Tokyu Theatre Orb aims high with Optocore
Published: ASIA
JAPAN: An Optocore fibre backbone system was recently installed and utilised at the Tokyu Theatre Orb for its first ever production: West Side Story. The manufacturer’s Japanese representative Acoustic Technical Laboratory Inc (ATL) provided the system for the purpose-built musical theatre, which is situated on the 13th floor auditorium at the US$1.27 billion 34-storey Shibuya Hikarie glass tower, reportedly making it the highest stage in Japan.
The Tokyu Corporation contacted Japanese theatre and auditoria sound system construction company Yamaha Sound Systems Inc, which in turn specified Optocore as a solution for the signal distribution element of the project.
‘The client had specifically requested the optical fibre backbone in view of the long distance transmission of dialogue and music between the 1,972-seat auditorium, stage and mixing control room as well as the data transmission between floors,’ stated Tetsushi Hirai of Yamaha SS.
Yamaha SS constructed the digital architecture around nine Optocore DD32R-FX primary interfaces, connected to nine X6R-TP-16LO and nine X6R-TP-16MI converters — initially linked via AES D-Sub 25. However, at a later date this will transfer to Optocore’s Synchronous Audio Network plus Ethernet protocol. The Optocore system derives its clock signal from a Rosendahl Nanoclocks master clock generator.
Outputting to a Meyer Sound M’elodie line array system with 600-HP subwoofers, the Optocore system can be divided into three smaller systems: the first is mounted in device racks in the control room, the second in a rack on the stage, and the third in a mobile rack that can be freely moved within the hall, allowing it to be connected to various optical connector panels. Meanwhile, the hall itself contains a network of optical fibres that are patched for use over the 256-channel matrix.
The signal I/O for the control room and the stage systems are connected to an XLR patch panel, and connections are made depending on the requirements of the event being staged. Within the control room, some of the signals are patched to a Yamaha PM5D or DM2000 console via AES, while the mobile rack is used in combination with the DD32R-FX and a converter unit.
Yasuhito Terada, a technical director at Tokyu Theatre Orb, confirmed that in addition to the permanently installed system, the theatre is also looking to set up a temporary independent system that can be used either for stage I/O, or to connect between FOH and the stage monitors.