Tuesday, April 14, 2009

IPR Services And JBL VERTEC® Powered Line Arrays Give Sound To The Stars At New Club Nokia In Los Angeles

Demonstrating the ease of installation and precision coverage of JBL VERTEC® line arrays, IPR Services of Hacienda Heights, California, recently completed the design and installation of the audio system at the new critically-acclaimed Club Nokia performance venue in Los Angeles.

Club Nokia is part of AEG’s $2.5 billion LA Live complex, located adjacent to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The venue was designed to showcase emerging music acts, established artists and cultural productions while also providing an appropriate function space for corporate events and private parties. Operated by Goldenvoice, AEG Live’s southern California-based regional division, Club Nokia opened on November 9, 2008, with Beck and Jenny Lewis performing for a capacity crowd of 2,300 people.

Since its opening, the venue has served a broad range of performing artists including Prince, Tom Jones, George Clinton and Primal Scream, while also serving as a late night, A-list after-party destination for nearby events like the recent grand opening of the GRAMMY® Museum at LA Live. Upcoming concert performers at Club Nokia include India.Arie, Third Day, Joss Stone and Ziggy Marley. “We needed a really versatile sound system in this room, able to handle everything from heavy metal bands to spoken-word engagements such as comedy acts and business events,” observed Jennie Perkins, Production Manager for Club Nokia. “It’s great to have a resource in place here that can accommodate our ongoing calendar of presented events.”

Given the architectural configuration of the performance space, IPR Principal Bob Patrick designed a line array system to meet the acoustic challenges of the venue. With a relatively shallow audience area, no music fan is far from the action on stage. “Club Nokia is an intimate room, but nonetheless it features a lower balcony, upper balcony and sloped floor seating,” Patrick said. “Because of this, we specifically configured different sections of the main arrays to effectively cover each of these seating areas.”

The primary installed sound reinforcement system features two columns in a left-right configuration, each containing 10 JBL VERTEC VT4888DP-AN midsize powered line array elements equipped with JBL DrivePack™ technology and JBL’s new V4 DSP presets. The speaker columns each include four VT4882DP-AN midsize arrayable subwoofers, integrated into the center of the full-range arrays to separate floor-coverage and balcony-coverage array elements. For added low-frequency impact, JBL ASB6128 2x18” subwoofers are hidden beneath the stage. Six VRX932LA constant-curvature compact array speakers provide under-balcony delay, with AM6212 speakers providing additional localized area coverage.

The decision to install VERTEC line arrays at Club Nokia was rooted in IPR Services’ successful experiences with VERTEC in other high-profile entertainment venues. “We have used VERTEC line arrays for a variety of installations in the past, including the larger Nokia Theatre right next door and the WaMu Theater at Qwest Event Center in Seattle,” Patrick added. “We have found the VERTEC speakers to be very lightweight, making them easier to install. They can also handle a lot of power with no sacrifice in clarity. They are the ideal line array for this venue.”

For more information on IPR Services, please visit www.iprservices.com

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