NORTHRIDGE, California — Demonstrating its commitment to make JBL® HiQnet Performance Managerâ„¢ the most comprehensive and useful system configuration and control application in professional live sound audio, HARMAN Professional today released JBL HiQnet Performance Manager version 1.1 featuring support for the Crown VRACK 4×3500 and updated JBL V5 Preset Data. In doing so, the company is coupling the most efficient and best sounding audio hardware technologies with the industry’s most advanced yet intuitive configuration and control application.

“HARMAN’s stated goal for JBL HiQnet Performance Manager is that it should make the complex simple and enable better sounding performance audio systems to be designed and deployed more efficiently and economically,â€� stated Adam Holladay, Market Manager, HARMAN System Development and Integration Group. “With the release of version 1.1 and the addition of support for Crown VRACK 4×3500 and updated JBL V5 Preset Data for VTX Series and VerTec Series models, we’re making JBL HiQnet Performance Manager more inclusive and valuable to our customers for theatre, worship, and corporate and all live sound applications.â€�

JBL HiQnet Performance Manager dramatically reduces design time, simplifies networking and automates control interface configuration. With considerable expert system design knowledge embedded directly into the software, Performance Manager cleverly disguises the complexity of system configuration and guides even the less-experienced user through the process so as to achieve a far more optimal result than would otherwise be possible.

New in version 1.1:
• Support for the Crown VRACK 4×3500 with full integration into the Performance Manager workflow
• JBL V5 Preset Data for VerTec VT4889 (V5 R1) and VerTec VT4888 (V5 R1)
o Short Throw (ST) and Long Throw (LT) preset support for VT4888 and VT4889, with HF shelving characteristics that are consistent with VTX V25
o Sub / low preset (X, 60, 80) support for VT4888 and VTX G28, S28 subwoofers
o Sub / low preset (X, 60, 80) support for VT4889 and VTX G28, S28 subwoofers
o Cardioid preset (X, 60, 80) support for VT4882, VT4880, VT4880A subwoofers
o Cardioid preset (X, 60, 80) support for VT4880 (2x front-firing) and VTX S28 (1x rear-firing)
o Cardioid preset (X, 60, 80) support for VT4880A (2x front-firing) and VTX S28 (1x rear-firing)
o Revised subwoofer model limiter thresholds
• JBL V5 Preset Data for VTX V25 for Crown Audio IT12000HD (V5 R1.1)
o Minor changes to subwoofer model limiter thresholds
• JBL V5 Preset Data for VTX V25 for Crown Audio IT4x3500HD (V5 R1.2)
o Minor changes to subwoofer model limiter thresholds
o New extra long throw (XLT) support, compatible with IT12000HD XLT

Performance Manager 1.1 is available for purchase on the HiQnet website. A single license is available for $399, with volume discounts available for 2 license key purchases or more. The Performance Manager 1.1 installer will automatically utilize a valid, existing license key activated for a current installation of Performance Manager 1.0. Existing users should simply download and install Performance Manager 1.1 below to upgrade.

Performance Manager 1.1 supported devices include:
• JBL VTX Series V25, G28 and S28 models
• JBL powered VerTec DrivePack Series with DP-DA input card
• JBL passive VerTec Series
• Crown I-Tech HD Series
• Crown Macro-Tech i Series
• Crown VRACK 12000
• Crown VRACK 4×3500
• Crown I-Tech Series [discontinued]
• dbx DriveRack® 4800 / 4820

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Manhattan, New York — Imagine a spacious, sunlit park full of trees and grass, greenery and people. It’s not hard to picture—except this park will be completely undergound. “Imagining the LowLine: A First Glimpse of a Future Underground� is a New York exhibit that lets people experience the environment of LowLine, an underground park proposed for the site of the former Williamsburg Trolley Terminal located below Delancey Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Along with the lighting, greenery and architecture, the goal was to emulate the sonic environment people would experience above ground. To accomplish this, Alban Bassuet, venue and acoustic consultant at Arup envisioned, designed and installed a 3D sound system comprised of 16 wall-mounted JBL CBT50LA-1 column speakers and eight Control 25AV compact indoor/outdoor speakers throughout the space, all powered by three Crown ComTech DriveCore CT8150 amplifiers. Dash 7 Design, a creative design and fabricator firm in New York, helped with constructing the installation.

