Multifaceted audio company 3G Productions provided the sound system design and installation for the new “Prism” show by hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez that opened the new 850-seat theater at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Winners of the first season of America’s First Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez has appeared in commercials for Pepsi and Gatorade and performed on several television shows. The dynamic eight-man dance crew also toured with New Kids on the Block and Jesse McCartney.
Because a Jabbawockeez performance is so visually intense by nature, providing audio for “Prism” presented special challenges from the outset. “Given the nature of a dance entertainment show and the need to have the full stage clear and viewable for the audience, we couldn’t have any front fills or subs on stage or in front of stage where they would normally go,” explains 3G marketing director Keith Conrad.
3G applied a unique, problem-solving approach in deploying a system headed up by d&b audiotechnik components, including 12 Q-Subs, 6 V12s a side and eight E8s for the 5.1 surround.
“The client wanted the most SPL possible, but we had to put the subs underneath the stage in a very limited area,” Conrad notes. “The Q subs fit perfectly and were easily able to meet the SPL output requirements for the show. Without the ability to have front fills on stage or blocking any portion of the stage, we had to get creative with the arrays. The V12s are rigged at a 15-degree angle on the bottom of array to cover the front seats, and the horizontal dispersion of 120 degrees allows for the coverage of a fairly wide room with only six boxes a side.
“The client also wanted a surround sound system but didn’t have points or places to hang the boxes in the rear of theater,” he continues. “The d&b E8 was a perfect enclosure for coverage and size, could be mounted directly to the wall and be out of the way, but still provide necessary SPLs for the show.”
Jabbawockeez production manager Fabian Herrera states, “We had some unique challenges with the theater based on the exaggerated width of the room and the need to keep the stage clear for the dancers. We brought in 3G Productions based on their strong reputation as a service-focused provider and extensive high-end inventory in the Vegas market. They designed a top of the line d&b audiotechnik V-series with Q sub system that blew us away, both in terms of SPL output and coverage and the ability to see the show without any obstructions.”