Since the renovation of the sound system, the presentations that are made in the Peruvian Japanese Theater did not again require the rental of external equipment.
By Richard Santa
Peru was the first country in Latin America to establish diplomatic relations with Japan in the late nineteenth century. Around the same time, an agreement was signed between the governments of both countries to encourage the migration of Japanese and solve, in part, the situation of overpopulation in that country. Therefore, Japanese culture has had a wide influence in Peru.
In 1967 the Peruvian Japanese Association was constituted, and since then it has become an important cultural manager of the country. As part of this cultural management, they have the Peruvian Japanese Theater, one of the most recognized theaters in Peru, where many of the best artists who have visited the country have passed, as well as the national ones.
Due to its recognition and type of presentations to which it serves as headquarters, the demand in terms of its technical quality and audiovisual support is very high. In 2013, the directors of the theater realized that the system could not meet 100% the expectations of the producers and sound engineers who visited the theater, so on many occasions it was necessary to rent external equipment for the events.
Therefore, the need arose to modernize the sound system, looking for a solution that could be adapted to the variety of events that occur in it. The consoles had already been changed to digital ones, but what was urgent to change were the speakers.
Robust solution
The Peruvian Japanese Theater has a capacity of just over a thousand people between stalls and mezzanine. It serves as a stage for presentations of all kinds of events, from live music, through theater, musicals, to conferences and ceremonies.
Denky was the integrating firm of audiovisual solutions in Peru in charge of the intervention in the Peruvian Japanese Theater. Esteban Nakano, a member of the firm and who was part of the group that intervened in the Theater, told AVI Latin America that there were four factors that prompted the client to make the decision to work with Denky and FBT's MITUS speakers:
- Excellent sound quality.
- System as compact as possible.
- A relatively tight investment amount.
- Denky's track record as installers.
"The great variety of events that the Theater attends, demands a system of speakers capable of generating the large amount of sound pressure that a rock concert may require, but with the subtlety and compact size that a play may need. They required a system that sound engineers for live music were satisfied with, but in a size compact enough that theater directors wouldn't object."
He added that from the photos of the Theater, it can be seen that there is not much space in the stage mouth where to locate the speakers. In addition, the system had to be within reach of the theater's budget. "FBT's MITUS fit perfectly with what was sought."
Esteban Nakano explained that before the modification, it was common for event producers to decide to rent equipment. Since the modification implemented, this is no longer necessary because the theater meets the most demanding requirements.
They used a total of 16 MITUS 206LA speakers, in a configuration L R. He recalled that the Theater is especially difficult, given that the audience is very close to the stage, including the mezzanine. After several simulations with EASE, they chose to have eight speakers per side: four for the stalls and four for the mezzanine.
This system was complemented by two MITUS 212FSA and four subwoofers that already existed from the previous installation. "Hopefully they can be changed by the MITUS 118SA in the future."
Customer satisfaction
Due to the importance described above of this scenario in Peruvian culture, it was very important that the quality of the sound equipment installed was the best and that, obviously, it met the requirements of the most demanding artists.
Esteban Nakano said that the client has benefited from the implementation of the system, especially for the added value that the system brings to the theater, something he considers important. "The theater offers event producers a very well-equipped space, where they don't need to invest in renting sound equipment, where sight lines are impeccable given the compactness of the product, and where you hear just as well in any seat."
Like any intervention, that of the Peruvian Japanese Theater left a large number of anecdotes. Denky's representative recalls that one of them was when the MITUS were installed, and before they were sounded, the theater staff was initially skeptical about the possibility that these equipment could meet the requirements, seeing them so compact.
Although they were adjusted to the indications of the client, who asked for a compact and aesthetic system that allowed to keep all the lines of sight open, and accustomed to seeing the large size of speakers that the productions used to rent, with the contrast of the compact size of the MITUS, they generated doubts. "But they were all dissipated at the first sound check. Then, with the first concert, skepticism shifted to total conviction, and since then the MITUS have not disappointed the trust."
Finally, Esteban Nakano stressed that "The end user is totally satisfied with this technology. The comments from the public, the musicians and artists, are all very positive. The sound engineers, who are usually the most demanding as far as the sound system is concerned, have all been very satisfied. Whatever type of event you play, the system adapts very well to the demands."
Overview
Integrative firm: Denky
Manufacturers/brands involved: FBT
Professionals involved: Engineer Alberto Nakano
Company covered with the installation (final client): Teatro Peruano Japonés
Installation dates: January 2013