Anne Guthrie from ARUP composed the soundscape for the installation, which features music, trains, birds and children playing and other sounds, all filtered, processed and manipulated by Guthrie. The multichannel soundtrack was processed, recorded and played back using proprietary programs written for Max-MSP using Ambisonics, delivering a 3-dimensional sound field.

“We chose the JBL CBT50LA-1 loudspeakers for a number of reasons,� noted Bassuet. “The exhibit space, which measures about 200’ long, 60’ wide and 18-foot high ceilings has a lot of natural reverberation. However, in order to successfully use Ambisonics, the sound from the speakers has to be focused and the speakers have to be accurately aimed. The CBT50LA-1 has a precise coverage pattern, which kept unwanted reverb to a minimum and the sound field seamless.�

“In addition, the CBT50LA-1’s’ wall-mounting angle bracket proved to be a very useful feature. The bracket enabled us to precisely aim the speakers and get the Ambisonics to work. The system really immerses you in the sonic environment and the mood created by the composer.�

The exhibit, which ran from September 15–27, is located at the Essex Street Warehouse on the corner of Essex and Broome streets in Manhattan. Striking in design with sweeping, organically curved ceiling sections, the exhibit has a remote skylight system, inviting seating areas—and an abundance of trees, grass and plants.

On the kid’s day, an iPad and wiimote interface designed by Terence Caulkins and Joseph Digerness from ARUP were given to kids from different visiting schools to move sound in 3D across the entire system, which was very popular and a successful way to engage with the kids and raise their awareness of sound and space.

“The ‘Imagining the LowLine’ exhibit is a major part of helping to popularize the idea of LowLine,� said Bassuet, who noted that a feasibility study would be submitted to New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (owners of the Williamsburg Trolley Terminal) in January 2013. “LowLine underground is not only a great public gathering space, but with its columns, walls and ceiling it also offers the possibility to build an audio-visual infra-structure which could support a number of diverse installations and events. It’ll be a wonderful addition to one of New York’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods.�

For additional details, please visit www.thelowline.org.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Council Bluffs, IA – October 2012… Grund Audio Design, a pioneering manufacturer of loudspeaker and signal processing products for the audio professional, is pleased to announce the debut of the new VIP Series loudspeakers. Featuring 4 models—three of which are 3-way loudspeaker designs—the new Grund Audio Design VIP series feature the highest SPL sensitivity in their class, offer a sleek, modern design and appearance, and are an ideal solution for the AV installed sound market and AV presentation playback. more

Kracow, Poland, October 2012… Home to the oldest sports club operating in Poland, Cracovia Rink has benefitted from a complete program of reconstruction and refurbishment in recent years, and has now had a state-of-the-art sound system designed and installed by WrocÅ‚aw-based Tommex Zebrowscy Sp. J.

Sound Skating Cracovia is a multi-functional PA/VA system. The commentator’s room houses a Dynacord CMS 1000-2 mixer and the system’s Dynacord DSP244 digital processor. This feeds to the amplification room which houses the heart of the system, the Swiss g+m elektronik APROSYS APS modular system. In addition to the priority task of efficient evacuation during an emergency, the sound system is also used for commercial purposes at sporting events.

“Due to the difficult acoustics and harsh climatic conditions in the ice hall, the choice of loudspeakers was fundamental to the system’s performance and long-term reliability,” said Marcin Zimny of Tommex. The ice surface at Cracovia is 28 x 58m, and the grandstand accommodates more than 2,500 seated spectators. “With the ice and a lot of other reflective metal surfaces to be avoided, the dispersion of the loudspeakers was very important to minimize negative reflection effects and the long reverberation times of the hall,” continued Zimny. “Based on experience, we chose Community WET and R-Series loudspeakers for their well-defined coverage angles and extreme all-weather durability.”

Tommex deployed ten Community R.5 loudspeakers to cover the grandstand side and nine R.5 loudspeakers for the main grandstand. Additionally, four WET W2-2W8T loudspeakers cover the tribune commentator area and two R.5′s and two WET W2-228′s provide performance music for the system rink.

“Despite being a difficult environment, Community again provided the ideal solution and the system delivers excellent quality and intelligibility for entertainment, public address and voice evacuation,” concluded Zimny.

In addition to the main ice rink hall, Tommex also equipped all other public facilities located within the building.

