US live sound provider ATK Audiotek has expanded its PA portfolio with the addition of  96 VTX V20 line array elements from JBL. The purchase came after a two-year evaluation process, during which ATK, which specializes in  large-audience TV events, provided input to JBL’s product development team after testing several iterations of the V20. The result was a versatile dual 10-inch line array loudspeaker that has since been successfully deployed at a series of prominent and prestigious events.

‘ATK has always had a great relationship with JBL, beginning with the advent of the 4889,’ says ATK VP of Special Events Mikael Stewart, who was instrumental in the collaboration. ‘The V20 is a very smooth, responsive and controlled enclosure. For what I do, it’s a great musical system as well as a very efficient dialogue system.’

Considering its range of live events, ATK engineers’ high standards come as no surprise. As long-time users of JBL’s VerTec series, the addition of a dual 10-inch V20 system provided them with a compact update to the 4889 that didn’t trade size for power. As a mid-sized line array, the V20 is best suited to theatres, arena fill and mid-sized venues, but has also handed especially challenging conditions. When ATK was contracted to mix the sound for Tiraji & Terrence’s White Hot Holiday Special, the V20 proved that it could overcome the challenges of a live show with music and sketch comedy.

‘We had lavaliers in a 2,500-seat theatre with plenty of gain with exceptional rear rejection from the cluster,’ Stewart says. ‘The broadcast mixer was thrilled with how dry the venue sounded.’

ATK’s V20s will likely be used in January for the Critics Choice Awards and in February as fill and delay speakers for the Grammys. ‘We’ve owned them for a few months, but they’re out on projects all the time,’ Stewart reports. ‘The only problem is that our engineers are fighting over who gets to use them. They sound spectacular anywhere.’

Compared to the 4889, the V20 has a smoother high-end and features a true three-way system design with proprietary D2 Dual Diaphragm Dual Voice Coil compression driver and Differential Drive low frequency transducer technology along with patent-pending ultra-linear motor technology employed for midrange components. The VTX V20 has extremely high power density with each line array element featuring two 2261H 10-inch Differential Drive woofers, four 2164H 4-inch ultra-linear midrange transducers and three of the new small-format D2415K Dual Drivers.