The 218-seat performance theatre for Palm Beach (Florida) Dramaworks has undergone a sonic upgrade headed by a variety of new K-array loudspeakers and subwoofers.
Despite the fact that there was already an in-house sound system that was intact and functioning, the owners recognized its shortcomings and — as audiences continued to grow —realized that a high-grade, professional-quality sound reinforcement solution was needed to keep pace with the ever-increasing quality of their productions.
Matt Kelly of West Palm Beach-based Rebekah’s Dreams Entertainment & Production Services handled the installation and product specification of the space — which includes unusual architectural details such as a very high proscenium opening. “I immediately thought of K-array for a loudspeaker solution, since I had seen their products while visiting Sennheiser USA at InfoComm,” he says. “I knew that K-array could deliver professional-grade sound reinforcement and at a very reasonable price.”
Working closely with Sennheiser’s Andrew Kornstein, Kelly arranged an on-site demo of the K-array KR402 system, which impressed Palm Beach Dramaworks’ team. “For the first time, they heard the room as it was meant to be,” Kelly recalls. “They were also very impressed with the aesthetics and minimal footprint of the loudspeakers.” Once the decision was made he consulted with Sennheiser’s Eric Reese on the system design
Kelly ultimately chose a K-array KR402 system (with four KP102 line array elements) and four KAN200 flexible array element loudspeakers, which were placed across the front of the stage. The KP102 array elements were small enough to mount to the side of the proscenium without diminishing the visual appeal of its fine architectural details.
“They didn’t want the speakers to be visually obtrusive and wanted to keep the stage readily accessible,” Kelly explains. “We knew that the sound system had to come closer to ear level though, and KP102’s slim profile allowed that to happen.”
Using K-array’s K-WALL2 mounting brackets, Kelly affixed a pair of KP102s to the proscenium on each side approximately six feet above the stage. The system’s two 21-inch KMT21 powered subwoofers, also the power source for the KP102s, were hidden behind architectural details on either side of the stage to deliver smooth and articulate low end.
The four Anakonda KAN200 elements, which were placed at the edge of the stage facing the audience, improved intelligibility for the orchestra seats closest to the stage. “These are some of the prime seats in the house, yet they were lacking intelligible audio before we installed the K-array system.” Kelly says. “The Anakondas provided a nice fill without overpowering the other speakers.” A K-array KA40 power amplifier was selected to ensure efficient operation of the KAN200s.
Palm Beach Dramaworks audio engineer Richard Szczublewski, who assisted by tuning the system following installation, was impressed with the overall audio quality: “The K-array system delivered a significant improvement in both clarity and intelligibility,” he says. “Now the theater has great sound quality, coverage and frequency response.”