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Community Professional Loudspeakers is a manufacturer and supplier of professional audio equipment.  Since 1968, Community has led the pro-audio industry with technological innovations which have become industry standards. Today, Community offers over 150 professional loudspeaker products, including installed loudspeaker systems, weather-resistant outdoor loudspeaker systems, ceiling loudspeakers, high level voice paging systems, and portable entertainment systems.  Visit www.communitypro.com for more information. 

Reno, NV – September 2012….  The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd has been a fixture in downtown Reno, Nevada, since the 1950s. Over the years, the church’s congregation has grown steadily, and last year plans were drawn for a new 500-seat worship center to be constructed adjacent to the original sanctuary.

Like many of today’s churches, Good Shepherd has been expanding outside the traditional Lutheran model, offering a range of services to cater to a broader congregation. “They offer a traditional Lutheran service early in the morning, followed by a more contemporary service with full band, and then one more traditional service,” says Scott Schmidt of Reno-based JC Productions.

Not surprisingly, that diversity calls for a flexible audio system that can handle everything from a straightforward organ and choir to a full-on rock band. With that in mind, Schmidt opted to install a PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 digital console at the front-of-house mix position. The desk is used to mix the sound in the sanctuary, as well as sending multiple monitor mixes to the musicians, and making live recordings.

“The StudioLive is a great console for them,” explains Schmidt. “It gives them all the power and features of an expensive digital console, and it fits their budget. We didn’t have to purchase any outboard effects, which saves them money and space; they’re just using the processing that’s built into the console.”

The church’s audio crew took to the console immediately. “They recently hired a part-time technical director, just before the grand opening,” says Schmidt “He’s a young guy, very technically savvy, and of course he took to the StudioLive quickly. But even for an old analog guy like me, the console was easy to figure out.”

The StudioLive’s remote-mixing capability was one of the first priorities, followed closely by live recording. “We ordered them an iPad and a couple of Mac Minis,” says Schmidt.” They’ve set it up to record directly into Capture, and of course, the iPad allows the technical director to walk around the room and make adjustments and to walk up to the stage if need be.”

Schmidt also included some video, with a Christie digital projector feeding a DayLight 16:9 video screen behind the band. For the musicians, the back wall is equipped with four 55-inch NEC flat-panel displays, combining to create a single video wall.

“The system has performed flawlessly for them,” says Schmidt. “Everyone’s been very pleased with the results.”

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Founded in 1995, PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc., is a leading designer and manufacturer of audio-recording software, hardware, and related accessories. PreSonus software, microphone preamps, signal processors, digital audio interfaces, mixers, control surfaces and other products are used worldwide for recording, sound reinforcement, broadcast, sound design, and Internet audio.

 

Washington, DC – October 2012… America’s capitol city is rich in history, and one of its most revered landmarks is the United States Capitol building. Thousands of people tour the Capitol each day, and for most their visit includes the vast Central Rotunda.

Connecting both houses of Congress, the Rotunda has been described as the “symbolic and physical heart� of the Capitol, and is used as a backdrop for public and ceremonial events. At 96 feet (29m) in diameter, and just over 180 feet (55 m) high at its peaked canopy, it’s not hard to imagine the type of acoustical challenges the space presents.

“It’s always been a problematic space,� says Tom Jones, Engineer with Baltimore, MD-based Design and Integration, Inc. “It’s got about a nine second reverb time, and vocal intelligibility is just a mess.�

Needless to say, given the building’s landmark status, there was no room for any sound system design that would alter the venue’s aesthetic. “Requirement number one was that nothing could be mounted permanently,� says Jones. Design and Integration’s solution was to create a portable system that could be quickly and easily moved into place, based around Renkus-Heinz Iconyx digitally steerable arrays.

“They don’t hold high-profile events more than once or twice a month, but when they do it’s usually top-level government officials – in the past that has included the Vice-President, the Speaker of the House, or a visiting dignitary,â€� Jones explains. “The events are televised on C-Span, so they really need a system that’s highly intelligible with low visibility.â€�

The system comprises four Iconyx IC16-R-II arrays, each located at 90 degrees apart along the room’s circumference. “One of the requirements was that the speakers had to be located at the perimeter, to be out of view of audience and cameras,â€� says Jones. “The Iconyx was great – very narrow and low-profile.â€�

Setting up the Iconyx cabinets on tripods and positioning them is a quick and simple procedure, says Jones. “We’ve tuned the beams downward, at ear level with the seating, and away from the walls and dome.�

