Sound designer Gareth Fry turned to a d&b audiotechnik sound system to bring the magic of Harry Potter to the stage.
John Tiffany, director of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child demanded exceptional sound quality, with each production in each location requiring at least the same level of quality as the London production.
A flexible sound system was required that provided a high level of quality and control to cover every seat in the house, working within the confines of a variety of global theatres that each present different architectural and acoustic challenges.
Fry commented: "There are a lot of illusions in the show, and magic often requires support from sound and lighting and costume and props — it's a very multidisciplinary thing to make these illusions seem magical.
"All of the magic is done live in front of the audience, and good sound is absolutely key to making sure the illusion works for every audience in every venue."
d&b’s ArrayCalc software was used in the sound system design for the shows, allowing the show team to predict, in advance, what a theatre would sound like. The software enabled more collaborative work with other production departments and negotiating speaker positions.
A d&b Y-Series sound system was primarily used in the London, New York, Melbourne and San Francisco productions, using a mix of line-array and point source elements. This system was supplemented with E series cabinets for fill speakers.
In some venues, d&b’s V series was also used when a longer throw was required, comprising both line array and point source systems for medium to large scale sound reinforcement applications.
Fry adds "I've been using d&b for years, so I have a lot of confidence in their systems. They always sound great, and have a compact footprint which makes them easy to place, so the whole system sounds better because the speakers can be in better positions to deliver the quality and power we need.
"The show has been incredibly well received by audience members and critics alike, so we couldn't be happier,"