HUBBARD, OH – Sound engineer Nick Conti, owner of Hubbard, OH-based Tonetronix, is calling his FBT Muse 210LA line array his “go to” solution for various sound reinforcement gigs, crediting the speakers for versatility, clarity and power. Armonk, NY-based Italian Speaker Imports is providing Conti and other U.S.-based customers with the gear from Italy-based FBT.
More details from FBT (www.fbt.it) and Italian Speaker Imports/FBT USA (www.fbtusa.com):
When you’re a busy sound engineer who specializes in everything from weddings and concerts to nightclubs, versatility needs to be part of your repertoire. But since every event will have its own unique requirements, and every venue its own set of challenges, it might seem that a seasoned professional would need to buy boatloads of equipment to be ready for every possible scenario. Not according to Nick Conti. The sound engineer and owner of Tonetronix in Hubbard, Ohio says he’s found a way to be ready for just about any sound challenge with one strategic piece of equipment – the FBT MUSE 210LA line array. Conti says he’s streamlined his equipment, now planning on using the array as his ‘go to’ solution for all of his upcoming projects because of its proven versatility, clarity and power.
For the past 20 years, Tonetronix has been serving customers in major metro locations that include Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Throughout that time, Conti and his crew have tried a variety of sound equipment, but have often been disappointed. “We could just hear all of the pitfalls in those other brands,” he says. “We really needed a solution and wanted to upgrade to a pro line.”
The solution came with the FBT MUSE, which far exceeded their expectations. “The first time we took just one box out to a club,” says Conti, “it was obvious compared to the other brands we had been using; it just ate them hands down… It’s amazing how everything just jumped to life.”
Conti attributes the MUSE’s versatility and sound to several factors, among them FBT’s attention to its amplifier components. Saying the array delivers “robust power,” he also cites its high quality drivers and superior digital processing system as reasons why he chose the brand. “What we were going for was to get one box for all occasions,“ he explains. “We’re not really using the line array in the true sense of how it was intended to be used – instead of combining multiple units, we’re usually putting just one on each side of a room – but we can still adapt those single boxes to any of the various clubs we work in.”
Conti says his MUSE is solving a multitude of problems that are specific to small and mid-sized nightclubs, including the many bodies that are often packed into a small space. “When you have a lot of bodies that are closer to your speaker system,” he says, “there’s a lot of obstruction to the sound. Years ago, we used to have to build our own cabinets in a horizontal fashion, with the drivers and horns high above people’s heads so we wouldn’t lose the high-end of the mid-range. But with the FBT MUSE, it’s already a horizontal cabinet, so you get a modular, high mid-pack over people’s heads and, as people walk through the venue, you don’t have obstruction to the frequencies that would normally be blocked by those obstacles.” Mounted on risers that Conti has built himself, the sound veteran has found an efficient way to raise the 1’ high speakers above a given crowd.
Also topping the list of Conti’s reasons to use FBT are various structural issues. From odd spaces to metal ceilings, he says that the modules’ controlled patterns allow the sound to travel throughout a room without reflecting off of problem surfaces or causing frequency interaction. Even power constraints seem to be an advantage when it comes to old buildings and the MUSE’s power requirements. “There are a lot of other brands out there with low power consumption,” he says. “But you don’t get the same power out of them that you get with FBT. It’s a really efficient amplifier, and the sound stays very clean.”
Ultimately, Conti plans to use FBT products whenever possible in the future, because he’s thrilled with the way they are tackling every sound challenge he’s come up against. Looking forward to a busy calendar, he explains, “If you take most conventional line array boxes that are front loaded, their coverage and pattern control just aren’t going to be as good as the MUSE.“
