Emilie Nicolas Hits The Heights in Oslo With Alcons Audio

When multiple Norwegian Grammy-winner Emilie Nicolas played two shows in one day at the Oslo Opera House in late 2019, only one manufacturer's audio system would be good enough, namely an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon solution.

Nicolas' pop anthems and atmospheric ballads have a very wide dynamic range, from the quietest, nuanced vocal to the power of her up-tempo songs. Making sure that every detail was enjoyed by the sold-out audiences, front of house engineer Stian Sagholen only had one PA system in mind.

"Stian contacted us after a show at Nidarosdomen (Nidaros Cathedral), Trondheim in May and said there was no other option than an Alcons system for the Oslo Opera House shows," says Arnstein Fossvik of audio production company Trondheim Lyd. Trondheim Lyd supplied an Alcons LR18 compact line array system comprising 36 LR18, four VR12 mid-size versatile monitors, and four LR7 micro line arrays for fills, with six BC543 very high-output cardioid subwoofers. The system was powered and controlled by 12 Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers.

Another advantage of the Alcons pro-ribbon system was the compact size of the speaker hangs, which ensured that audience sightlines from the upper balconies were maintained and the PA didn't detract from the ambience of the venue or production.

"It sounded extremely good, from the first moment a sound came through the system. Even before optimization it sounded way better than most existing systems in Norway," says Sagholen. "The vertical and horizontal coverage was very consistent, the sound was very tight, linear, and with punchy sub-bass, despite the venue's challenging acoustics. I was also impressed by the very high headroom."

Fossvik also relates that Sagholen was pleased to receive a number of audience compliments about the superior sound quality, from the first row to the back row on the top balcony, proving that his choice of the Alcons pro-ribbon system was definitely the right one.