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 the new design headed by new JBL Professional VerTec line arrays.
Theatre staff decided to make the investment after repeatedly needing to rent loudspeaker systems to accommodate the needs of larger productions in the 3,400-seat venue.
The main system includes 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,” says Brian Wynn of Broadway Music, which is also based in Merrillville. “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,” adds 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.”
