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Charlotte, NC | March, 2010 – Charlotte’s Knight Theater has been outfitted with a state-of-the-art sound system that includes Renkus-Heinz’s PNX102LA line arrays, along with center clusters of STX4-Series loudspeakers.
Part of the newly-completed Wells Fargo Cultural Campus that also houses the 55-story Duke Energy Center, the Mint Museum and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the 1200-seat Knight Theater is home to the North Carolina Dance Theater, the Charlotte Symphony, and a wide variety of music, comedy and touring productions.
The diverse roster of performances was one reason for the selection of the Renkus-Heinz systems, says Project Manager Robert Delaney of Raleigh-based Strategic Connections.
“The Knight Theater is a very well designed space, with diffusers that can be rearranged to adapt its acoustics to different types of program material,” he explains.
“To make the most of this flexibility, you want to start with a sound system that’s as flat as possible. Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers are exceptionally flat and uncolored, right out of the box.”
The main system is comprised of two hangs of twelve PNX102LA line arrays, flown just left and right of the proscenium. The arrays are augmented by a center cluster of four STX4/44 boxes, with a single TRX62H cabinet for near-field coverage of the front rows. Another cluster of three STX4/44 cabinets provides additional delayed coverage to the balcony seating.
Renkus-Heinz engineers provided the loudspeaker preemphasis parameters for the system’s digital signal processing technology, and the system was commissioned by Jim Brawley of Clemson, SC-based James S. Brawley and Associates. As Brawley explains, commissioning the system is an important, and often overlooked aspect of system design.
“One of the most significant benefits of the Renkus-Heinz PNX line array and the STX fill arrays is the ability to provide focused coverage and accurate imaging to the entire audience. Tuning and commissioning the system can make a critical difference in focusing the sound where it needs to be. Ultimately it can make or break the system’s performance.”
The system is powered by Lab Gruppen CS-series amplification, with DSP handled by BSS London processors. A 48-channel Yamaha M7CL console covers front of house duties, with a selection of wireless mics from Shure and Sennheiser.
“The PNX102 line array is just an excellent product, particularly for larger halls like this,” says Delaney.
Overseen by the acclaimed Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, recent shows at the Knight have included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Moody Blues, and the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour.