Among the most successful productions to hit Broadway since Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton presents American history through contemporary hip-hop live theatre – earning it both Pulitzer and Tony awards. Now touring North America and overseas, it the musical is exploiting PK Sound’s Gravity 30 subwoofers, featuring Powersoft’s M-Force amplification for its powerful LF delivery.

Broadway sound designer and Tony Award nominee, Nevin Steinberg, is intimately familiar with the challenges of moving a production from venue to venue while retaining peak sound performance: ‘On a tour, agility and adaptability are paramount,’ he says. ‘Any show that is moving over just a couple of days and has to deliver a perfect opening night performance in a new venue every few weeks must be able to solve a wide array of challenges. For theatre shows anywhere, but especially on tour, subwoofer real estate is very limited, so having a compact and efficient low-frequency delivery system is incredibly helpful.’

With portability considerations in mind, PK Sound worked to decrease the weight and dimensions of the Gravity 30, while maintaining powerful, transparent sound across the frequency spectrum. The system uses Powersoft’s M-Force motor to achieve a remarkable output/size ratio.

‘I like how compact the subs are – and how the package just covers our needs without additional equipment,’ Steinberg says. ‘On previous productions of Hamilton and on some of my other Broadway productions I use a collection of subwoofers to do the job. For the Hamilton tour I’ve been able to rely solely on the Gravity 30.’

PK Sound and Powersoft spent three years developing the technology, which includes an innovative transducer based on a patented moving magnet, linear motor structure. This technology provides exceptional performance in power handling, electromagnetic conversion, operational reliability and maximum SPL, when compared to conventional moving coil systems.

‘We worked very closely with Powersoft over the past three years to refine and perfect the Gravity 30,’ confirms PK Sound President and CEO, Jeremy Bridge. ‘During that journey we’d built nearly every possible configuration that one can dream up, all in pursuit of a beautiful sounding subwoofer. We couldn’t have done that without Powersoft – we are exceptionally pleased with the results in our Gravity 30 subwoofer.’

For a theatrical production of Hamilton’s magnitude, Steinberg and his team sought to make the experience as immersive as possible, maximizing audience engagement. The deep, articulate low-end provides the extra impact that brings audiences into the story and keeps them on the edges of their seats: ‘Hamilton produces an atypical amount of low-frequency information for a theater event. Everything from cannon fire to deep dance floor sweeps, to drum machine kick drums. The Gravity 30 is capable of delivering everything cleanly and effortlessly, from the transients down through the extreme low-end treats,’ Steinberg says.

The show completed a sold-out run in San Francisco and LA, and is currently playing in London. ‘It was a great success in San Francisco, and since then that company has also settled into a very smooth run in Los Angeles. The show looks great on the West Coast, and there’s so much excitement for the production.’ Steinberg reports.