Kaeuper Hall, a 167-seat auditorium in the Perkinson Music Center at Millikin University in Decatur, IL, has been equipped with a new sound reinforcement system utilizing Martin Audio TORUS constant curvature loudspeakers — the first enclosures in the series to be deployed in white — in a project by integration firm Advanced Audio & Lighting Systems of Peoria, IL.
It’s the hall’s first-ever permanently installed sound system despite its multipurpose usage. “There was no PA in there previously, they had just been using speakers on sticks, since forever, yet it runs pretty much the whole gamut of performance,” says designer Graeme Brown of Advanced Audio & Lighting Systems. Events at the venue range from lectures to individual recitals and opera rehearsals to guest performances and concerts.
Brown’s primary concern was not so much the boutique size of the room as the fact that the superstructure was largely wood-framed concrete, and there’s never been a permanent cable run. His initial direction had been to specify WPM line arrays (from the Wavefront Performance series), but recognizing the room was too small for a line array, he turned his attention to TORUS and its constant curvature design.
“TORUS actually provided a much more even coverage pattern [due to its size], and thanks to the wood frame we could rig it hard and tight to the ceiling — in fact it was a super-clean install,” Brown explains.
To address a slight dead zone center in front of the stage, he added a Martin Audio CDD10 coaxial differential dispersion loudspeaker over the proscenium arch to cover the front rows. Low frequency extension was provided by single SX118 single 18-inch subwoofers mounted on each side behind each TORUS array, which are comprised of a pair of the T1230 loudspeakers (12-inch, 30-degree fixed angle). The loudspeakers are powered by iKON iK42 and iK81 multichannel amplifiers.
The company carried out modeling in EASE with assistance from Martin Audio’s Joe Lima, who says, “We made good use of the asymmetrical horn flares,” adding that the adjustable horizontal pattern could be adjusted to 75 degrees via the Dynamic Horn Flare. “Essentially, what this means is the outside is all the way narrow and inside all the way wide on the adjustable horn flares.”
Brown reports, “The tuning experience was wonderful, really quick and simple, and one of the fastest system tunes I can remember doing. There were minimum EQ changes it immediately came alive. The system was very responsive, and extremely well behaved, as is the room itself.
“TORUS appears to be an extremely versatile system,” he concludes. “It’s the second one we’ve done but the first one I’ve done vertically. These boxes are certainly pretty magical for what they are, and the university is in love with the system.”
