Clair Brothers Leisure World Demo Proves Real Power Can Come from Minimal Gear

	Leisure World Seal Beach 2,500-seat amphitheater

Welcome to Leisure World Seal Beach (LWSB) -- a nationally recognized southern California community for active seniors. An expanse covering 542 gorgeous acres, LWSB offers all the amenities of a small town in a resort-style setting for people fifty-five and up. A short freeway ride to Los Angeles and Orange County, LWSB boasts a nine-hole golf course, swimming facilities, fitness and exercise rooms, and six clubhouses. Think of this community as an oasis for seniors choosing to live a busy and satisfying life. An impressive highlight of LWSB is its 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheater, where the Clair Brothers kiTCurve12 loudspeaker system was recently installed by Tim Metzger of TMAV Consulting & Integration and Ben Frederick of Production Access Group.

Frederick explains, "Tim and I chose the kiTCurve12 because we had both heard them before and knew what they could do sonically for the size of box. Based on existing lifts at the venue, we had a set horizontal position that was quite wide, but after placing them in EASE Focus, we were pleasantly surprised at the even coverage and that we were able to both hit the front row and keep as much of the sound in the seats and not bleeding out to the surrounding community. This also removed our need for front fills or a center fill."

As one should expect, the community was quite happy with the sound of the Clair Brothers system. Says Frederick, "The typical events in the space are not loud rock concerts, so the goal was to create an impactful system that had ample volume, but more importantly clarity and musicality. The kiTCurve12 did that with flying colors and with very little additional tuning for the space." In fact, the community was so happy, they offered the Marshank Group the venue for a more encompassing speaker demo event featuring their award-winning C8 line arrays and 1AM and 1.5AM wedges. Confirms Paul Hugo, principal at Marshank Group, Clair Brothers west coast representative, "We loaded in a bunch more Clair Brothers gear for our demo, but it was nice to already have the kiTCurve12 system up and running. It made everything that much easier."

As the demo unfolded to smiles and head nodding, a theme to the Clair Brothers demo began to emerge. Hugo explains: "As we went on, I realized the demo was a real educational opportunity beyond the impressive sound of the speakers. It became as much about that as it was about proving how little gear it actually takes to achieve masterfully clear and powerful coverage in a venue of this size, when you have the right stuff!" The proof was in the demo, showing that the system for a 2,500-seat amphitheater like this one can be as minimal in scope as three kiTCurve12s over a double 18" sub per side, driven by three Powersoft amps -- minimal in scope but maximal in amazing sound. As Hugo describes it, "The sound of the kiTCurve12 system, paired with Clair Brothers CS218 subs, is clear and punchy and the coverage is even from side to side and front to back. On top of that, the original installation time was surprisingly short and the final cost fit within a pretty tight budget. Most importantly, the management team and staff at Leisure World are ecstatic." Adds Frederick, "Every time I'm at the venue, I get staff and guests coming up to me to comment on how impressive the system sounds, especially for its size."

For the demo portion beyond the installed system, to illustrate how to achieve even more power, a single hang, of eight Clair Brothers C8 line array cabinets, was used. "We could have easily covered the venue with just six C8s," says Hugo. Next up was a demonstration of the classic Clair Brothers 1AM and 1.5AM wedges. "Showing the 1AM and 1.5AM wedges to experienced sound guys is always fun," he continues. "They sound so good and are such a great value. Most of the people at the event thought the 1AM would best fit their needs but they also pointed out an affinity for the extra low-frequency energy, as well as the presence in the mid-range of the 1.5AM, especially when used as a drum wedge or for the artist that just wants more. From my experience in any venue large or intimate, indoor or outdoor, this is exactly what Clair Brothers systems always deliver, MORE!"