Aside from the Rotunda’s acoustics, Jones says another challenge in putting together the sound system is simple logistics. “The space is a major tourist attraction, and at any given time you’ve got literally hundreds of people walking through there,� he explains. “When we were doing the demo, we had a five minute window right after closing at 5:00 PM, So we were setting up the system while the place was packed with tourists.�

Adjacent the Rotunda to the south is the National Statuary Hall, a semi-circular space that was the House of Representatives chamber until 1857. As Jones observes, the Iconyx system’s portability enables them to set it up in the Statuary Hall just as easily. “We’re using a similar configuration, but iIt’s a smaller space and a bit less reverberant, and we can cover the whole space with a pair of Iconyx cabinets. We’ve set up presets so they can easily choose the space they want.�

Jones reports the system has been a tremendous improvement. “The intelligibility factor is far superior to anything they’ve used in there in the past,� he says. “And being able to cover the entire space with only four self-contained systems is a huge time-saver.�

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Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Renkus-Heinz, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of audio operations networks, digitally steerable arrays, powered and non-powered loudspeakers, system specific electronics and fully integrated Reference Point Array systems. 

 

NORTHRIDGE, California – When Live Nation opened the newest Fillmore venue in Silver Spring, Maryland, the company knew it had to have a sound system worthy of the Fillmore’s storied history and to meet this requirement, the Fillmore Silver Spring boasts a cutting-edge audio system that includes HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line arrays, Crown Audio amplifiers and two Soundcraft mixing consoles.

The 28,000-square-foot, 2,000-capacity Fillmore Silver Spring was built as a collaborative effort between the State of Maryland, Montgomery County and Live Nation. The state and the county put up the money and Live Nation leases the facility from both on a long-term basis.

Sound Image of Escondido, California was contracted for the audio system design. The Fillmore’s main loudspeaker system includes two columns of eight JBL VERTEC VT4888DPDA powered midsize line array elements flown left and right of the stage, complemented by eight ASB7128 subwoofers across the bottom front of the stage, four VRX915M stage monitors and 10 SRX712M monitors.

The delay system consists of pairs of JBL AC28/26 loudspeakers for upper balcony fill, VIP areas at the sides of the stage, under balcony fill and for the rear bar are. Amplification is supplied by 14 Crown XTi 6000 amplifiers and HARMAN’s HiQnet System Architect™ software is used for system monitoring JBL DrivePack enclosures and Crown power amplifiers. Completed the system, a pair of Soundcraft Vi6 96-input digital live sound consoles handle front of house and monitor mixing duties.

“First and foremost, the new PA system needed to sound amazing,� said Dan Schartoff, VP of Production for Live Nation. “We needed a system that would be adaptable for all types of events and live performances by the likes of Deadmau5, Guns N’ Roses, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock, Trey Anastasio, Childish Gambino…the list goes on and on.�

Schartoff noted the many criteria that must be met to achieve that amazing sound. “We needed clarity from the audio system,� he said. “The system needed to pack a punch and have the ability to be a blank canvas for visiting engineers while also being rider-friendly.�

The two Soundcraft Vi6 consoles at the Fillmore Silver Spring also provide tremendous benefits, Schartoff noted. “We have Soundcraft consoles in many of our venues and they give the engineers a chance to store their show settings on a drive. They can make changes offline or have them ready to go when they arrive at the venue,� he said. “They sound great and enable users to eliminate most of their outboard gear.�

“HARMAN and JBL have been great to work with,� Schartoff concluded. “Their service and support, and availability to provide solutions has been excellent. I was a bit hesitant to go with VERTEC and the Vi6 consoles at first, but they have exceeded our expectations.�

For more information about the Fillmore Silver Spring please visit www.fillmoresilverspring.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

NORTHRIDGE, California – Launched in 1995 by ESSENCE magazine, the ESSENCE Music Festival is a New Orleans celebration of African-American music and culture that showcases a variety of classic and contemporary artists. Premier Sound Services (PSS) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana brought in a bevy of HARMAN Professional equipment for the festival’s Coca-Cola and Verizon Superlounge stages, including JBL VERTEC® line arrays, Crown amps, Soundcraft mixing consoles and BSS, Lexicon and dbx signal processing.

The recent 2012 festival took place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and featured acts as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, Gary Clark Jr., SWV, Dru Hill, the Stylistics and many more.

