The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh is located in the heart of the Scottish capital and welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy the magic of live performance.
Home to the Lyceum Theatre Company for more than 60 years, it presents a wide variety of performances including classic plays, contemporary theatre, comedy, and musicals.
Together with its historic architecture, the theatre had an ageing sound system that required an upgrade to continue meeting the demands of modern productions.
EM Acoustics’ Reference Series was chosen to deliver precise, high-quality audio, regardless of the type of performance.
Ian Gibson, Head of Sound and AV at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, spent several years planning the upgrade and led the final installation of the new system.
The theatre’s last major refurbishment took place in the mid-nineties, and since then the PA system had not been replaced or updated. Many touring productions did not want to use our outdated system, so we had to constantly de-rig it to install temporary equipment for each show. By switching to EM Acoustics —a trusted name within the theatre industry— we will largely be able to keep our house system in place throughout the year, including during the Edinburgh International Festival, explains Gibson.
Having previously worked with EM Acoustics products on visiting productions, Gibson was confident that the Reference Series would be the ideal choice for the theatre. “You can always tell when a technology is developed by people who are passionate about what they do, and EM Acoustics is a perfect example of that”, he says.
The 658-seat theatre is divided into three levels: stalls, circle and upper circle. In the stalls level, two wide-format R8 loudspeakers are positioned on either side of the proscenium to provide broad, even coverage. S15 subwoofers placed beneath the main R8s and discreetly hidden in the upper levels deliver controlled low-frequency reinforcement, ensuring a full and balanced sonic experience throughout the room.
The upper levels feature low ceilings, making it more challenging to achieve clear sound in these “letterbox-shaped” areas. A flown pair of narrow-format R8s covers both levels, along with a dedicated pair of S12s. This extended coverage ensures that audiences seated higher up enjoy the same sound experience as those in the stalls.
To enhance vocal intelligibility and directivity, a flown centre cluster of R6 loudspeakers anchors the sound to the stage, allowing audiences to perceive speech in the most natural way possible, a crucial element in live theatre production. A network of 20 R4 loudspeakers provides front fill, delay and box fill support. Four units along the stage edge cover the front rows, while a further 16 are strategically placed across the stalls, circle levels, and boxes. This distributed system eliminates dead spots and ensures consistent sound throughout the auditorium. The system runs on EM Acoustics’ installation series amplifiers, offering optimal efficiency and control.
Every loudspeaker in the Reference Series is accurate and versatile. Their sound is extremely impressive. They offer all the qualities of modern loudspeaker technology in terms of pattern control and directivity, which we were previously missing, confirms Gibson.
Originally opened in 1883, the historic building retains many of its original features. The compact form factor and discreet placement of the new system elements ensure that the installation integrates seamlessly with the Lyceum’s Victorian architecture while delivering the power and versatility needed for contemporary productions.
Since the PA system was installed, both theatre staff and visitors have noticed significant improvements. “During a recent show with 11 radio mics and a forestage playing position, managing the sound would have been challenging with the old loudspeakers, especially in terms of gain before feedback”, explains Gibson. “With the EM Acoustics Reference Series, the system offers far more control and a very natural sound. It lives up to expectations”.
Buffy Revamped, a one-man show, was the first performance after the upgrade, and the sound levels were noticeably improved, allowing audiences to enjoy excellent speech clarity throughout the performance. This will be followed by a three-week production of The Seagull. “From musicals and spoken-word events to monologues and comedy, we now have much greater confidence in delivering high-quality audio for all performances”, adds Gibson.
The clarity of the new system has enriched the theatre’s productions, allowing actors’ voices to project effortlessly across the venue and ensuring that every word reaches the audience on all three levels.
By investing in the EM Acoustics Reference Series, the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh has positioned itself to meet the demands of modern productions without compromising its historic architecture. The precision and refined voicing of the Reference Series have not only improved vocal intelligibility and sound coverage across the venue but have also strengthened the Lyceum’s reputation as a leading theatre capable of supporting a wide range of productions. Additionally, the system has proven to be a smart investment, providing a high-performance solution that ensures long-term reliability and can be scaled up or down as required.
As we continue to host such a diverse range of productions, the EM Acoustics Reference Series will remain a reliable and powerful solution. It’s a great feeling to know we have the perfect system in place to deliver exceptional audio experiences for both performers and audiences for many years, concludes Gibson.
