positive feedback, and we look forward to continuing to put the system through its paces across a wide range of productions.”