CHARLOTTE, NC – The Knight Theater, a 1,200-seat venue for the North Carolina Dance Theater, the Charlotte Symphony and various music, comedy and touring productions, has been outfitted with a sound system that includes Renkus-Heinz's PNX102LA line arrays plus center clusters of STX4-Series loudspeakers.
The Knight Theater is part of the recently-completed Wells Fargo Cultural Campus that also houses the 55-story Duke Energy Center, the Mint Museum and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
Robert Delaney of Raleigh-based Strategic Connections cited the diverse roster of performances as one reason for choosing the Renkus-Heinz systems.
"The Knight Theater is a very well designed space, with diffusers that can be rearranged to adapt its acoustics to different types of program material," he said. "To make the most of this flexibility, you want to start with a sound system that's as flat as possible. Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers are exceptionally flat and uncolored, right out of the box."
The main system includes two hangs of 12 PNX102LA line arrays, flown just left and right of the proscenium. The arrays are augmented by a center cluster of four STX4/44 boxes, with a single TRX62H cabinet for near-field coverage of the front rows. Another cluster of three STX4/44 cabinets provides additional delayed coverage to the balcony seating.
Renkus-Heinz engineers provided the loudspeaker pre-emphasis parameters for the system's digital signal processing technology, and the system was commissioned by Jim Brawley of Clemson, S.C.-based James S. Brawley and Associates.
As Brawley noted, commissioning the system is an important, and often overlooked aspect of system design.
"One of the most significant benefits of the Renkus-Heinz PNX line array and the STx fill arrays is the ability to provide focused coverage and accurate imaging to the entire audience. Tuning and commissioning the system can make a critical difference in focusing the sound where it needs to be. Ultimately it can make or break the system's performance."
The system is powered by Lab.gruppen CS-series amplification, with DSP handled by BSS London processors. A 48-channel Yamaha M7CL console covers front of house duties, with a selection of wireless mics from Shure and Sennheiser.
"The PNX102 line array is just an excellent product, particularly for larger halls like this," said Delaney.
Overseen by the acclaimed Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, recent shows at the Knight have included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Moody Blues, and the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour.
For more information, please visit www.renkus-heinz.com .
