Built on the grounds of the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Centre in Lake Grapevine, the $16 million Glass Cactus covers a total of 39,000 square feet and accommodates approximately 1,500 people. The state-of-the-art sound stage features musical acts ranging from country to blues to rock. The Glass Cactus regularly showcases local talent, while top-named national acts also perform routinely.
True to its name, the eye-catching design of the Glass Cactus includes an abundance of glass surfaces. While these make for an aesthetically pleasing environment, they pose a challenge from an acoustic standpoint."The west wall is covered in glass and stone, so dealing with the hard surfaces was a major challenge,"said Mike Mason, project manager, Clair Brothers.
To counteract the hard surfaces (including the hardwood and concrete floors), leading design firm WJHW performed extensive computer modeling to balance the presence of the natural finishes with the concealed acoustical treatment. Because of the dimensions of the Glass Cactus, a line array system was a natural choice."The seating area is rectangular, longer than it is wide, so we didn't have a lot of wide angles to address," Mason added. "Line arrays are a popular solution for these types of settings.
On each side of the stage, Clair Bros. installed a JBL Vertec array containing six VT4888 midsize and three VT887 compact line array elements per side. Six JBL ASB6128V subwoofers were placed underneath the stage for low-frequency reinforcement, while JBL AM6212 loudspeakers were installed to provide delay fills for the large first floor/under balcony area. Additionally, 15 JBL Control 29AV1 loudspeakers are situated in the outdoor patio area of the club.
According to Mason, the JBL Vertec line arrays have performed beyond expectations. The Vertec system has met every demand we have placed on it to date," he said. "We were able to quickly tune the system and the sound has proven to be very reliable.
(Chris Henry)
