Sound reinforcement for the event is a formidable task. Based on their previous success providing sound for the event's debut presentation, New York City's SIA Acoustics and Scharff-Weisberg, Inc. were called back for an "encore performance". To overcome the effects of a highly reverberant space and satisfy the exceptionally critical listeners in the audience, SIA turned to Meyer Sound M1D ultra-compact curvilinear array loudspeakers for the principal sound reinforcement system.
"We used an M1D-based system for that first event as well," comments Steve Sockey, a partner at SIA Acoustics and designer of both sound systems. "It's not just rich, full, impactful sound that is required for this event, but clarity and high speech intelligibility as well."
The precision-tuned audio system was a critical factor in dealing with the highly reverberant site for the gala, but not the only step SIA took. Enclosed by stone and glass, the three-story promenade - nearly 200ft long and 60ft wide - is plagued by a broadband reverberation decay time of 2.4 seconds. SIA Acoustics, known for their extensive use of acoustical treatments as part of their sound designs, deployed over 10,000sq.ft of sound-absorbing acoustical panels as a complement to the loudspeaker configuration.
Although the basic approach was the same as for the previous event, the aesthetic requirements had changed. A sheer fabric scrim surrounded the room, a visual touch integral to the event designers' concept. "A new plan was needed to move the loudspeakers from sight and avoid disrupting the view of twinkling lights on the Lincoln Center plaza," explains Sockey.
The array configuration, worked out using Meyer Sound's MAPP Online Pro acoustical prediction program, called for seven locations, each consisting of eight M1D cabinets, for a total of 56 M1D units. However, the room's layout imposed some restrictions on how the loudspeakers could be deployed. The arrays were relocated to a balcony surrounding the promenade to fulfill the visual requirement, but the space between a decorative handrail and the low ceiling permitted fitting only five M1D cabinets to be hung above the balcony, so a cluster of three M1D units was suspended under the balcony below each array of five. Even that solution was not easy to implement: no rigging points were available for hanging the speakers. Consequently, SIA's Richard Nelson specified a goal post system constructed from schedule 40 pipe.
20 M1D-Sub ultra-compact subwoofers were placed to create a low-profile horizontal line array. Working in MAPP Online Pro, SIA determined that consistent low-frequency energy could be achieved throughout the seating area by locating the enclosures 7.5ft apart from each other.
The event's programme included speeches from three podiums spaced across the room: two on one side, and one on the other. In order to obtain the maximum gain before feedback, the seven arrays were carefully placed around the room to create precisely defined 'dead zones' around the three podiums. Three MM-4 miniature wide-range loudspeakers put around the front of each elevated podium base covered the tables adjacent to the podiums.
The Meyer Sound loudspeakers and Schoeps hypercardioid podium microphones were the critical analogue transducers in an otherwise all-digital signal path. The Yamaha M7CL-48 digital console, fitted with an Aviom audio networking card, connected via CAT-5 cable to remote Aviom units at each lo
