THAILAND: At NIST International School in Thailand, the Black Box Theatre serves as a flexible space for theatre productions, concerts, musical performances, presentations, meetings and student activities. With such a broad remit, the venue needed an audio system capable of moving between applications without compromising sound quality or ease of operation. Sonos Libra, the official partner of Adamson, Allen & Heath and Earthworks Audio in Thailand, was brought in to design, install and tune a new professional audio system built around technologies from all three brands.

Established in 1992, NIST International School was among the first schools in Thailand to offer the Full IB World School (International Baccalaureate) curriculum. Its educational programme extends beyond academics into arts, music, performing arts, sports, science and technology, making the Black Box Theatre an important part of the school’s wider learning environment.

The existing loudspeakers had served the venue for many years, but an upgrade was required to improve sound quality, flexibility and the system’s ability to accommodate different productions and room configurations. Sonos Libra approached the project around three priorities: sound quality, flexibility and consistent audience coverage.

The main PA is centred on Adamson CS10p Point Source loudspeakers, selected to provide clear, detailed sound and precise coverage while maintaining a clean installation within the theatre. Low-frequency reinforcement comes from Adamson CS119 Subwoofers, while Adamson CS7p Point Source loudspeakers operate as rear Delay speakers, extending coverage towards the back of the room.

The system was modelled before installation using Adamson Blueprint AV, allowing Sonos Libra’s engineering team to assess coverage and determine suitable loudspeaker positions. One of the principal design targets was to keep the level difference between audience positions within approximately 6 dB, supporting a more consistent listening experience across the room.

Low-frequency performance was evaluated separately on site, with the team testing several subwoofer arrangements to account for the acoustic behaviour and physical impact of low frequencies that cannot be fully assessed through simulation. Following these tests, a Mono Center Array configuration was selected for the Subwoofers as the most suitable arrangement for the room in terms of low-frequency power, consistency and response.

At the centre of the venue’s audio management is an Allen & Heath AHM-16 Audio Matrix Processor, providing routing and control across the system. The processor can also be operated via iPad, giving venue users a more convenient interface for day-to-day operation.

For live performances, NIST International School uses an Allen & Heath SQ-5 digital mixing console equipped with a Dante Card. The configuration provides high-quality 96 kHz audio recording capabilities while enabling audio connectivity over a Dante network.

Four Audio Wall Plates are positioned around the theatre, providing organised connection points for different applications and allowing the system to adapt to changing room configurations while leaving scope for future expansion.

Microphone requirements are covered by a combination of wired and wireless systems, including the Earthworks Audio SR117 for wired applications. The microphone provides clear speech reproduction and effective rejection of unwanted noise across presentation and performance applications.

Following installation, tuning and commissioning, the upgraded system delivered improvements in day-to-day operation, sound quality and coverage throughout the theatre. Whether the room is hosting a student production, musical performance, meeting or other school activity, the new system provides a common audio platform that can adapt to the demands of each application.

For an educational venue where the same room can shift from classroom to performance space and from rehearsal environment to presentation venue, the installation demonstrates how professional audio infrastructure can do more than simply reinforce sound.