Queensland Ballet • Talbot Theatre | Thomas Dixon Centre
Queensland Ballet’s Talbot Theatre: From Rehearsal Space to Performance Venue
Thomas Dixon Centre · Theatre & Entertainment · West End, Brisbane
In a nutshell:
Challenges Addressed:
A wide, shallow theatre spanning three audience levels, with adjoining glass-fronted viewing spaces, needed a single audio system that could serve every seat and every scenario, from ballet rehearsals and Academy performances to live music, corporate events and external hires.
Solution Highlights:
Ampd delivered a flexible d&b audiotechnik loudspeaker system built around A-Series front-of-house arrays and Vi-SUBs, with layered delay and fill coverage, dedicated audio for the viewing rooms, stage side fill, portable production fill and d&b 30D amplification.
Results Achieved:
The Talbot Theatre is now home to a high-performance audio system capable of supporting Queensland Ballet’s evolving needs, with exceptional audio quality, even sound distribution, flexible deployment and the headroom required for a busy, multi-purpose venue.
The Overview
When Queensland Ballet upgraded their West End rehearsal spaces, they partnered with Ampd to deliver a comprehensive AV package for the Thomas Dixon Centre.
At the centre of the project was the 350-seat Talbot Theatre. Originally conceived as a rehearsal space, the room was designed with a stage size comparable to the Lyric Theatre at QPAC, where Queensland Ballet presents many of its major productions.
Known during construction as Studio #7, the space has since evolved into a fully equipped theatre hosting Queensland Ballet performances, Queensland Ballet Academy shows, live music, corporate events and external hires. Today it stands as one of the Thomas Dixon Centre’s most versatile performance spaces.
Ampd was engaged as integrator, with our Design Engineer involved from the earliest stages of the project. Working closely with the Queensland Ballet team, the goal was a system that could serve its diverse range of uses while maintaining the clarity and reliability required of a professional theatre.
The Challenge
The Talbot Theatre presented a unique design challenge. As a wide, shallow room spanning three levels, the theatre needed even coverage across the main seating area without overpowering the front rows or losing clarity toward the back. The system also had to handle everything from the nuance and detail required for ballet through to the higher output demands of live bands and music events.
That flexibility was central to the brief. Queensland Ballet needed a system that could move between alternating formats without a complete reconfiguration for every scenario.
The system also needed to reach beyond the main theatre. The Executive Gallery and Viewing Room overlook the main performance area, and both glass-fronted spaces needed to deliver the same experience for corporate patrons, partners and guests.
The Innovation
The Ampd team designed and installed a d&b audiotechnik system that could support the Talbot Theatre’s evolution from rehearsal studio to multi-zoned performance venue.
The main front-of-house system uses d&b A-Series installation loudspeakers, with two ALi60s and one ALi90 per side, a configuration chosen for the precision and controlled output the room’s unusual footprint demands. A Vi-SUB is mounted above each side of the main system, providing low-frequency support where required without overwhelming the space.
Because the theatre spans three audience levels, the design could not rely on the main arrays alone. Additional loudspeakers were carefully positioned throughout the space to create a consistent listening experience from the front rows through to the rear and outer seating areas. Two d&b 8S loudspeakers were deployed as delays, with another two used as wide fill. A d&b Yi7P was hung as centre fill above the tension net, while a row of d&b 5S loudspeakers along the lip of the stage supports the closest seats.
The adjoining spaces were treated as part of the same design. The Viewing Room is served by two d&b 8S loudspeakers, while four more carry balanced sound into the glass Executive Gallery overlooking the stage.
On stage, four d&b E12 loudspeakers are mounted as side fill, with two per side. A further two E12 loudspeakers remain portable, giving the Queensland Ballet team the freedom to adapt the system to different productions, event formats and staging requirements.
The entire loudspeaker system is powered by a rack of d&b 30D installation amplifiers, giving the venue the performance, granular control, and overall reliability needed for a theatre in constant, varied use.
The Equipment
- 6 × d&b E12 — Point Source Loudspeaker
- 10 × d&b 8S — Point Source Loudspeaker
- 4 × d&b ALi60 — Augmented Array Loudspeaker
- 2 × d&b ALi90 — Augmented Array Loudspeaker
- 2 × d&b Vi-SUB — Subwoofer
- 1 × d&b Yi7P — Centre Fill Loudspeaker
- 8 × d&b 5S — Point Source Loudspeaker
- 5 × d&b 30D — Four-Channel Amplifier
The Result
The completed system has helped transform the Talbot Theatre from a rehearsal-focused space into a fully equipped arts and performance venue. Queensland Ballet now has a single audio system behind every production, performance and event the space hosts.
Through considered system design, carefully mapped loudspeaker placement and adaptable production fill, Ampd delivered a solution that responds to the way the venue is now used day to day. The Thomas Dixon Centre now has the audio infrastructure of a busy cultural hub, without the theatre being locked into a single style of performance.
With the full d&b audiotechnik system now installed and in regular use, the theatre is fully equipped to support Queensland Ballet’s next chapter, both on stage and beyond.
Planning your next venue upgrade?
Whether you’re upgrading an existing theatre, designing a new performance space or planning a multi-purpose venue, we’ll help you deliver an AV system that performs for every audience and every event.
sales@ampd.com.au · 07 3311 6049