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Ryman Auditorium
Original Home of the
Grand Ole Opry

Nashville, Tennessee


Seat Count:
2,000
Project Type: Renovation
Original Construction: 1892
Renovation Completed: 1994
Client: The Nashville Network
AD Scope: Acoustics and Audio


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Ryman Auditorium is considered the historical “home” of country music. Built in 1892, and originally used for religious revivals, it soon became a performance hall for some of the top performers of the era, among them Enrico Caruso, John Philip Sousa and Charlie Chaplin. In 1943, the Grand Ole Opry moved in and served as its beloved home for more than 30 years. Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff and hundreds of other country music giants graced its legendary stage.

After the Opry moved to the larger venue at Opryland USA in 1974, the Ryman continued in a limited role as a performance venue until its recent refurbishment. Not only was the structure refurbished in the $8.5 million project, but a high end audio system was installed to meet an ever widening list of needs. The design and installation of the new Ryman Auditorium audio system features new technology developed by AD working with leading manufacturers from the sound industry.

All of the room's 2,000 seats, arranged in a "rectangular arc" configuration twice as long as it is deep, provide a intimate view of the stage. About half of the seating, comprised of the original oak church pews, is concentrated in the balcony level. A significant portion of the lower level seating is shadowed rather severely by the balcony. From a concert sound point of view, the new system needed to offer stereo capability. The result is a system with very sophisticated routing in terms of typical concert systems, and one that is very powerful in comparison with typical theatrical systems.

Based upon testing that included thorough computer modeling and in consideration of the strict aesthetic guidelines dictated by the building’s landmark status, the design team proposed a main loudspeaker design comprised of three large full range clusters flown above the stage proscenium in a left/center/right configuration.

For stereo, the goal is to assure that any line of sight seat in the room receives close to equal energy from each of the loudspeaker clusters. The three clusters are almost identical in terms of coverage, meaning that the mix and image remain highly stable throughout all seating areas.

THEATRES

'62 Center for Theatre & Dance
Alabama School of Fine Arts
Alley Arts and Conference Center
American River College
American River College Expansion
The Artrix
Asia Society
City Tech Academic Project
Courtyard Theatre
Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School
Cyprus National Theatre
Dance Theatre Workshop
El Dorado Showroom
The Gatehouse
Grayson County College
The Grove Theatre
Hillsong Theatre
Juanita K. Hammons Hall - SMSU
Lawrenceville School
Ledbetter Auditorium
Lincoln Theatre
Lucille Little Theatre
Mahaiwe Theatre
Mattin Center for Arts - Johns Hopkins
Museum of Tolerance, Israel
The Midland Theatre
Napa Valley College
New England Center for the Performing Arts
New Mexico State University Arts Complex
Norden Farm Arts Centre
Park Square Theater
Playbox Theatre
Pullo Centre
Regent Theatre
Roschel Performing Arts Center
Roundhouse
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Shepherd University
Sight & Sound Theatre
St. Martin's School Drama Studio
Towson University Center for the Arts
University of Wyoming - Fine Arts Building
VISUAL and the George Bernard Shaw Theatre
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

