BOULDER, CO — Nick Forster, founder and host of the nationally syndicated eTown radio program, worked with Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics for the program’s 17,000-square-foot specialty venue, eTown Hall, last year. The venue is equipped with Alcons Audio’s LR14/90 pro-ribbon based line-array system, and additional Alcons speakers are used for a stage monitor system and small café rig. Pictured here are Forster, left, with David Rahn, Alcons Audio’s North American sales manager.
More details from Alcon (www.alconsaudio.com):
BOULDER, CO — Recognized nationally as a premier radio music program and broadcast on over 300 stations in North America, eTown completed the renovation of its own 17,000 square foot specialty venue called eTown Hall here last year. After listening to several different high-end speaker solutions, Alcons Audio’s LR14/90 pro-ribbon based line-array system was chosen for the new venue. The weekly radio broadcast heard from coast-to-coast features performances and interviews with many of today’s top musical artists.
The venue was formerly a church of the Nazarene built in 1922. Transforming the 90-year old building into a state of the art music hall, recording studio and offices presented multiple challenges. To address these challenges, founder and host of eTown, Nick Forster, contracted Sam Berkow of SIA Acoustics to design the acoustics and the sound system for the multipurpose facility.
“Initially, I was leaning towards a different high-end speaker line, but Sam insisted I listen to the Alcons systems,” said Forster. “Sam worked with David Rahn, Alcons Audio’s North American Sales Manager, to arrange the demonstration. The clarity in the top end of the ProRibbon based systems was immediately apparent and for the kind of music we showcase here at eTown I knew it would do a fantastic job. “
The ultra-compact line array incorporates two 6.5” high performance woofers and the Alcons Audio RBN401, 4” pro-ribbon drivers. In addition, a stage monitor system and small café rig were designed with Alcons speakers. The stage monitor package includes 6 VR8 and 2 VR12 enclosures, both two-way systems incorporating 8 and 12 inch woofers respectively along with the 4 & 6 inch pro-ribbon HF devices. Powering the systems are the Alcons Audio ALC2st amplifiers and DDP internal digital signal processors.
“It’s amazing how many people comment about the sound,” Forster added. “They almost always say the same things: “it sounds so natural, I feel like I’m ‘inside’ the music, I’ve never heard anything like it.
Yes, a well-designed room and a great team of engineers help a lot, but those speakers are just what I was hoping they would be. The smooth top end is so well suited to acoustic instruments and the human voice – both spoken and sung. It’s a perfect complement to eTown Hall.
Karen Shaviv, eTown FOH engineer: “the Alcons LR14 pro-ribbon box has no problem providing the warmth one would expect out of a speaker enclosure twice the size. The real feat, however, is the buttery smoothness of the top end, even at higher SPL where other boxes tend to get “screechy.” This is especially important for Etown tapings which have a good deal of conversation, so vocal intelligibility is a huge plus.”
Also many of the visiting musicians have commented on the smooth, natural response of the Alcons monitors. Nick: “With the recently added VR monitors we’re able to let the musicians on stage share in that same technology, that same smooth high end. They are always amazed by the quality of the sound coming from such a small box. We couldn’t be happier with the Alcons system.”
For more information visit www.etown.org
