AKG’s Microphone Technology Takes Vienna’s Golden Hall To New Levels

For the finest and most beautiful concert hall in the world, only the best will do, which is why Vienna’s Großer Musikvereinssaal has developed an assortment of AKG microphones to provide unmatched sound quality. The Großer Musikvereinssaal, known to many as the Golden Hall, is home to Vienna’s Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra’s famed annual New Year’s Day Concert. With a worldwide television audience tuning in every New Year’s Day since 1959, the world-renowned architectural acoustics needed more; they needed a fully stocked sound system complete with AKG C 12 VR’s, K 702’s and WMS 400 wireless system.

The Golden Hall is more than just a concert venue; it also hosts numerous lectures and public readings. Because it handles so many types of public events, there is a need for a high-quality sound system that is met with four channels of the AKG WMS 400 wireless system. A mobile lectern has been equipped with a CK 33 capsule on a modified GN 50 gooseneck that can also be connected to a bodypack transmitter to eliminate unnecessary extra microphone cables, which allows for optimal sound as well as good space conservation. All of the microphones are controlled by an AKG AS 8 automatic mixer and monitored by AKG headphones using the K 207 reference.

“The Golden Hall is simply the finest and most beautiful concert hall in the world,” said Alfred Reinprecht, AKG’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. “The acoustics are impeccable, the sound system is extraordinary, and the venue is designed beautifully. I couldn’t imagine a better musical experience.”

Much of the musical experience at the Golden Hall can be attributed to the design of the building itself. A hollow space under the wooden floor creates a resonant background; the ceiling, which is made of wood, is hung from the rafters and gives the sound in the hall extra dimensions; and the ceilings, balconies, and caryatids provide ideal propagation of sound waves. Since the first concert was held on January 6, 1870, the Golden Hall has represented the finest in acoustics, garnering praise from architects, musicians, and fans from all over the world.

“The acoustics of the building are already unbeatable,” continued Reinprecht. “But when you add the sound system that is in place, it provides an up-front sound that is simply beyond words.”

The C 414 stereos are selected by AKG’s sophisticated computer-aided matching method, which results in the highest possible correlation over the whole frequency range and virtually identical sensitivity for stunning, three-dimensional recordings. Other AKG equipment used in this project include the C 414 B XLS/ST, the C 414 B XLII/ST, the SR 400, and the GN 50, among others.