The room's tiered, dinner theatre style seating offers a few interesting acoustical challenges. As Patrick Sobers of Birmingham-based Media Visions explains, "it's a fan-shaped room, with dinner theater style table seating on tiered rows. But the front section is almost at orchestra pit level; you don't get to stage height until the third or fourth row."
With a throw to the last row of around 60ft, the problematic space called for a sound system that could be shaped to create the custom coverage the room needed. Media Visions recommended the Renkus-Heinz VARIA modular point source array.
The system comprises left and right arrays, each with a single VAX101-15 and VAX101-22 cabinet. Each array is topped with a VAX15S subwoofer. "The top box has a variable 60 to 90 degree coverage, and the bottom one goes from 90 to 120 degrees," says Sobers. Additional front-fill is provided by a pair of CFX41 compact coaxial speakers, with CFX81 8-inch cabinets covering rear delay and side-fills. The system is powered by Lab Gruppen amps, with a Biamp Nexia handling system DSP. A PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 digital console handles Front of House duties.
Sobers quotes the club's owner, Bruce Ayers, as saying the system "sounds absolutely awesome."
(Jim Evans)
