Eighth Day Sound (Highland Heights, OH) recently implemented a new sound reinforcement system headed by d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers at DeVos Performance Hall, a 2,400-seat auditorium in downtown Grand Rapids, MI that hosts hundreds of live performances annually, ranging from opera to ballet, rock, Broadway-style productions, spoken word, and most often, The Grand Rapids Symphony.
“For almost 20 years our venue has been using a very minimal, practically homemade sound system we were able to piece together. It wasn’t even in stereo, but it worked,” notes house audio engineer David “Dansir” McCullough, who settled in at DeVos Hall in 1998 after years on the road.
To help create and install a high-quality, purpose-built system, DeVos turned to the team at Eighth Day Sound. Director of installations Tom George explains, “The most important element in designing a comprehensive audio strategy is to understand each unique issue the venue faces. The hall at DeVos is a large space with shadow and coverage challenges under the balcony and mezzanine boxes.
“The overall acoustics are nice, but the bass is heavy; they cater to a number of diverse shows and require an aesthetically appropriate, almost invisible, set of loudspeakers that load in and out with ease,” he continues. “As all loudspeakers from d&b are similarly voiced and fit together naturally, we were able to draw from various series to provide a truly customized solution for the venue.”
The design does include a little bit of everything, drawing from the V-Series, both V8 and V12, for the left and right line array. T10 and Qi10 loudspeakers fill out the center cluster, all running from D12 amplifiers.
To help provide even coverage in the most difficult room locations, delays were implemented, using 12S-D as well as E6 loudspeakers. “With only a month to complete this project, Eighth Day Sound provided an elegant and creative design, providing a nice pallet of coverage for the space,” says Dave Thomas, d&b regional manager for the midwest.
Capable of breaking down into at least five different configurations, the new system is able to address several scenarios at once. McCullough is thrilled with the results, “It is a multi-purpose, multi-application design that is far beyond what we could have hoped for. There is not an inch of space that does not get clear, thorough sound.”
