Broadway Music Redesigns Star Plaza Theatre's Sound With JBL VERTEC Line Arrays

With a diverse event schedule featuring appearances by major touring artists, Merrillville, Indiana's Star Plaza Theatre recently turned to Broadway Music to upgrade its sound system with Harman's JBL VERTEC line arrays. Star Plaza Theatre decided to make the investment after repeatedly renting loudspeaker systems to accommodate the needs of larger productions in its 3,400 -seat venue.

Brian Wynn, of Merrillville-based Broadway Music, used his expertise, 25-year relationship with the theatre, and personal experience with JBL on this project. The main PA system features left-right arrays of eight VERTEC VT4888DP-DA midsize powered line array elements each, with a center array of three VRX932LAP powered Constant Curvature loudspeakers. VT4880ADP-DA powered full-size arrayable subwoofers are hung three per side above the stage.

With a full schedule that also includes theatrical and orchestral productions, it was important to keep the subwoofers off the stage so they would not affect performances. Utilizing the self-powered speakers also pleased the engineers at the Star Plaza Theatre, as there was no need for additional amplifiers behind the stage.

"We've seen plenty of systems go in and out of the Star Plaza Theatre and we ended up at a point where there was no reason for the Theatre to continue renting or dealing with acts hauling their own VERTEC in, leaving the in-house system cold," said Wynn. "Some of these bands already have saved settings for VERTEC so it's almost a plug-and-play situation when they begin their setup and sound checks."

"I could not believe that one of the best sounding venues in the world could sound even better," said Mark Bishop, general manager, Star Plaza Theatre. "The JBL VERTEC line arrays enhance the acoustically acclaimed Star Plaza Theatre to a whole new sound level. The folks at JBL and our friends at Broadway Music were a pleasure to work with throughout this project. The entire staff at Star Plaza Theatre is grateful, and I'm sure our audiences will appreciate the system for years to come."

"The system sounds excellent," Wynn concluded. "We have great coverage, even with the extremely high ceilings. There is definitely a significant difference in the performances and it is a positive one with JBL."