“The sound is fantastic. Studying acoustics with L-Acoustics as a standard helps students develop keen ears. Hopefully, the inspiring sound of this hall will revitalise all departments,” said Koichi Katsuta, Director of Public Relations and General Affairs at the Kunitachi Music Academy of the newly installed L-Acoustics A Series concert sound system.

For over 50 years, the Academy has offered a wide range of music courses, from instrument performance to production, composition theory, acoustics, therapy and eurhythmics. The open syllabus system allows students to freely choose their study program, creating a learning environment that caters to students’ interests and individuality.

The main Tokyo campus welcomes students with various spaces that include lecture halls, practice rooms, rehearsal studios and a professional recording studio. The Paradise Music Hall occupies a two-story space that boasts soundproofing from its former life as the headquarters of the For Life Records label, which revolutionized J-Pop in the 1970s. Wishing to branch out from educational activities alone to host live performances by recognized artists and other public events, the Hall sought a renovation of its sound reinforcement.

Hisaaki Komatsu, CEO of KMD Sound Design Inc and lecturer in Acoustic Design at the Academy, noted that “as a mixing engineer with extensive experience, I’ve encountered L-Acoustics systems and am consistently impressed by their signature sound. After discussing with the Academy management, I recommended they consider L-Acoustics for the sound system renovation.”

“L-Acoustics is found in some of the most prominent music venues worldwide,” concurred Katsuta. “The Kunitachi Music Academy teaches a wide range of music genres and L-Acoustics is renowned for brilliant sound quality, regardless of the musical content. We wanted to offer the best professional sound for the academy’s educational needs and also to better attract external performances.”

A system commissioning of L-Acoustics A Series was arranged with [ kei ], a renowned performer, musician and sound engineer. “When I perform live across the country, venue sound can differ from the recording studio monitors,” explained [ kei ]. “But this time was different. The A15 sounded similar to studio playback, I especially found the smooth, natural transition between the lows and mids appealing.”

L-Acoustics Certified Provider Distributor Bestec Audio Inc supplied a L/R system of two L-Acoustics A15 Focus and one A15 Wide per side. Two X8 coaxial enclosures provide in-fill while two KS21 subwoofers are ground-stacked below each array to ensure low-end definition throughout the hall.

Soundvision predictions showed that a flown system would be essential to cover the entire hall, especially the second-floor balcony. Without ceiling rigging points being available, special steel racks were built to be able to fly the A Series.

Since installation, Paradise Hall L-Acoustics concert sound system has delivered a rich and dynamic sound for live performances. “We chose the A15 so that we could play to our satisfaction no matter how loud the bands. At first we were a bit worried they might be too big, but a smaller system could not have achieved the same results; now the whole hall, from the first floor to the second floor, is able to groove together with great sound.”

[ kei ] performed solo shows monthly at KMA Paradise Hall from February through May. Mr. Katsuta, emphasizing the significance of the Hall’s revitalisation, stated, ‘With the L-Acoustics professional sound system, I feel that an important partner has come to the Kunitachi Music Academy. My wish for ‘very good sound’ even in school facilities has been fulfilled. I anticipate many visitors public events, and I hope that everyone who comes will say, ‘Wow!’

L-Acoustics