TEATRO OPERA ORBIS BUENOS AIRES

Located in the heart of the iconic Avenida Corrientes, just a few meters from the Obelisk, stands the Teatro Ópera Orbis. As the greatest example of Buenos Aires Art Deco and originally opened in 1872, the venue has hosted world-renowned artists such as Édith Piaf, Louis Armstrong, and Ava Gardner. With a capacity of 2,500 people and stunning architecture, the Ópera presented certain technical acoustic challenges. The goal: to deliver the highest possible sound quality without compromising aesthetics or the audience experience.

For this project, we worked in collaboration with Discopro Tevelam, our official distributor in Argentina, and Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS), a leading company in sound and lighting solutions for shows. Thanks to the experience and deep knowledge of the theater by its technical team — led by Hernán Niupieri, Diego González, Valentín Vieites, and Nacho Videla — the perfect solution was found to successfully overcome the Teatro Ópera’s acoustic challenges.

Designing a sound system for a theater always involves a number of key challenges: ensuring uniform coverage across all seats, guaranteeing high speech intelligibility and excellent musical quality, minimizing sound spill onto the stage and sensitive areas, and providing a versatile solution capable of adapting to various types of events — from concerts and plays to film screenings and corporate functions.

On top of these usual challenges was an added complexity: the theater’s historical architecture and, in particular, the steep angle of the upper gallery (pullman), which made it especially difficult to maintain consistent tonal balance and coverage in that area without compromising the aesthetic or making structural modifications. This required a meticulous design using acoustic prediction software and close technical collaboration with Hernán Niupieri and Diego González from the Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) team.

The sound reinforcement solution for the Teatro Ópera Orbis was custom-designed, fully respecting its historical structure by using only existing rigging points, with no need to alter or modify the building. To ensure uniform coverage and tonal balance throughout all areas of the theater, DAS Audio systems were carefully selected and aimed specifically at each section.

In the stalls and lower tier, two SARA line arrays were installed with seven cabinets each, combining three SARA-80 on top and four SARA-100 below. To enhance front and side coverage, four ARA-P28.115 systems were added as frontfill, two ARA-P12.115 as infill, and two ARA P28.74 along with two SARA-SUB units as sidefill.

In the pullman (balcony), due to its steep architectural angle, two SARA line arrays were installed at a height of 11 meters,each consisting of six units — three SARA-80 on top and three SARA-100 below — to ensure precise and consistent dispersion.

The mechanical optimization of the line arrays was achieved through prediction using EASE Focus and EASE 5. Further optimization was considered using FIR filters (DAS Aim), which allow for precise sound pressure distribution across the audience, although this was ultimately not required thanks to the strong results achieved in the design phase.

To provide definition and consistency in low frequencies, two central arrays of four SARA-SUB units each were flown. Being cardioid systems, they helped minimize stage noise and potential vibrations in nearby structures. The horizontal coverage of these subwoofers was controlled by adjusting the spacing between them, tailored to the theater’s architecture. Vertical dispersion was optimized by applying electronic delay to the lower cabinets, boosting sound impact in the front rows and ensuring even pressure levels throughout the venue. Acoustic gain in the rear of the theater was also taken into account to achieve the most consistent low-frequency coverage possible.

This entire complex design and tuning process was carried out by combining prediction, acoustic measurements, and in-room perceptual adjustments, in close collaboration with the Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) technical team, ensuring a high-quality sonic result.

Valentín Vieites, sound engineer at Teatro Ópera, emphasized: “The incorporation of the DAS Audio SARA system, along with the rest of the installed products, has brought great acoustic coherence to the venue. I’m especially satisfied with the subwoofer configuration, as we’ve achieved exceptional coverage from the front rows to the very back, greatly enhancing the audience experience.”

Álvaro Plumed, Application Engineer at DAS Audio, noted: “The early planning and communication with the technical team was key. We achieved precise prediction by creating a model based on the theater’s blueprints, which was then validated on site by the Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) technicians. This allowed us to work quickly upon arrival, achieving an excellent result. We hope the audience at the theater enjoys the experience as much as we did working with our colleagues from Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) and Discopro Tevelam during the system deployment.”