France - L'Aéronef, a music venue in Lille, has installed a new L-Acoustics professional sound system with the help of certified partner SLS. This upgrade marks a new era for the venue, blending power and precision in a compact package that enhances sound quality and coverage, invigorating shows for everyone.
Olivier Wils, technical manager at L'Aéronef, comments on the upgrade: "The new L-Acoustics professional sound system significantly improves our audio capabilities. The clarity and coverage are impressive, allowing us to offer an enhanced experience for both artists and audiences."
L'Aéronef, established in 1989, sought to address the challenge of delivering high-quality sound in an intimate setting and with significant rigging constraints. The venue found its solution in the new L-Acoustics L Series, marking the first installation of this system in France.
The L Series installation proves particularly effective for L'Aéronef's smaller stage, Le Club. Despite space constraints and low trim height, the L Series provides audio performance comparable to that of the facing main stage.
"We needed to hang the system outside of the proscenium and needed a powerful system that could fit within our limited space," Wils explains. "The L Series does that admirably and offers improved sound quality. The integrated cardioid capabilities make it a great choice for the comfort of artists onstage too."
Sylvain Nosek of installation partner SLS overcame the challenges due to space constraints and the venue's dual-stage layout using L-Acoustics Soundvision software to design a solution that provides consistent, high-quality sound throughout the venue.
The new configuration for the Le Club stage consists of two L2D line array speakers, one on each side, paired with two flown KS28 subwoofers per side, allowing for deep bass reproduction without encroaching on the stage area. The system also features two clusters of A10i down-fill speakers, one Focus and one Wide per side, ensuring complete coverage for even the most challenging spots in the venue. All speakers were flown to maintain clear audience sightlines, freeing up valuable stage space.
Wils was particularly impressed during the system’s testing, saying: “We moved anywhere in the space, and the sound was consistently excellent – L-Acoustics delivered the same impact even at much lower sound levels than we expected.” The consultative approach and understanding of the venue's requirements from L-Acoustics helped deliver an innovative solution that exceeded expectations, balancing power and subtlety in an intimate yet dynamic space.
A customised training session, led by Arnaud Delorme, senior application engineer at L-Acoustics, ensured that L’Aéronef’s technicians were fully equipped to make the most of the new system. “The support and training provided were outstanding, and it made all the difference in our ability to adapt quickly to the new technology,” said Wils.
The system was installed in September 2024 and has been operational for several events, where it received positive feedback from both performers and the technical team. “The new L-Acoustics system provides a pristine audio experience for artists and audiences alike, achieving a balanced, high-impact sound that covers the entire audience area, a goal previously unachievable with the older system – L-Acoustics provided exactly what we were looking for, with both power and precision,” explains Wils.
