What is the most common problem in cultural and artistic venues? Intelligibility.

Speech, which is at the heart of numerous events, must be equally comprehensible for all of the audience. Those in the back row, as well as those sitting at the front, must be able to hear and understand the message clearly.

The second issue is that of versatility. The same venue may be used for a seminar, then a traditional theatre performance, perhaps followed by a rock concert or a party with a DJ and then a community meeting. So for a multi-purpose venue, the sound system must be equally versatile, in order to face all these challenges, consistently producing great sound quality whilst at the same time being easy to use.

At Solution One, we don’t have a problem with this versatility, or find it complicated. What matters first of all is that the installation is well designed. It is vital to understand the venue and the types of function that will be held there, so that our recommendations will focus on exactly the right equipment for the building and its acoustics. Secondly, the relationship between Solution One and our suppliers is so close that the specifications can be very detailed, even going as far as custom-made equipment. A definite and consistent requirement is that it is not necessary to change the equipment or the settings for each event. What is needed above all is a system that allows the sound reproduction to be as faithful to the original as possible. A simple, straightforward approach is always best, and totally feasible.

This is also our philosophy when dealing with difficulties posed by recreational spaces and tourist attractions. At Marineland, in Antibes, the solution we provided was not only extremely easy to install but also highly effective. Whilst our competitors’ ideas were all based on the multi diffusion principle, we at Solution One recommended a single point system for an audience of 5000, using three dispersion angles. This produced a clear, intelligible and homogeneous sound that could never have been achieved with a multi diffusion system. As a result, the spectators, as well as the sound engineers, really notice the difference.