A music venue in Reims - that has hosted acts such as Justice and Christine and the Queens - upgraded is audio system with an L-Acoustics L Series system.
La Cartonnerie hosts up to 120 concerts annually and is a staple of the live music scene in the French city.
Its 4,000 sq m complex houses three performance spaces: the 1,200-capacity Great Hall; a 350-seat Club; and the Floor, a warm-up area that doubles as a bar and restaurant. Beyond concerts, it supports musicians through residency programmes and drives cultural initiatives like the La Magnifique Society festival.
Certified L-Acoustics partner MDS Audio and Orion were challenged with delivering the sound system and described the venue as “an acoustic puzzle”. The multi-level venue has a challenging asymmetric configuration which made ensuring consistent sound while maintaining pristine sightlines a difficult task.
"The hunt for the perfect sound wasn't just about technical specifications," explained Jérémie Valensi, technical director at La Cartonnerie. "L-Acoustics stood out through their sustainable manufacturing approach and commitment to French production. Their L Series, with its Progressive Ultra-dense Line Source technology, offered exactly what our complex space needed - exceptional sonic performance, impressive power-to-size ratio, and versatility that could handle our unique architectural challenges."
L-Acoustics Soundvision software was used for precise acoustic modelling that validated speaker placement before installation began. "We had to be meticulous," Valensi said. "Our goal was to create an audio experience where every seat feels like the best seat in the house. We needed to cover the entire room - from the front row to the back of the balcony - without visual compromise."
Sound regulations added another technical challenge, particularly regarding dB(C) measurement. The team had to position subwoofers to meet decibel standards while maintaining sound quality throughout the venue. Their solution involved a central cluster of three subwoofers in cardioid mode, requiring the creation of new rigging points to achieve a visually discreet result.
The final installation features L/R hangs of one L2D per side, flanked by L/R hangs of two KS21 subwoofers in cardioid mode, a central flown cluster of three KS28 subwoofers, also in cardioid, plus one KS28 at the centre of the stage floor. Two X8 placed on stage left and right serve as in-fills, while three X8 spread across the stage provide X8 lip-fill.
Valensi praised L-Acoustics training consultant Christophe Chapuis for comprehensive technician training and L-Acoustics application engineer Pascal Charousset for system calibration and fine tuning of the system to meet their exact requirements.
"This isn't just a sound system - it's like we've brought a world-class recording studio into a live music venue," Valensi said. "Visiting sound engineers are initially sceptical when they see the compact setup but within seconds of hearing it, their doubts vanish. Areas that once presented acoustic challenges are now sonically indistinguishable.”
