One of the most venerated concert halls in America since it opened its doors in 1921, the Town Hall in midtown Manhattan called on Audio Incorporated to specify a new sound system –which turned out to be a Renkus-Heinz VL3 active line array.
‘Renkus-Heinz VL3 self-powered line arrays deliver a clear, transparent sound,’ says Audio Incorporated President, Stephen Tolve. ‘Whether the show is classical or jazz, rock artists like David Crosby and Jackson Browne, or A Prairie Home Companion, you want it to sound as if you were listening to the performance without needing a sound system-especially in a venue that’s famed for its acoustics.’
The 1,500-seat Town Hall is a very wide room, with a short downstairs area, so there aren’t many rows in the audience down on the floor. ‘But the balcony is quite deep so coverage was an issue in the past,’ Tolve observes. ‘Not with the Renkus-Heinz system, though.’
Tolve’s team chose three VL3 self-powered line arrays and one Renkus-Heinz DR18-2R dual 18-inch subwoofer per side for the main system. The system sits on carts that can be rolled out on either side of the stage. There is minimal under-balcony seating at Town Hall, which makes coverage a bit easier. Still, covering every seat in the deep balcony could have posed a difficult challenge. Tolve solved that with two Renkus-Heinz CF101LA modular point source arrays per side, which handle the balcony.
Renkus-Heinz’ VerSys VL3 is an active three-way line array, equipped with dual 1kW, 12-inch neodymium woofers. The system works with Renkus-Heinz’ Rhaon system-manager software. The CF218-S subwoofers and VL3 arrays together form a system capable of handling anything from classical and jazz to rock. ‘Before we installed the Renkus-Heinz system, most artists brought in their own sound systems,’ Tolve recalls. ‘Now, most artists and engineers prefer the Renkus-Heinz house system; they love the sound.’
Although Town Hall’s mantra ‘not a bad seat in the house’ originally referred to its unobstructed sightlines, the new audio system and room acoustic readily extend it to the sound as well.
More: www.renkus-heinz.com
