Starytskyi Theater in Khmelnytskyi Chooses MAG Audio
The Khmelnytskyi Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater, named after Mykhailo Starytskyi, traces its history to 1931. Founded in Novocherkassk as a touring company serving the Ukrainian diaspora, it underwent several relocations and wartime evacuation before opening its season in Proskuriv, now Khmelnytskyi, in November 1944. Today, the theater occupies its own building on Soborna Street and operates several performance spaces, including the Small Stage, the experimental Antrakt stage and a stage in its bomb shelter. The main auditorium was the focus of its recent sound system upgrade.
The repertoire brings together The Aeneid and Oh, Hryts, Don’t Go to the Evening Gatherings, alongside Romeo and Juliet and Tevye Tevel. Spoken word and music work together to bring each production’s creative vision to life, making sound quality integral to the audience experience. Dialogue, vocals and musical accompaniment all need to reach every listener with clarity. The venue also regularly hosts touring concerts and shows, placing further demands on the system’s performance and scalability.
The previous sound system was both worn out and technologically outdated, while uneven coverage had been a persistent issue even in its prime. To address these limitations, the theater chose modern loudspeakers from Ukrainian manufacturer MAG Audio.
An Upgrade with Room to Grow
Working within a limited budget, the installers focused on the most pressing needs. They specified a core configuration that meets the venue’s immediate requirements while allowing for future expansion.
The solution centers on line arrays built from MAG Audio WASP-8 modules. The upgrade also made it possible to fly the loudspeakers, allowing the arrays’ coverage to be tailored to the auditorium’s geometry and finally delivering consistent sound throughout the seating area.
The installation includes:
✔️ 8 × MAG Audio WASP-8 T110 — passive line array modules
✔️ 2 × MAG Audio Sub-28-4-BK — passive subwoofers
✔️ 2 × BUMP-WASP-L — array flying frames
✔️ 1 × Powersoft Quattrocanali 8804 — four-channel amplifier with DSP
✔️ 1 × Powersoft Duecanali 6404 — two-channel amplifier with DSP
Each subwoofer features two 18-inch drivers, extending the arrays’ low-frequency response and providing a solid bass foundation for music and sound effects. Powersoft amplifiers drive the system, with onboard DSP used to tune its response to the acoustic conditions of the auditorium.
A Legacy That Resonates
The project marks an early step in the modernization of the theater’s sound system. Within the available budget, the venue replaced aging equipment and resolved its longstanding coverage issues. The system can now be expanded as the needs of theatrical productions and touring events evolve.
A theater that began almost a century ago performing for Ukrainians far from home now reaches its audiences through Ukrainian loudspeakers. Through changing eras and the upheaval of war, generations of its artists have kept the Ukrainian word alive on stage. MAG Audio now becomes part of that story, helping the voice of this legendary theater resonate with renewed strength.
14/09/2026
