NEW YORK – The 77th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony drew tens of thousands who heard the ceremony through Outline Butterfly speakers driven by Powersoft amplifiers supplied by PRG, the production coordinators for the event.
"I chose the Butterfly system because we needed a line array that was compact in design and high powered," said PRG sound engineer Matt Bell. "We hung all of the systems from Genie lifts, so we were limited to how much weight we had available. The Butterfly system allowed us to hang the correct amount of cabinets to cover the space. We were all very impressed with the coherence and intelligibility at 70 meters for such a small array. The frequency response was very flat and stable which allowed me good SPL levels without interfering with the broadcast mix."
"We were presented with the difficult situation of delivering sound to hard-to-reach places," added Bob Rendon, vice president, audio for PRG, Mount Vernon, N.Y. "The Powersoft amplifiers supplied us with more than adequate wattage despite very long cable runs. Everyone attending the event was treated to a crystal clear audio reproduction of the show to go along with the large video screens showing the event."
The 2009 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony, co-hosted by Jane Krakowski of TV's 30 Rock and Zachary Levi of TV's Chuck, featured performances by Michael Buble, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow, The Roots, Shakira and the Radio City Rockettes. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Jerry Speyer, CEO of Tishman Speyer, flipped the switch on 30,000 lights adorning the 75-foot Norway spruce.
To accomplish the coverage of Rockefeller Center, PRG hung a number of speaker clusters in various locations, including 16 Outline Butterfly speakers from scaffolding over the stages and from stands placed out into the audience. To adequately drive the speakers, PRG employed eight Powersoft K6 series amplifiers that delivered the power necessary to fill the entire space with loud, clear music. Because Powersoft amplifiers easily handle long cable runs, PRG could use non-powered speakers.
"Powersoft amplifiers are designed to be highly efficient and gives us the option to use passive speakers," says Matt Bell, lead technician for Production Resource Group. "Powersoft amplifiers significantly reduce the disadvantages of long cable runs and deliver ample power with an extraordinary damping factor for an extremely tight bass response. If we had to supply the many satellite towers with AC, the job would have been overwhelmingly difficult and, indeed, dangerous with such a large crowd. Powersoft was the only amplifier that is designed to handle this unique situation."
For more information, please visit www.powersoftaudio.com and www.outline.it.