CONCERT HALLS, RECITAL HALLS & MUSIC VENUES

The Bailey Performance Center at Kennesaw State University
Benson Hall - Bethel College
Benedicta Arts Center
Binghamton University
Birmingham Town Hall
Bramall Music Building - University of Birmingham
Butterworth Hall - The University of Warwick
Chancellor's Court Concert Hall
David Rubenstein Atrium
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
Gallagher-Bluedorn Davis Recital Hall
Gallagher-Bluedorn Jebe Organ Hall
Grand Ole Opry
Hard Rock Live! Orlando
Illinois State University Performing Arts Center
Jarvis Conservatory
Kleinhans Music Hall
Great Concert Hall of the Tatarstan Republic, Kazan, Russia
Lou & Jack Finney Concert Hall - Texas A&M Commerce
MacPhail Center for the Arts
Manhattan School of Music
Manitoba Centennial Centre
Mercersburg Performing & Visual Arts Center
Messiah College School of Arts
Meyerson Symphony Center
Minnesota Shubert Art & Education Center
Monterey Peninsula College
Morgan Auditorium - University of La Verne
Music Hall at Fair Park
New World Symphony
Ocean Music Venue
Omsk Philharmonic Concert Hall
Peabody Conservatory
Pearl Stable
Performance Space for the 21st Century
Powell Hall, St. Louis Symphony
Russell Hall Music Building
Royal Opera House Muscat
Ryman Auditorium
South Dakota State University Performing Arts
Steel Stacks Performing Arts Center
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Recital Hall
Ted Mann Concert Hall - University of Minnesota
University of Baltimore Student Center
University of California Davis - Music Building
University of Tennessee - Music Building
University of Wisconsin Parkside - Communication Arts Building
Victoria Concert Hall
Woodward Opera House
Yuba Community College

MUSEUMS

American Folk Art Museum
Center of Science & Industry (COSI)
Crow Collection of Asian Art
Guggenheim Museum NYC Board Room
MASSART-Bakalar and Paine Galleries
Museum of Tolerance, Israel
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
US Marine Corps Museum
VISUAL and the GBS Theatre
Wellin Museum of Art

OUTDOOR

Challenge America Amphitheatre
Moonlight Amphitheatre
Performance Steps Tallahassee
PNC Bank Arts Center
PromiseLand West Amphitheater
Savill Building
Starlight Theatre

HISTORIC RENOVATIONS

Birmingham Town Hall
Butterworth Hall - The University of Warwick

Jarvis Conservatory

Lincoln Theatre
Loews Metropolitan for Brooklyn Tabernacle
Mahaiwe Theatre
Manitoba Centennial Centre
Ohio Theatre
Peabody Conservatory
Regent Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Ryman Auditorium
Southern Theatre
Stanley Theatre of Utica
Victoria Concert Hall
Woodward Opera House

UNIVERSITY & EDUCATIONAL

Alabama School of Fine Arts
American River College
American River College Expansion
Bethel College - Benson Hall
Blair Academy - Armstrong Hipkins Center
Binghamton University
Brairwood High School - Barker Auditorium
Brown Center - Maryland Institute College of Art
Calvary Christian Academy
College of Saint Benedict - Benedicta Arts Center
Columbia State Community College - Ledbetter Auditorium
Creative Performing and Media Arts Middle School
East Asian Library
Francis Parker School
Franklin and Marshall College - Roschel Performing Arts Center
Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center
Heath High School Auditorium
Horace Mann School - The Gross Theatre
llinois State University Performing Arts Center
Jarvis Conservatory
Juanita K. Hammons Hall - SMSU
John's Hopkins University - Mattin Center
Kennesaw State University
Knight High School
King Edward VI Music School
LaJoya Performing Arts Center
Lawrenceville School
Maryland Institute College of Art
Monterey Peninsula College
Napa Valley College
New Mexico State University Arts Complex
Peabody Conservatory
Russell Hall Music Building
Shepherd University
South Dakota State University Performing Arts
St. Georges School - Madiera Hall
St. Martin's School Drama Studio
Taunton School
Texas A&M Commerce - Finney Concert Hall
Texas High School - Sullivan Theater
Towson University Center for the Arts
Transylvania University - Lucille Little Theatre
University College Worcester
University of Baltimore Student Center
University of Birmingham - Chancellor's Court Concert Hall
University of California Davis - Music Building
University of La Verne - Morgan Auditorium
University of Minnesota - Ted Mann Concert Hall
University School
University of Tennessee - Music Building
University of Warwick - Butterworth Hall
Utley Middle School
West Ranch High School
Williams College - '62 Center
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

VISUALIZATIONS

Butterworth Hall - Warwick Arts Center
Chancellor's Court Concert Hall
Room in the Round