Outline GTO C-12 line source loudspeakers were recently installed by DSI Event Group as the key components in a new sound reinforcement system at Summit Music Hall in Denver.
The 1,100-seat venue, purchased by Soda Jerk Presents in 2010, regularly hosts performances by a diverse range of top musical arists, with the GTO C-12 arrays providing the necessary clarity and power without exceeding the flying-rig weight limits of the building’s ceiling.
“We had been shopping for a line array since we first acquired the building,” says Michael Barsch, owner of Soda Jerk Presents. “We looked at a lot of different brands, focusing on systems that could deliver the high-energy sound quality we needed yet stay within the amount of weight we could hang from our roof.
“The specs of the C-12 rivaled, if not exceeded, those of the other brands, and having heard the full-sized GTO rig in the past and implicitly trusting the recommendations of [DSI Event Group founder and audio engineer] Bret Dowlen, I had a good feeling about the C-12 system. We were not disappointed. This rig crushes! It delivers crystal-clear sound and tons of headroom.”
Barsch and company own and operate two other venues in the Denver area, The Black Sheep in Colorado Springs and the Marquis Theater in Denver proper, with each offering a seating capacity of approximately 500. The move into Summit Music Hall gave Soda Jerk Presents a next-step-up seating capacity for groups that have outgrown the smaller venues. Having the right sound system to support this strategy was imperative.
“While we are primarily a rock club, we program everything from punk and metal to hip hop, DJs and 1980s new-wave icons,” adds Barsch. “Our presentations are mainly national acts from all over the world. For the sound system to accommodate this range of musical styles and fill the main seating area and balcony, we went with seven GTO C-12s and one GTO DF down fill per side. When we did the initial testing of the entire system, we ran the C-12 system first, without the subwoofers, and we were all amazed by how full and rich the sound was. It was so good you could probably run a show without the subwoofers. This system is very clear, very precise, really punchy and very loud. The engineers who come in with the different groups love the sound.”
DSI Event Group took two days to complete the install, and it marks the first Outline C-12 application in the Rocky Mountain region. All of the amplifier racks and looms were set up off site to reduce the install time. In addition to the new system, and some fabrication that was needed on the roof from the engineering team for additional safety measures, the existing PA system was re-purposed as side fills.
“We looked into several options for Summit Music Hall and had to take in various considerations, such as the ceiling capacity and even the altitude in this area,” says Dowlen. “The Outline C-12s not only met the physical requirements for this space but also packs some serious punch, as they have the same sonic signature of the Outline GTOs but in a smaller form factor. This system is tremendous; it is far superior to anything I have ever heard except GTO senior, of course.”
