Hamburg’s The Lion King Installs Distributed KV2 Audio System

Stage Entertainment’s Stage Theater im Hafen has replaced its aging sound system with a main, delay, surround and subwoofer deployment specified by sound designer John Shivers.

Stage Entertainment has upgraded the sound system for Disney’s The Lion King at Hamburg’s Stage Theater im Hafen with a venue-wide KV2 Audio deployment, according to project reports from KV2 and ProSoundWeb. KV2 said the replacement was part of plans for the production’s 25th anniversary in Hamburg and followed concerns over the age of the previous system.

KV2 identifies John Shivers as the sound designer who worked with Stage Entertainment on the specification. The manufacturer said Stage Entertainment’s technical production management team installed the system with assistance from the theatre’s local sound department.

The design extends beyond left-right mains. Each side of the auditorium has upper and lower VHD2.0 systems, with VHD1.0 downfills serving lower seating areas. KV2 also lists EX12 infills, EX10 outfills and ESD25 frontfills integrated into the stage lip.

Centre reinforcement comprises two SL412 systems, assigned to centre downfill and centre-delay roles. Shivers said vocal intelligibility was a critical design consideration, and that the centre positions were intended to carry vocal imaging farther into the auditorium.

The low-frequency system combines six VHD2.18J subwoofers ground-stacked in groups of three at either side of the stage with two centrally flown VHD2.21 subwoofers operating in a cardioid mono configuration. Four VHD2.16 cabinets, two per side, provide upper-bass support, according to KV2.

For distributed coverage, KV2 lists 17 CS6 loudspeakers for under-balcony areas and 34 CS6 units for surround coverage, including four overhead positions. KV2 identifies the theatre as a 2,030-seat venue.

The reported system count is not consistent across the supplied accounts. KV2 says 81 loudspeakers were deployed and publishes an itemized inventory that totals 81 units, while ProSoundWeb describes the installation as a 78-loudspeaker package. Neither report explains the difference. The sources also do not specify the installation or commissioning date, or detail the amplification, processing, control, networking, console integration or tuning infrastructure.