King Center upgrades its theater with JBL VTX speakers

The heart of this multi-hall complex has been renovated with a main system consisting of two hanging arrays, each composed of eight speakers JBL VTX A12 and two VTX A12W, plus six dual subwoofers 18 inch VTX B28. This is fed with 28 amplifiers Crown I-Tech 12000HD and four I-Tech 4x3500HD.

He teatro L3 Harris Technologies A new acoustic system has been released with the technology of JBL Professional, brand belonging to Harman Group.

As Brevard County's Premier Performing Arts Venue, he Maxwell C. King Center has served the community for 37 years, hosting everything from Broadway tours to legendary rock productions. Located in central Florida (EU), It is the only venue in a radius of more than 80 kilometers equipped to host national productions on tour, making it an essential cultural center for the region.

The heart of this multiplex complex, the L3 theater Harris Technologies, with capacity for 2.016 personas, It is an acoustic space with a large fan capacity and a spacious mezzanine, designed to host a wide variety of events.

The previous JBL Professional sound system, con 20 years old, It had met its deadline and needed an update. The variety of events, including Broadway shows, rock concerts, ballets… required a system capable of offering impeccable sound in any circumstance.

The King Center turned to its trusted partner, APAV Solutions, for update. Supervised by Rob Adams, facilities director, and the site technicians, including Ed Guilbeau, King Center Audio Technician, The update involved the renewal of the amplifiers and the engineering of a new steel beam that would support the load of the JBL VTX series speakers.

Craig Beyrooti, CEO of APAV Solutions, led the process. “I designed the system with the software Venue Synthesis from JBL just a few days after its launch. I added a few more boxes than in the previous system, just to improve coverage, not the power, since there is plenty. Then I spoke to the JBL Professional team, I asked them to review the design and we made some additional adjustments. For example, “We ended up placing some subwoofers in the center”.

The main system consists of two hung arrays, each composed of eight VTX A12 dual line array speakers of 12 inches and two dual VTX A12W linear array of 120 degrees of dispersion. Six dual subwoofers 18 inches VTX B28 They are hung in a central arrangement with two boxes inverted to produce a cardioid dispersion pattern.

The system is powered by 28 amplifiers Crown I-Tech 12000HD and four amplifiers I-Tech 4x3500HD from the same manufacturer. The addition of more high-power amplifiers required increasing the capacity of the electrical service.

The installation process was collaborative and smooth, although not without difficulties. “The theater features a full metal orchestra shell, and the entire space is designed to reinforce the acoustic sound that comes out of it”, Beyrooti points out.. “With the previous system, I moved the speakers further into the stage, moving them away from the corner where really horrible reflections would occur. This time, I asked them to move the speakers a little further inward and remove two of the reflector panels that were just above the arrays to prevent bounce from above.”.

The width of the room had previously been addressed by placing three compact line array speakers VTX A8 Dual of 8 inches with 110° dispersion, stacked on a subwoofer individual B18 of 18 inches, configurable in arrays, on each side of the stage.

The addition of the VTX A12W cases provided much greater coverage than before, but they remained A8 cabinets to ensure the best possible coverage to the sides. Los A12 arrangements They provided great power and coverage to the back of the room, including the mezzanine.

The previous system had four AM4212/95 two-way speakers for the last rows, but since its function was minimal, removing or replacing them seemed more trouble than it was worth. Instead, They were left in place and continued in use. “They barely work. Sincerely, if they turned them off, people sitting in the back would still think they sounded great, considering how far away they are”, afirma Beyrooti.

Beyrooti received further support from JBL Professional to properly tune the new system, thanks to applications engineer Raúl González, who had helped Beyrooti fine-tune the last system he had installed years before and was now rejoining Beyrooti to finish installing the update.

With the update completed, the King Center is ready to offer an unparalleled audio experience to its audience. “The important thing here is coverage, and this system nails it”, said Guilbeau. “When we present shows like a ballet with an open orchestra pit, we used to have problems with front coverage; the sound passed just above the first three rows after the pit. Now the cover almost overlaps the moat. Everyone who has come from the installation has commented that the coverage is exquisite. The system adapts perfectly to the room”.