MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Located in Surfside Beach, the 950-seat Celebration Music Theatre opened earlier this year. It now draws crowds with an artist tribute show, Superstarz Live! featuring the music of Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Cher, Barbra Streisand and others.
The Celebration Music Theatre occupies the site of a former live-performance venue. Before it opened, the stage, video, lighting, wiring and other parts of the theatre were totally redone.
Commercial Audio, Inc., led by sales and marketing director Adam Hyman and owner Chad Johnson, provided the new sound system, which includes more than 30 JBL VerTec line arrays powered by Crown amplifiers.
The setup includes 16 VT4886 subcompact line array elements and VT4883 subcompact arrayable subwoofers, two ASB6128 subwoofers, six AC28/95 and six AC16 ultra-compact loudspeakers.
Crown I-Tech HD IT9000HD, XTi 4000 and CTs 1200 power amps drive the loudspeakers. A Soundcraft Vi1 64/24-input digital console handles both front of house and monitor mixing.
"The theater is more than twice as wide than it is deep," noted Johnson, who was confident that the VerTec VT4886s would be well-suited to the unconventional room shape.
"I deployed the VT4886 speakers in arrays across the top left, center and right of the stage, which provided even coverage throughout the width of the room without any gaps in the distribution of sound to the audience."
Johnson also placed the VT4883 subwoofers beneath each of the two center arrays and an ASB6128 sub under each left and right stack. In addition, three AC16 speakers are placed on either side of the stage as front fills for the front rows of the theatre.
The six JBL AC28/95 speakers are used as on-stage monitors, located at various points along the stage. "I had used the VerTec VT8886 line arrays in previous projects, but not in a room that was wider than it was deep," Johnson said. "We're very happy with the results."
Soundcraft Vi1 consoles, used for both FOH and monitors, offer "a ton of flexibility," Johnson added. He credited their ability to recall scenes, an important feature, considering "the large number of different acts performing on some of the productions here."
For more information, please visit www.harman.com and www.commercialaudio.us.
