WAAPA deploys an integrated audio architecture built around DiGiCo Quantum platforms

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), part of Edith Cowan University in Perth, has upgraded its performance spaces with DiGiCo consoles, L-Acoustics loudspeakers, Fourier transform.engine processors and KLANG:vokal systems.

All equipment was supplied by Group Technologies, DiGiCo's distributor in Australia and New Zealand.

Offering one of the most comprehensive performing arts training programmes in Australia, WAAPA wanted its students to work with the best tools available in the industry. Flexibility and processing power were therefore the main priorities for this technical upgrade.

We chose DiGiCo consoles for several reasons, including routing flexibility, control surface layout options and the sonic clarity offered by the DiGiCo ecosystem. The building serves as both a university facility and a production venue, with several spaces dedicated to contemporary music and theatre. In Sound House, our contemporary jazz venue, we have two DiGiCo Quantum 326 consoles, while our musical theatre venue, Playhouse, is equipped with a Quantum 338 and a Quantum 225. We also have an SD12 in our Flex Theatre, which we use for training, explains Mike Vernau, sound coordinator and lecturer. 

Designed for 300 shows a year

For Russell Proud, Senior Consultant at Charcoalblue and responsible for venue and technical design, the system had to prepare students for their future careers in the professional industry while also meeting the production demands of musical theatre. With more than 300 public performances each year, flexibility was also essential. The consoles feature T software, which provides functions such as performer and alias tracking, making it easier to manage complex sound designs and cast changes.

"We opted for Quantum consoles with Dante outputs and DQ-Racks to achieve the best possible integration with the building's infrastructure", he recalls. "The system needs to connect to the broadcast facilities and support both video and audio recording of live performances".

Immersive In-Ear Monitoring and Plugins

The KLANG system provides 3D immersive in-ear monitoring through KLANG:vokal and KLANG:kontrollers, while Fourier transform.engine processors allow students to use VST3 audio plugins to bring studio-grade effects into the live sound environment.

"We have recently taken delivery of two KLANG:vokal units and 24 KLANG:kontrollers, which we will integrate into our DiGiCo consoles", explains Sam Jones, a member of the teaching team on the Performance and Design programme. "We use them for orchestra mixes and immersive mixes controlled by the musicians themselves in musical theatre productions. We also want to integrate them into in-ear monitoring (IEM) mixes managed from the DiGiCo Quantum consoles".

Thanks to integration with L-Acoustics, KLANG and Fourier systems, the various performance and rehearsal spaces can operate in a coordinated way, making it easier to move productions from one venue to another. Show files, immersive mixes, virtual soundchecks and multitrack recordings can all be transferred between spaces, providing a significant advantage for teaching and training.

DiGiCo acts as the central hub of the system, integrating seamlessly with products such as KLANG, Fourier and L-Acoustics. As WAAPA is recognised as one of the leading training institutions for sound in theatre, choosing L-Acoustics and DiGiCo for our sound reinforcement requirements was a logical decision, concludes Vernau.