The Meyer Sound system at the Beverly Hilton is in a left-centre-right configuration; with five Meyer Sound MICA line array loudspeakers flown left and right, and four M'elodie line array loudspeakers in the centre. Two MSL-4 loudspeakers cover side-fill duties, and a pair of UPA-1P loudspeakers fills outer areas. Three UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers supply delay reinforcement, while four 700-HP subwoofers are built into the stage wall, two at each end of the stage, to supply sub-bass.
The impetus for installing a high-end sound system from Meyer Sound came from AVT Event Technology, the on-site AV production company which services all of the hotel's in-house production needs. "For a long time, any performer who played here brought in their own system, because the house PA was pretty inadequate," says Billy Thornton, AVT's event production manager. "So, we've had the opportunity to hear a lot of different systems in this room, and nothing has sounded as good as the MICA."
The ballroom is reasonably wide but not especially deep, which presented an acoustical conundrum for dbIS. "The challenge was to find a line array that could provide clarity without being too overpowering for the relatively short throw," says dbIS president James Wicker. Considering that the room's ceiling height measures only 19ft at its highest point, choosing the appropriate line array became even more critical. "The MICA and M'elodie combination made an ideal choice," Wicker states. "It delivers a high degree of clarity, intelligibility, and musicality in a relatively small package."
(Jim Evans)
