TiMax SoundHub and TrackerD4

Dynamic Vocal Clarity at the Szigliget Theatre, Hungary

The Szigliget Theatre, located in the central Hungarian city of Szolnok, has recently introduced an advanced spatial audio solution designed to significantly enhance vocal clarity and audience immersion. By implementing TiMax SoundHub spatialisation together with TiMax TrackerD4 precision stage tracking, the theatre now delivers a consistent and intelligible audio experience for every seat in the auditorium.

The system was recommended and integrated by Hungarian TiMax specialists Votec Ltd., following earlier challenges where up to one-third of the audience had difficulty hearing dialogue and vocals clearly. The new installation addresses these issues by ensuring that sound is evenly distributed and dynamically aligned with on-stage action.

Immersive Spatial Audio and Intelligent Tracking

The TiMax SoundHub platform provides more than conventional sound reinforcement. In addition to enabling full audio immersion through a relatively small number of discreet loudspeaker positions, it also handles playback and introduces advanced 3D sound effects capabilities. This creates a more natural and engaging listening environment that complements theatrical performances.

A key component of the system is the TiMax TrackerD4 actor tracking technology. This allows individual voices on stage not only to be heard with greater clarity but also to be perceived as originating from their precise positions on stage. As a result, audiences gain a deeper sense of realism and contextual awareness during performances.

To support this functionality, the theatre adopted a package of twelve TTd4 Tags, enabling groups of singers and soloists to be accurately tracked and spatialised in real time. Static spatial imaging is also applied to the orchestra, ensuring balanced integration between live music and stage action.

Precision Sensor Network and System Architecture

A network of five TiMax TrackerD4 sensors is distributed above the stage and throughout the auditorium. With built-in overlap redundancy, these sensors provide reliable, responsive, and precise 3D tracking of the miniature TTd4 Tags, which are discreetly integrated into the actors’ costumes.

The upgrade was part of a broader audio modernization project carried out by Votec. An Allen & Heath mixing console triggers cues within the TiMax system, which then routes signals to twelve Powersoft amplifiers. These amplifiers drive loudspeakers from Votec’s proprietary ESAudio range, forming a cohesive and highly controlled sound reinforcement system.

The theatre’s traditional proscenium stage is equipped with LCR loudspeakers positioned across the arch, along with front-fill speakers on the ground floor. Additional delay speakers are installed in the box seating areas and the dress circle balcony. All loudspeaker zones are independently controlled by TiMax, allowing precise spatial positioning and optimal coverage throughout the venue.

Inspiration from Large-Scale Productions

The decision to adopt TiMax SoundHub spatialisation and TrackerD4 stage tracking was strongly influenced by earlier experiences at the Szeged Open-Air Festival, where Votec managed the event’s audio. The theatre’s board members witnessed a remarkable sonic transformation during a large-scale production of Aida, where TiMax spatial reinforcement and tracking created a new level of vocal and orchestral immersion for an audience of 8,000 over two nights.

A New Standard in Theatre Sound

According to Otari Tsereteli, International Business Manager at Votec, the introduction of TiMax has effectively renewed the venue’s sound quality: it now feels as though there is no visible sound system at all—an outcome often regarded as the highest compliment in professional audio design.

Dave Haydon, Director at Out Board, also highlighted the synergy of the collaboration, noting that Votec and ESAudio Ltd., as both rental operators and designers of ribbon-loaded loudspeaker systems, are deeply focused on coherence and clarity in sound reinforcement. Their partnership in bringing TiMax spatialisation to the Hungarian market represents a significant step forward in immersive theatre audio technology.

With this advanced integration of spatial audio, precision tracking, and high-performance loudspeaker systems, the Szigliget Theatre sets a new benchmark for intelligibility, immersion, and realism in theatrical sound design.