Refortifying 33 Years of d&b Sound at Leipzig’s Moritzbastei.
Originally built as part of the city’s 16th-century fortifications, the venue’s name literally means Moritz’s Bastion in German. After eventually falling into disuse and ruin, it was excavated and restored in the 1970s by local university students – including the future Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Following the fall of communism, the Moritzbastei went on to become an important cultural centre in Leipzig. It was then, shortly after German reunification, that the location’s management first turned to d&b for a sound solution. Amazingly, the 33-year-old system was still delivering each night for events as diverse as heavy metal concerts, techno parties, poetry slams, theatre, acoustic performances, and much more. But the technical team at the venue decided it was finally time for an upgrade.
“Since we had such a good experience with our old system, it was clear from the start that d&b was our preferred candidate to supply the new sound equipment,” explains Mario Wolf, Managing Director of Moritzbastei Betriebs GmbH.
Ready for the Future
After installing the original equipment more than three decades ago, the experts at Naturton Audiodienste GmbH were once again entrusted with refortifying Moritzbastei’s sound system.
The longstanding d&b partner led by Adrian Neumann was very familiar with the acoustic challenges presented by the nearly 500-year-old cellar’s vaulted brick ceilings and other historical quirks.
“For the top pieces, we had to use the pre-existing wall brackets from East German times, so speaker weight played a bit of a role,” Neumann explains.
Due to the historical nature of the venue, there could be no acoustic panelling installed to absorb reflections from the brick walls and stone floor. So, the Naturton team worked to minimise them in other ways.
“Unlike point-source loudspeakers hung next to each other that can naturally cause comb-filtering effects, there’s very little interference with speakers from the d&b A-Series. Higher frequencies in the performance area have an improved presence compared to before, which improves the intelligibility of speech and vocals. Overall, the sound profile is now clearer, and the subbass cardioid dispersion is certainly part of that,” says Neumann.
Subscribing to Success
After considering its options, the Moritzbastei’s management opted to pursue d&b’s Sound as a Service (also known as Subscription Series) program for the new sound system.
“When Sven Duske from d&b showed me the subscription model, where you get an individually tailored d&b system including maintenance for a monthly fee, I was instantly interested,” says Mario Wolf. “As managing director, I have to ensure not just great sound, but naturally also keep an eye on the financial aspects. The Moritzbastei doesn’t receive any public support, meaning investments need to be extremely well planned.”
The d&b Subscription Series allows businesses to offer their visitors a first-class sound experience while avoiding the initial high costs of buying a new sound system. With its convenient monthly fee structure, a subscription keeps costs manageable while providing the best-possible technology for a predetermined period of at least 36 months. After that, customers can then choose to continue, upgrade or end their subscriptions.
Hosting a diverse range of events each week, the Moritzbastei needed a highly versatile PA system, according to Christoph Schirmer, who is responsible for the event program at the cultural centre.
“d&b technology supports the entire spectrum of events held in the performance area. We can’t simply install a boutique system that sounds great for a drum ‘n’ bass party, but not for an a cappella concert,” he says. “Another positive aspect is, of course, that d&b equipment is rider compatible and widely known by sound people, so there’s never a discussion about the quality of the system.”
A d&b History Lesson
Replacing a 33-year-old sound system is no easy task. The technology has advanced so much that it’s more like starting from scratch than simply making a few key updates.
Fortunately, d&b could rely on its trusted local partner Naturton, who installed the original system so many years ago. Naturton opted for a combination of A-Series loudspeakers and D40 4-channel amplifiers, controlled by the R1 software.
The AL60 medium format 2-way augmented array speakers provide the necessary directivity for the highly reflective subterranean event space. And KSL-SUB subwoofers improve overall intelligibility with their cardioid dispersion. There are also MAX2 two-way monitors onstage.
According to local lore, the now retired sound system at the Moritzbastei – made up of four two-way F1220 loudspeakers, two B1 bass reflex subwoofers, and four passive MON15 stage monitors – was the first d&b equipment to be deployed in Eastern Germany after the fall of Berlin Wall.
There can be few better examples of the durability and reliability of d&b gear than being asked to replace a 33-year-old system still in service. A quip from Adrian Neumann about its longevity illustrates the impact on sustainability and affordability in the long-term: “Over such a long period of time, the Moritzbastei’s bar business could have paid off the system simply by selling a single glass of beer per day!”
Now, with the new system in place, Leipzig’s cultural bastion is ready for whatever the coming decades might bring.
