The Comedy Mothership, a new venue on 6th street in downtown Austin, TX, is outfitted with a sound reinforcement system utilizing RCF HDL Series loudspeakers and subwoofers in a project by integration firm Event Tech AV (based in Ft. Collins, CO) working with GC Pro.
“With all its unique challenges the priority was comedy, and for the audio system itself, it had to be vocal clarity.” says Bruce Gilson, owner of Event Tech AV. “Like many performance venues, much consideration is taken over sight lines and the overall aesthetic in the room. The architect wanted the speakers to be as high as possible. The main stage curves out and the speakers are about six inches behind the main comic mic. We had to find an elegant solution that had excellent control and volume before feedback.”
Key team members involved with the product include Gilson, who worked with account manager Sean Robertson and sound designer Mike Trimble of GC Pro as well as AVI design engineer Brock Stamper. They agreed that the HDL Series was the best option to accomplish the goals for the system.
“We were able to achieve perfect coverage and angles for the speakers,” continues Gilson. “The ease of connecting line array modules to one another made it easy to hang once the fly bar was in position. The HDL 6-A cabinet design is so lightweight it can be a one-person job.
“The ownership of the Comedy Mothership was blown away when they heard the [HDL] system for the first time. It is stunning how full the HDL 36-A subs fill the room and have perfect clarity through the entire spectrum,” he concludes. “When the comics are standing on stage, they are shocked by how well they can hear themselves through the main PA. We do offer stage monitors but most often they are unnecessary.”
