After nearly 65 years, the Teatro Politeama Piceno fell into disuse, a victim of
changing times. Determined to restore and update its beautiful 1926-vintage Art
Nouveau theatre, the central Italian city of Tolentino and private partner Franco
Moschini formed the Franco Moschini Foundation and began work in 2014. A series of
devastating earthquakes in October 2016 that damaged or levelled many buildings
only strengthened their resolve.
After much effort and expense, the Politeama was reborn in May 2017 as a multi-
purpose arts centre. With a 200 square meter (2,153 square foot) dance studio, three
rehearsal spaces for music and theatre, an audio-visual room that seats 35 people, a
170-seat showroom, and a foyer with cafeteria, the building can now host a wide
variety of events and performances.
To serve the contemporary audio needs of this classic theatre, Claudio Giacomelli of
AV Service designed a new Dante-enabled sound system based on Symetrix DSPs and
Attero Tech unD6IO-BT interfaces. Audio engineer Simone Santarelli of AV equipment
importer/distributor SISME provided technical support, while engineer Simone
Nicoletti helped complete the installation. “The choice of a Dante audio system is due
to many factors,” Santarelli explains, “including versatility, signal management ease,
reliability, and high sound quality. Dante let us install a complex system that is very
easy and efficient to use.”
A Symetrix Radius AES DSP controls the alarm signal, announcements, and
background music for the entrance area, cafeteria, and a multi purpose hall. The hall
can be divided into two separate rooms with independent audio systems, which can
also be combined. Any source in the network can be routed to any output. Two Attero
Tech unD6IO-BT Dante wall plate interfaces admit stereo Bluetooth audio on audio
channels 1 and 2, enabling background music to be wirelessly routed directly to the
Dante network. In addition to feeding the Dante network, the interface routes the
audio from channels 1 and 2 to digitally controlled, unbalanced line-level analogue
output on a front-mounted, 3.5 mm TRS connector. Users can also select, in software,
between line-level, unbalanced, stereo RCA inputs; line-level, unbalanced, stereo 3.5
mm inputs; or a combination (RCA-L + 3.5 mm left and RCA-R + 3.5 mm R).
Another Dante network, based on a Symetrix Prism 8×8 DSP, manages audio systems
in three multifunctional rehearsal/exhibition/workshop spaces in the basement. These
three audio systems can be operated independently or combined, as needed. Presets
are managed with a Symetrix ARC-SW4E wall panel.
Finally, the second-floor, 170-seat cinema employs a third Dante network, which
employs a Symetrix Radius AEC processor and L-Acoustics loudspeakers and
subwoofers. As with other spaces at the Politeama, the cinema is a multipurpose room
that hosts concerts and theatre performances, as well as films.
“We are really happy with the results achieved with the audio system at Teatro
Politeama,” reports Santarelli. “Dante technology is developing fast and represents a
significant step forward for audio installations. The Attero Tech interfaces provide an
extremely reliable Bluetooth connection, and they integrate perfectly with the
Symetrix DSPs. These components, along with accurate programming of the
processors, enabled us to install a complex system that is very easy and efficient to
use.”
