JAPAN: How do you introduce modern sound reinforcement into a revered shoebox hall—modelled after Vienna’s Musikverein Golden Hall—without compromising the very acoustic purity that defines it? For more than fifteen years, that question loomed large over Isaac Stern Hall at Miyazaki’s Medikit Prefectural Cultural Centre. Today, following a comprehensive acoustic renovation anchored by an L-Acoustics professional sound system, the 1,818-seat venue has finally reconciled classical tradition with contemporary performance demands.

Since opening in 1993, the hall—home to one of Japan’s largest pipe organs—had relied on a modest amplification setup comprising a single 15-inch full-range speaker and ceiling speakers. While sufficient for unamplified classical repertoire, the system struggled with contemporary and crossover programming that required controlled sound reinforcement. “When brass bands play pop music, we sometimes use individual microphones for certain instruments,” explains Fumio Kamata, Sound Engineer at Medikit Prefectural Cultural Centre. “With the previous speakers, when we raised the microphone input signals, the sound would become muddy and mask the natural direct sound of the instruments.”

Specified and installed by Bestec Audio, the new L-Acoustics solution was conceived to meet both sonic precision and architectural sensitivity. A distributed system design was chosen, featuring custom-coloured enclosures that blend seamlessly into the hall’s refined wooden interior, constructed from locally sourced keyaki and Japanese cherry birch. Initial demonstrations using floor-standing Syva speakers proved decisive, impressing stakeholders with their clarity and musicality. As system planning evolved to include a centre cluster, comparative evaluations with competing products ultimately led to L-Acoustics’ selection for its performance consistency and integration flexibility.

Visual discretion was paramount. Leveraging the L-Acoustics RAL program, the project team specified custom white finishes for the main centre cluster, while distributed loudspeakers were colour-matched precisely to surrounding pillars and architectural elements, ensuring the technology remained visually unobtrusive.

At the heart of the system is a main centre cluster comprising three A10i Focus and one A10i Wide enclosures, complemented by four X12 boxes. Floor-level coverage is delivered by a pair of Syva speakers mounted on stage-side pillars, with two X8 enclosures handling monitoring duties. Balcony audiences benefit from one X15 HiQ and two X12 enclosures, while four 5XT boxes cover the under-balcony seating. A windowed parent-child room overlooking the hall is served by one 5XT, and six LA4X amplified controllers power the entire system.

The results were immediate and far-reaching. “The clarity of sound has improved everywhere inside the hall,” reports Norihiro Sekimoto, Acoustics Engineer at Medikit Prefectural Cultural Centre. “Sound now reaches areas that were previously problematic, including both sides of the balcony near the pipe organ. Previously, it was sometimes difficult for the MC’s voice to reach the back of the balcony seats, but this has been resolved.”

Beyond live sound, the upgrade has transformed recording workflows. Kamata, who also serves as the venue’s recording engineer, notes a marked improvement in captured audio. “The quality of the overlapping sound on hanging microphones during recording has improved,” he says. “It’s now clearer, so voices can be recorded with better clarity and quality. The sound sent to the foyer has also become clearer.” Performers, too, are responding positively. “Performers tell us they can now hear themselves much better. The system has received positive feedback,” Kamata adds.

Perhaps most significantly, the renewed clarity has unlocked new artistic ambition. “Since the introduction of L-Acoustics has improved clarity, we are considering hosting opera and theatre performances, which have rarely been held here,” says Sekimoto.

After more than a decade of discussion, Isaac Stern Hall has finally resolved its long-standing amplification dilemma—emerging as a venue capable of serving classical purists and contemporary audiences alike, while preserving the acoustic integrity that has defined its reputation for over three decades.