The last make-over for the 84-year-old Independence Memorial Hall was in 1979, but, in recent years, audiences have been complaining that the sound system is either too loud or that they can't hear it. All the problems have now been solved with the installation of a NEXO GEO S8 tangent-array audio system, part of a design by MSM Systems, Inc., from Lawrence, Kansas.

The installation includes 26x NEXO GEO S8 main speakers and 2x CD18 SubBass powered by 10x Yamaha PC-1N amps. A Yamaha M7CL-48 digital console serves as FOH console.

In early November 2004, MSM president Kent Clasen took a brief for a better sound system that would work for small productions and graduations, as well as for plays, musicals and professional concerts. A high-quality system would be required if Independence Memorial Hall wanted to attract name acts and productions to perform there.

System designer Clasen focused on the client's desire for quality sound and the variety of productions the auditorium needed to support. The old loudspeaker system was installed in a soffit above the stage proscenium. After EASE (Enhanced Acoustic Simulators for Engineers) modeling the hall, Clasen confirmed that such a configuration couldn't provide even coverage of the hall.

"Based on the EASE model of the hall, we decided that NEXO arrays were our first choice to demo," says Clasen. Initially, Clasen's client expressed some concern that flown arrays left and right (13x speakers per side) would not be a good architectural match for the hall. Just 16 inches wide, the GEO S8 cabinets are really unobtrusive and the client was also very positive about their high-tech look.

Clasen used the NEXO GEO software to compare with his EASE model predictions and then decided on a final design: 24x S805s, 12x each side, hung in a stereo line array; 2x S830s, one on each side, for downfill, plus 2x NX242 TDcontrollers and 2x CD18 SubBass on custom castor boards.

"There are a number of small format line-arrays on the market," says Clasen, "but NEXO has the best sound quality I have found, and offers the most in adjustable horizontal dispersion. Some loudspeaker manufacturers seem to forget that we still need to consider the horizontal dispersion pattern when designing a sound system."

Installation took place over a six month period, including audio-video systems in hall meeting rooms and the civic center. Tuning and calibration took place over several days. "After much analysis with SMAART and several microphone locations," says Clasen, "we ended up aiming each array up 2 degrees and using only two filters on the total EQ. We had a plus/minus two decibels at mid frequencies in every one of the 2,000 seats. The S8 line array system is capable of 115dBc peaks at FOH, sixty feet from the stage."

The new sound system got its first real workout in late October at the city's Neewollah (Halloween spelled backwards) Celebration. Three musical productions of "Beauty and the Beast", two Queen Neelah pageant productions, and two country music productions featuring Roy Clark on the 28th kept Independence Hall full.

For further information:

Kent Clasen
MSM Systems Inc.