Teatro Real gets audio fit for royalty with Lawo console

Teatro Real, situated in the heart of Madrid at the Plaza de Oriente – a beacon of excellence in the performing and musical arts – has elevated its audio production with the recent integration of immersive audio technology from Lawo, as Headliner discovers…

The origins of the current Teatro Real (known in English as the Royal Theatre) site can be dated to 1738, during the reign of Philip V, when the Real Teatro de losCaños del Peral opened with a production of the opera Demetrio, composed by Johann Adolph Hasse and with a libretto by Pietro Metastasio.

In 1818, during the reign of Ferdinand VII, building work began on the Teatro Real. The first stone was laid on April 23 1818, after a Royal Order to remodel the Plaza de Oriente and build an opera house on the plot where the Real Teatro de losCaños del Peral had stood just one year before. The King set in motion the construction of an opera house which could compete with the best in Europe.

Today, Teatro Real is one of the main international opera centres and is a benchmark for Spanish cultural institutions. Its artistic programme exudes excellence, with an interest in both traditional repertory and contemporary forms, including 20th-century music and the newest avant-garde, with a firm commitment to providing the public with a place where they can discover the best artists and creators of today. It also pays special attention to new audiences, and to popularising opera among children and young people.

All of this, as well as the stellar reputation of its titular chorus and orchestra, the use of the most innovative technologies and its across-the-board production of shows of the highest artistic quality, have brought great prestige to El Real in Spain and abroad. Indeed, the Teatro Real Foundation is chaired by the King and Queen of Spain.

History and state-of-the-art technology combine to make this one of the best theaters in the world. In fact, in 2021 it was declared to be the best opera company in the world. In no small part, this is due to Teatro Real’s recent technical upgrade, which meets the demands of modern productions, while preserving its rich heritage.

Since its official inauguration in 1850, Teatro Real has continuously evolved, with the latest renovation completed in 1997. Now, with the installation of Lawo's audio infrastructure, the institution is equipped to master today’s and future audio demands of varied performances, from opera productions to concerts and dance recitals.

Teatro Real chose Lawo's IP audio solutions by acquiring Lawo mc² consoles, stageboxes, HOME platform and routing units to enhance its audio capabilities. The integration was executed by Telefónica, a leading systems integrator and technology partner renowned for its expertise in audiovisual engineering, also providing the network infrastructure with a Cisco solution.

Key components of the upgrade include two 32-fader mc²56 MkIII consoles and one 16-fader mc²56 MkIII, powered by six A__UHD Core audio processing engines in redundant design, each boasting 1024 DSP channel processing.

Seamlessly integrated with Waves SoundGrid server, these consoles provide operators access to Waves' extensive plugin library for real-time signal processing, allowing them to conveniently control reverbs, multi-tap delays, graphic equalisers and multiband compressors directly via the console’s keyboard and touchscreen. All plugin settings can be easily stored and recalled with the console’s snapshots.

The consoles are integrated into and supported by the existing audio infrastructure via audio stageboxes with Lawo A__stage64/80. This combination and the integration via Lawo’s HOME management platform for IP-based media infrastructures ensures seamless communication and efficient distribution of audio signals throughout the theatre's infrastructure.

The installation features desk mirroring and signal ownership which results in a user-friendly and efficient workflow when optimising console settings for different purposes and the flexible use of resources.

"The Lawo mc²56 MkIII consoles were the natural choice for Teatro Real's audio infrastructure upgrade," remarks Fernando Valiente Uceda, Head of Audiovisual Resources.

"Their unrivaled performance and modular design not only meet the demands of our current productions but also offer flexibility for future endeavors. All desks can now access the same central infrastructure, which we see as a big step forward for our workflow."

“This technical revamp not only underscores Teatro Real's unwavering pursuit of artistic excellence but also exemplifies its embrace of cutting-edge technology to enrich audience experiences. At a time when immersive audio is increasingly integral to the theatrical landscape, Teatro Real's investment in state-of-the-art systems sets a new standard for innovation and quality,” he concludes.