The Teatro Ópera de Buenos Aires is renewing its sound experience with the installation of the new ARA series from DAS Audio, a state-of-the-art system that combines technological precision, advanced acoustic design, and local collaboration to ensure impeccable coverage in every corner of the historic hall.
With nearly 2,500 seats and a history dating back to the 19th century, the Teatro Ópera de Buenos Aires continues to write new chapters.
This time, the star is the sound: the hall has just been equipped with the brand-new ARA systems from DAS Audio, in an installation that combines cutting-edge technology, local expertise, and a meticulous acoustic approach.
“The system installed is the new ARA series from DAS Audio. It has two main SARA line arrays: one covering the audience and the other the pullman on each side. In addition, we added four ARA-P28 front fills on the stage and two ARA-P12 side in-fills,” explains Álvaro Plumed, applications engineer at DAS Audio.
The installation was carried out in collaboration with the renowned local rental company Buenos Aires Live Show and Disco Pro/Tevelam, the Spanish brand’s distributor in Argentina, who contributed their knowledge of the space and technical expertise.
“We worked with 3D plans of the theater. This allowed us to accurately simulate the system’s behavior before installation,” explains Plumed.
In addition to the main design, coverage was optimized with a SARA-sub cardioid subwoofer system, which allowed the energy to be directed toward the audience and kept the stage free of unnecessary vibrations. “We controlled the vertical coverage with electronic delays and the horizontal coverage by adjusting the distance between the arrays, achieving immersive yet precise sound,” he adds.
FIR (Finite Impulse Response) technology enabled a homogeneous redistribution of SPL and tonal response, protecting every corner of the historic venue. “The important thing is that all the energy is focused on the audience, and not wasted on reflections that dirty the sound,” the engineer notes.
Technical Challenges and Customized Solution
Designing a sound system for a theater always involves addressing key challenges: ensuring uniform coverage across all seats, guaranteeing high speech intelligibility and excellent musical quality, minimizing sound spillage on the stage and in sensitive areas, and offering a versatile solution capable of adapting to various types of events, from concerts and plays to film screenings and corporate functions.
The Teatro Ópera, with its historic architecture and particular features such as the steep angle of the balcony (pullman), presented an additional challenge: maintaining consistent tonal balance and coverage in that area without compromising aesthetics or making structural modifications.
This challenge was solved with meticulous planning that involved the use of acoustic prediction software and close technical collaboration with Buenos Aires Live Show engineers, led by Hernán Niupieri, Diego González, Valentín Vieites, and Nacho Videla.
To achieve homogeneous coverage and tonal balance throughout the theater, ARA Series DAS Audio systems were carefully selected, specifically targeting each section.
In the stalls and on the first level, two SARA Line Arrays were installed, each with seven cabinets, combining three SARA-80s above and four SARA-100s below. To improve front and side coverage, four ARA-P28.115 systems were added as frontfill, two ARA-P12.115 as infill, and two ARA-P28.74 systems were added, along with two SARA-SUB units as sidefill.
In the Pullman, due to the steep architectural angle, two SARA Line Arrays were installed at a height of 11 meters, each consisting of six units: three SARA-80s above and three SARA-100s below, ensuring precise and consistent dispersion.
Optimization and Final Adjustments
Mechanical optimization of the line arrays was achieved through prediction using EASE Focus and EASE 5 software. Additionally, the use of FIR filters (DASaim) was considered, allowing for precise sound pressure distribution throughout the audience. However, the results achieved in the design phase were so robust that this additional adjustment was not necessary.
To provide definition and consistency in the low frequencies, two center arrays were flown with four SARA-SUB units each. Being cardioid systems, they helped minimize stage noise and vibrations in nearby structures. The horizontal coverage of these subwoofers was controlled by adjusting the spacing between them, adapted to the theater’s architecture. Vertical dispersion was optimized by applying an electronic delay to the lower cabinets, increasing sound impact in the front rows and ensuring sound pressure levels. uniformity throughout the venue.
Valentín Vieites, sound engineer at the Teatro Ópera, highlighted the results achieved after the recent installation: “The implementation of the DAS Audio SARA system, combined with the rest of the equipment incorporated, has allowed us to achieve outstanding sound uniformity throughout the theater. In particular, the arrangement of the subwoofers achieved impeccable coverage from the stage to the back rows, significantly elevating the quality of the audience’s listening experience.”
For his part, Álvaro Plumed, applications engineer at DAS Audio Group, emphasized the importance of early planning and communication with the technical team: “Accurate prediction through a model based on the theater’s plans, validated on-site by Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) technicians, 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 enjoyed working with our colleagues at Buenos Aires Live Show (BALS) and Disco Pro/Tevelam during the system implementation.”
The Buenos Aires Opera House is now ready to offer exceptional sound quality at every performance.
With the new ARA series from DAS Audio, the theater’s sound has reached new heights, ensuring that every performance sounds better than ever from the moment the curtain opens to the close. Ultimately, “The Future is ARA.”