“This was a major festival and we brought in a major portion of our inventory,� noted Russ Bryant, Director of Operations and Co-Owner of PSS. “For both Superlounge stages, we had to stack the line arrays on top of the subs as flying was not feasible in the venue. Because the rooms were very wide and had relatively low ceilings and structural columns just on either side of both stages, for each room we put one stack on the inside of each column pointing directly forward and one stack outside of each column at 45 degrees.�

The Coca-Cola Superlounge featured four main speaker ground stacks of three VERTEC VT4888 midsize line array elements mounted on a VT4888-SF frame atop three SRX728S subwoofers. The speaker complement also included four VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array elements for front fill, four VT4886 and two VT4883 subcompact arrayable subwoofers for side and drum fill, plus 16 SRX712M floor monitors. Thirteen Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amps powered the main line arrays, with nine I-Tech 8000 amps for the monitors. A 96-channel Soundcraft Vi6 console handled front of house mixing.

The Verizon Superlounge stage employed four ground stacks of four VERTEC VT4887A compact line array elements each, mounted on a VT4887-SF frame atop three SRX728S subwoofers. The system also included four VERTEC VT4886’s for front fill, two stacks of two SRX722 speakers and one SRX718S sub for side fill/drum fill, plus 12 SRX712M stage monitors. Main amplification was provided by eight Crown I-Tech 8000 amps, two I-Tech 4000 amps and one I-Tech 5000, with six I-Tech 4000’s driving the monitors. PSS also used HARMAN HiQnet System Architect™ and JBL HiQnet Performancer Manager™ to set up and control both stages.

Soundcraft Series FIVE 48×4 and 52×26 consoles were used for front of house and monitor mixing, while the system utilized a host of HARMAN signal processors including BSS FCS-966 and FCS-960 equalizers, other BSS compressors and noise gates, a dbx 1046 quad compressor limiter and Lexicon PCM96 and other stereo reverb units/effects processors.

“I can consistently depend on JBL no matter what the situation,� said Bryant. “I have used JBL speakers since I got into the business in 1984. When we decided to purchase a line array system, we considered all the speakers on the market but decided that VERTEC best met our needs from a price/performance standpoint.�

“One day we’ll be hanging 16 VERTEC boxes per side in an arena and the next, stacking VT4888’s and VT4886’s in a club with a national touring band. While other speakers may work for one application or the other, we’ve found that our VERTEC inventory handles any requirement while delivering all the volume and quality we need. Also, since JBL introduced the VERTEC V5 DSP preset tunings, VERTEC has become even more rider-friendly.�

“In fact, we may be the most impressed by the VT4886,� Bryant noted. “We use them as front fills, side fills, drum fills and down fills under our VT4888’s and have even hung them 12 per side in smaller venues to do loud rock shows. It is the best-sounding, smallest, loudest box I have ever used. We have 40 in our inventory and plan to purchase more.�

“I also need to single out the Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers,� Bryant added. “We use a variety of models and they are simply amazing. No other amplifier is as accurate—we’ve scoped them and verified this against other amplifiers –and is as pleasing to my ear. The internal processing allows us to run the V5 presets, and I find that the speaker limiting is sonically more pleasing and protects our transducers better. They were a big part of the superior sound quality we achieved at the ESSENCE Music Festival.�

For more information on Premier Sound Services, please visit www.psssound.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Reno, NV – September 2012….  The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd built their first sanctuary in downtown Reno in 1951. Over the years the church’s congregation has grown steadily, straining the limits of their small facility. Now, after more than 60 years the church has been rewarded with a new 500-seat worship center, directly adjacent to the original sanctuary.

The new facility is big, bright and airy, with an open feel and modern audio and video systems, including a pair of Iconyx IC Live digitally steered line array systems from Renkus-Heinz. As Scott Schmidt of Reno-based JC Productions explains, they were fortunate to have the room’s acoustics working for, rather than against them.

“The architect who designed the space has done a number of traditional sanctuaries, and really did a fantastic job,” says Schmidt. “Most of the walls are not parallel, and there’s a sloped ceiling that’s about 60 feet at its highest point. The wall behind the choir is angled about five degrees, which really helps with reflectivity.”

Like many of today’s churches, Good Shepherd has been expanding outside the traditional Lutheran model and offering a range of services to cater to a wider congregation. “They offer a traditional Lutheran service early in the morning, followed by a more contemporary service with full band, and then one more traditional service,” says Schmidt.

Good Shepherd’s choir is among the best, and the room’s acoustics only serve to enhance the sound. That said, the same acoustics that work so well for congregational singing can become problematic when you add amplified music to the mix.

