6MIC

6MIC, located in Aix-en-Provence, France, is a brand-new, multipurpose concert hall designed by up-and-coming architects, Rudy Ricciotti and Jean-Michel Battesti. On first glance, the venue is easily mistaken for a mountain top, with its lichen covered peaks emerging from the earth, but, on further inspection, the seamless design that blends perfectly into the natural landscape creates a concert hall that has vowed to be France’s epicentre of contemporary music. The venue gets its name from its geographical location, and was chosen by the city’s mayor. It refers to ‘seismic waves and vibrations symbolising both the desire to radiate on the territory and the idea of a project in motion’,

and a project in motion like 6MIC always needs a creative and technically challenged team behind its audiovisual systems. The brief was very simple, as Technical Director, Rémi Droesch, stated: “We wanted the best sound! And to make 6MIC the concert hall of the third millennium, with the most modern and qualitative equipment possible.” 6MIC consists of eight separate spaces; four concert spaces; two ‘classical’ concert halls; a cabaret hall and an outdoor area. The venue also holds five recording studios and is made up of three levels gathered around three patios. On the ground floor, you will find the hall, the two stages and the main patio - as well as the unloading dock and storage rooms. The centre of the project, the hall, is presented as a large open space with a glazed facade 50-metres long, overlooking the square and offering an outside view. Upstairs, the boxes revolve around the second patio and make the connection between the two rooms, which can operate simultaneously. On the second level are the spaces reserved for artists, as well as the rehearsal studios, which are connected with the hall. Each space had its own specifications, therefore the team had to treat each area individually to obtain the best sound quality throughout. “Our goal was to obtain the best sound coverage in bandwidth and dynamics, while taking into account the geometric and load constraints depending on each room. This was especially true for the mixing consoles, as they had to be able to be used in each space, while all being networked together and permanently with the recording studios. We also wanted to be able to broadcast from one space to another, and we achieved this by using Dante network solutions distributed throughout the building via optical and Ethernet links.” The work started on 6MIC in 2018, with

the final plans confirmed in September 2019. From there, the team started consultations, even though at the time, they were unable to access the building to make acoustic tests and measurements. “This was our main obstacle,” stated Rémi. “The site was very delayed, and we entered the building in January 2020 with an opening scheduled for early March 2020. All of our tests were therefore virtual!” It was during this time that the decision was made to go with an L-Acoustics Kara system for the venue’s sound system. After several tests from other manufacturers, Rémi decided that L-Acoustics would be perfect for the installation. “The quality of our discussions and the responsiveness of the L-Acoustics teams was very satisfactory,” he said. “The Kara option seemed to be a very good system. Once we had decided to go with the Kara system, it was then that L-Acoustics suggested that we be the first room venue

in the world equipped with the brandnew Kara II and the P1 / M1 processor. Of course, we jumped at the chance and we then fully validated our choice and inaugurated each room with Kara, while waiting to receive the Kara II, which at the time, was still under construction.” Alongside the L-Acoustics Kara II system, 6mic chose Yamaha CL-5 mixing consoles for each room, in order for them to be networked together. “We chose Yamaha consoles because they are the most universal brand, every sound engineer is able to work on them,” he explained. “The Dante network worked perfectly and Yamaha offers a complete network solution with Dante switch. This meant that all the audio chain is working on networks simultaneously, and to a high standard. Yamaha consoles also make it easy to record in multitrack, too, with a simple computer or even a laptop anywhere in the venue. It’s therefore a universal, efficient and reliable solution.”

The first space (Grand Concert Hall’s) configuration is: Kara II + KS21 + A0 in front fill + X8 in lip fill. The second space (The Club): A15 (Focus and Wide) + KS21 + X8 (front and lip fill). The third space (The Patio, exterior): ARCS WiFo (Wide and Focus) + SB18 + X8 (front and lip fill) and the Bar: 5XT + SB18. Remi furthered: “The Patio Kit is used in the Bar for winter. Each separate system is adapted to the capacity and geometry of each room. In the Club and the Grand Concert Hall, we used a P1 / M1 solution and all of the systems are controlled by LA Network Manager.

“Another reason we chose to go with L-Acoustics is because it’s a French company, therefore it has a lower carbon footprint than its competitors. The product design is also magnificent, and it offered a comprehensive range of loudspeakers that allowed us to choose the right set-up for every type of space.” The brief for the lighting and visual elements of the venue were also in line with being the best and most efficient systems that the team would be able to rely on for years to come. “We wanted the latest generation of machines that were reliable and innovative. In addition to this, we also insisted on choosing LED projectors as a priority in order to minimise the costs of electricity consumption and maintenance. “Unlike the sound system, which is fixed in each room, the projectors are easier to move around as they are mobile. We looked for versatile machines capable of complementing each other in order to obtain the maximum possible configuration. Robe was the first company to offer us its machines. We have set up a partnership close to that of L-Acoustics with Robe, but this time we made room for other manufacturers such as Chauvet, Elation, Chamsys, Clay Paky, Barco

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

SOUND: Club Concert Hall – 1 x Yamaha CL-5 mixing console, 4 x L-Acoustics A15 Focus loudspeaker; 2 x L-Acoustics A15 Wide loudspeaker; 6 x L-Acoustics X8 loudspeaker; 6 x L-Acoustics KS21 subwoofer. Grand Concert Hall - 1 x Yamaha CL-5 mixing console; 16 x L-Acoustics Kara II loudspeaker; 8 x L-Acoustics A10 loudspeaker; 6 x L-Acoustics X8 loudspeaker; 8 x L-Acoustics KS21 subwoofer

LIGHTING & VIDEO: Club Concert Hall - 1 x Chamsys MQ-70 mixing console; 12 x Robe Spiider lighting fixture; 12 x Robe Viva lighting

and MA-Lighting. These companies approached us with a view of being involved in the project. Here again, networking was a priority in order to make the installation as complete and efficient as possible with consoles from different brands,” furthered Rémi. Luckily, for 6MIC, it was able to play host to a number of artists and performers this summer and fall as venues began to reopen safely following the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. Even though the venue has now been forced to close again due to a spike in the virus, feedback so far has been positive, with many of the performers delighted with the system. “The feedback so far has been great. Whether it’s the building, the acoustics, the design, or the equipment, all the technicians and artists that we welcomed were so grateful to be able to play in this exceptional venue. Modularity and ease of work are a very important asset in our business as they save precious time for the teams we welcome into 6mic, and that,

of course, means they always leave with a smile!” As the world still navigates its way through the ups and downs of 2020 and more venues see their doors temporarily closing, enjoying live music has recently felt like something many of us have taken for granted. Venues like 6mic highlight the importance of these memorable experiences in creating cultures, communities and positivity in a world that currently feels a little bleak. Rémi concluded: “We are very proud to have worked on this unique, new concert hall. Technically, our challenge was above all to make the maximum number of local service providers work around our project. I would like to thank them all for their support and investment throughout this new adventure. Everyone at 6mic hopes that this difficult period will end as quickly as possible so that we can finally allow the venue to reach its capabilities and make it shine to as many people as possible.”