The Sound Matches The Stature
A New Audio System & New Era at Toronto ’ s Massey Hall
Massey Hall with new d & b audiotechnik J-Series main PA
By Andrew King Photos by Neal Burstyn , NTBCreative . com
There are some big changes coming up for Toronto ’ s iconic Massey Hall .
For 123 years , the famed performance venue and National Historic Site at 178 Victoria St . in the downtown Garden District has welcomed acclaimed acts from within the city and around the world . All the while , it has seen decades ’ worth of substantial transformation , and while most of that transformation has happened throughout the city surrounding its brick-and-stone-covered façade , over the years , some has taken place within its hallowed walls .
For example , in 1917 , The Albert Building behind the hall was added to the structure and later converted into a backstage area . In the 1940s , Massey Hall underwent extensive interior renovations that brought the original seat count of 3,500 down to about 2,750 . In 1994 , in commemoration of the venue ’ s 100 th anniversary , the basement was completely refurbished and Centuries , its onsite bar , was open for business .
But none of those transformations are as extensive or elaborate as the one that ’ s now underway . The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall has kicked off the most significant revitalization in its history , aiming to preserve and enhance the structure while adding new elements to better serve performers and patrons into the future . Those include improvements to accessibility , technical infrastructure , and the overall presentation environment .
The venue has adopted the slogan “ Change Nothing , Improve Everything ” for the $ 135-million project , and has already put that slogan to work ahead of the anticipated closure in July 2018 with the addition of a substantial new production technologies package – including a highend PA system for the main auditorium – that will benefit upcoming productions before being reintegrated into the soon-tobe revitalized space .
It was in early 2015 that The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall made the broad decision to incorporate a proper house sound system into Massey Hall ’ s main auditorium .
While the venue did have an existing house system – including an elaborate fill system designed to address the unique layout and subsequent acoustic challenges it presented – shows typically relied on the tour package of the incoming performers or a rental system for the main house PA .
“ We wanted a system that virtually no one would refuse ,” explains Massey Hall ’ s Director of Production , Doug McKendrick , about the mandate for the new solution . “ It is possible to take it down , but we wanted people to walk in and it be a no-brainer that they would use it , so it needed to exceed what people would generally be carrying and provide better coverage than anyone could produce in a one-off scenario .”
The corporation enlisted the aid of Martin Van Dijk , a senior consultant and partner of Toronto-based audiovisual consultancy firm Engineering Harmonics , to
26 • PROFESSIONAL SOUND