Illinois State University’s Braden Auditorium has recently received an upgrade with a new compact but flexible sound reinforcement system featuring EAW KF740 line arrays.
”We had been utilising an older system that was designed and installed in 1981,” explained Chuck Fudge, technical director of Bone Student Center, where the auditorium is located. “Frankly, I’d been lobbying for a new system since I came back as technical director in 2005. The old one had served us well but the venue was long overdue for an upgrade.
“With the budget determining the scope of the project, a medium format line array was the obvious solution. I did some research and talked with other professionals in the industry and narrowed it down to a few manufacturers that had product that met my criteria.”
After demos from the shortlisted systems, Fudge determined that the EAW KF740 line array provided the most full-featured solution adding “the dollar value of the KF740 was great it behaved like a larger, full format system with a smaller footprint it fit our needs and budget perfectly.”
With some assistance from EAW’s ASG team and utilising EAW Resolution software, Fudge specified left-right line arrays eight KF740 per side with a centre cluster of four SB1001 subwoofers in a cardioid configuration for additional low end. The arrays and subwoofer cluster are hung high, to keep lines of sight clean and to stay out of the way when other systems are deployed.
The high output, three-way KF740 features dual 62mm voice coil HF compression drivers and dual 8in Concentric Summation Array (CSA) loaded MF transducers integrated through a common horn that occupies the entire face of the enclosure. The KF740 offers outstanding pattern control extended down to 160Hz. The pair of LF devices integrated within the MF/HF horn combined with the pair of side-mounted devices provide as much as 18dB of off-axis rejection. A UX8800 DPS delivers focused processing that precisely transitions from one system subsection to another while maintaining 90° control.
“Having the QX loudspeakers as a secondary system allows us to turn the upper balcony on and off as needed,” said Fudge. “And it works as fill for roadshows as well. They can tie into the system and not have to worry about their system reaching the second balcony and the intelligibility on those boxes is truly amazing so those seats are getting the same clarity as anywhere else in the auditorium.”
The QX364 has an efficient and high compression driver with a 60 x 45° constant directivity horn. Four Phase Aligned 10in low frequency transducers arranged as vertical and horizontal pairs leverage beneficial interaction based on their spacing to extend pattern control and provide clarity. Because the four low frequency transducers surround the high compression driver symmetrically in the horizontal and vertical planes, response across the full frequency spectrum appears to originate from a single point in space.
“We have had positive reviews from audience members, the technical team and the performers. I couldn’t be more delighted with the results,” concluded Fudge.