“The band is using all amplified instruments, running through the PA, and they’re all using in-ear monitors, so that does help keep the sound under control somewhat,” says Schmidt “They’re using electronic drums, and there are no amplifiers onstage. But it’s still a pretty live space, and they needed a sound system that could steer the acoustical energy away from the walls and into the seating area.”

Schmidt opted for a pair of IC Live ICL-FR columns, mounted on either side of the proscenium. Low-frequency reinforcement is covered by an IC215S-FR subwoofer under the stage lip. “We needed a very versatile system, and the IC Live fit the bill,” he explains. “Spoken word intelligibility is always the priority, but the system had to provide the full-range musicality needed for a live band as well.”

Schmidt concludes, “I’ve done a number of projects using Renkus-Heinz speakers over the past ten years, and have always been happy with the results. I used the Iconyx on a recent job – a corporate training room – and felt it would be a good solution for a situation like this, where we couldn’t  use any acoustical treatment. And it was definitely a good choice – the sound in here is terrific.”

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Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Renkus-Heinz, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of audio operations networks, digitally steerable arrays, powered and non-powered loudspeakers, system specific electronics and fully integrated Reference Point Array systems.

By installing a Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system in its principal performance and rehearsal space, the Crowden Music Center in Berkeley, Calif. has greatly extended outreach opportunities to music ensembles throughout the Bay Area, while enhancing performance acoustics for its students.

The Crowden Music Center’s programs encompass The Crowden School, an independent day school for grades four through eight, and the Crowden Center for Music in the Community, which supports classical music in the Bay Area by hosting performances and rehearsals and also by offering classes, private lessons, workshops, and summer camps.

Formally titled the Jacqueline and Peter Hoefer Auditorium, the intimate venue holds an audience of about 200 in flexible seating for small ensemble, choral, and chamber orchestra performances on the stage. In this same space, performers often share the open floor with the audience, or the entire floor becomes a rehearsal stage for a full symphony orchestra. Also, the auditorium must adapt to an exceptionally diverse range of ensembles and music styles as it hosts both its own students and a packed calendar of programs for the local community. As a result, for such a modest facility, the acoustical requirements are extraordinary.

“The original physical acoustics were fine for a school auditorium,” observes Michel Taddei, Crowden’s director of artistic administration and principal double bassist for several area orchestras. “But as we’ve grown into a musical hub, with so many others using the facility, the fixed acoustics were not adequate for the wider range of demands.”

As an example, Taddei cites the Oakland East Bay Symphony, which often uses the auditorium floor as its rehearsal stage. “Before, it was a bit too loud and boomy for a group that size. Musicians were distracted by the room’s sonic buildup. Now, with the acoustic treatments and Constellation, they are delighted with the room’s sound and will be back on a regular basis.”

To address Crowden’s programming requirements, a controllable baseline acoustic was created through physical treatments. The Meyer Sound Constellation team then designed an active acoustical system adaptable to the full range of demands. Constellation here is split into two zones—upper and lateral—and employs the patented VRAS variable room acoustic system hosted on a D-Mitri digital audio platform to create a precise mixture of early reflections and late reverberations across five acoustic presets: speech, chamber, opera, symphony, and choir.

The complete system, installed by San Francisco-based integrator Bug ID, includes 29 Meyer Sound miniature MM-4XP and directional MM-4XPD loudspeakers, 14 MM-10 subwoofers, and 24 microphones.

According to Doris Fukawa, executive director for Crowden Music Center, Constellation’s flexibility is key. “In our after-school programs, it’s invaluable to be able to easily provide the proper acoustics for the smaller chamber ensembles as well as the large symphonic orchestras,” says Fukawa. “For our young students, Constellation allows them to become more aware of any acoustic space they play in and then learn to adapt to these environmental factors.”

The Jacqueline and Peter Hoefer Auditorium is currently still under renovation, with a grand reopening scheduled for fall 2013. The renovation is designed by Donn Logan of Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects, the Berkeley-based firm behind the AIA Citation Award-winning Pearson Theatre at Meyer Sound’s headquarters. “Since I previously served on the Crowden Board for several years, it has been a special treat for me to see this system installed in Crowden’s Hoefer Auditorium,” says Logan. “Given Crowden’s diverse array of performance and rehearsal requirements, Constellation is the only solution that I know of that could have solved its acoustic needs.”

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