HARMAN Professional Solutions’ AKG, JBL, Crown and dbx brands help power the live outdoor space

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Lippo Mall Kemang, located in Jakarta, is a new playground for style, taste and fun. Recently opened to cater to the working crowd and residences within the vicinity, the mall sets itself apart from its competitors with a live performance space called the “Avenue of Stars” arena.

The arena features entertainment seven days a week, offering different genres of music each night. The entertainment is also complemented by al fresco cafes and restaurants, located within the arena, to offer dining options for shoppers.

It was important that the sound system installed within the arena met certain criteria, such as, good sound coverage with no spill-over into other areas, powerful yet quality audio that brought out the vocals of the entertainers in a positive way and the ability to sound great no matter what type of music genre is being played.

Working together with the Lippo Mall designers and technical team, HARMAN’s Indonesia partner, CSA Indonesia, was able to understand the requirements and then design and provide the sound system, centered on HARMAN solutions, that best met all their criteria.

The live entertainment system features JBL’s Vertec speakers that ensure frequency response is enhanced for a variety of audio needs. The main sound reinforcement system is comprised of JBL VT4887A compact 3-way line array elements, complemented by JBL’s VT4881A single 18” subwoofers. This combination delivers high-quality, full-range sound appropriate for both musical and speech applications.

Complementing the main PA set-up is the JBL SRX828 SP 18” Dual Self-Powered Subwoofer system that offers full user configurable DSP, and with the incorporation of the V5 JBL Tunings, provides compatibility with the Vertec system. JBL’s Vertec system offers highly advanced performance in a reduced system size with easy set-up.

JBL PRX712 and JBL PRX715 speakers were also added for their versatility. They can be used as front of house main PA if needed, but for this configuration, are used as floor monitors for the performers.  The speakers are driven by Crown MA5000i power amplifiers that feature patented, cutting-edge Class-I circuitry that gets more power out of an amplifier with higher efficiency.

Working in tandem with the sound reinforcement system is the AKG WMS470 wireless microphone system, which ensures intelligible and pristine vocals. The microphones can operate up to 14 hours with just one AA-size lithium battery due to revolutionary power management. Providing all the processing, flexibility and control of the systems is the DriveRack dbx4800.

The PA system has helped the mall gain compliments from musicians and shoppers who have experienced the live performances in the arena.

“We have had a great experience with the HARMAN set-up. Our artists and performers are very happy and comfortable with the system and the whole musical experience it provides to the audience,” said Deni, the mall’s Operational Manager.

“We are privileged to provide a total system that not only meets the needs of the Lippo Mall, but also enhances the experience of the customers as well. The installation is an example of how our different solutions all work harmoniously together and offer a dependable, robust and most importantly, high-quality system. We are thrilled that HARMAN was able to meet the mall’s high expectations, as well as keep in line with the requirements of the performers, and thereby enhance customer experiences in the Avenue of Stars at Lippo Mall,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC.

Products Used

JBL VT4881A
JBL VT4887A
JBL SRX828 SP
JBL VT4887-AF
JBL PRX712
JBL PRX715
AKG WMS470 Vocal Set D5
Crown MA50001
DBX4800

Luxurious convention center equips five ballrooms and lobby with JBL Professional, dbx, Soundcraft and Martin solutions to deliver a premium guest experience 

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam—Opened in November 2016, the Capella Gallery Hall is an upscale convention center in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Featuring striking modern architecture and gorgeous interior design, the multifunctional space hosts a wide variety of events, ranging from luxurious weddings and private parties to international business conferences and industry conventions.

To ensure a world-class guest experience in each of its five large ballrooms and main lobby, the Capella Gallery Hall hired systems integrator Ba Sao Investment to implement a complete HARMAN AV solution consisting of JBL speakers, Soundcraft mixing consoles, a dbx speaker management system and a Martin lighting rig.

“Since opening less than a year ago, we have quickly gained a reputation as one of the finest event spaces in the city, hosting very important conferences for local and international businesses alike,” said Quang Dat Vu, Technical Manager, Capella Gallery Hall. “In order to maintain a standard of excellence across all aspects of our events, I trust HARMAN products to deliver superior audio quality and reliable operation.

“Each of our grand ballrooms are outfitted with JBL Control 24CT ceiling speakers and dbx DriveRack VENU360 speaker management systems, which provide excellent clarity and perfect coverage,” he said. “JBL EON 600 series speakers and subwoofers provide high-impact sound reinforcement when our events feature professional entertainment, and Soundcraft Signature Series consoles ensure the mix is top notch.”

In addition to the HARMAN audio equipment, the Capella Gallery Hall installed Martin RUSH lighting fixtures in the Capella Gallery Hall’s grand ballrooms to enhance their elegant beauty and provide an engaging visual experience for guests. The Martin RUSH Multibeam 2 is a versatile fixture, providing powerful mid-air effects with its ten individually controlled long-throw beams. With fifteen gobos and seven colors, the compact and energy-efficient Martin RUSH Wizard delivers a large variety of dance-floor looks. The Martin M-Touch enables easy DMX control of the Martin RUSH lighting fixtures, allowing the staff to easily design unique looks to suit each event’s needs.

“The Capella Gallery Hall is a unique space that has been carefully planned to provide an exceptional guest experience,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN Professional Solutions, Asia Pacific. “We are privileged to have our products utilized by the Capella Gallery Hall and we are very happy to help the Capella Gallery Hall surpass their guests’ expectations.”

Products Used

JBL EON 600 Series Speakers
JBL Control 24CT Ceiling Speakers
JBL CS Series Mixer/Amplifiers
Soundcraft Signature Series Consoles
dbx DriveRack VENU360 Speaker Management Systems
Martin RUSH Multi Beam 2 Lighting Fixtures
Martin RUSH Wizard Lighting Fixtures
Martin RUSH SM850 Fog Machines
Martin M-Touch DMX Controller

E2I Design installs an end-to-end HARMAN audio solution to create a seamless, user-friendly sound system with exceptional versatility and control  

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas—E2I Design recently installed a complete audio solution by HARMAN Professional Solutions at Wonders Bar & Grill, a newly opened pub, restaurant, sports bar and live music venue in downtown Corpus Christi. Owners Dayyan and Darren Wonders hired David Rotter, a Systems Integrator at E2I Design, to create a user-friendly system that would enable them to play a wide range of audio sources and manage volume levels in different areas of the bar. After careful consideration, E2I selected a complete HARMAN audio solution made up of dbx controllers, Crown amplification and JBL speakers for their seamless integration, intuitive operation and exceptional sound quality.

“The owners wanted a state-of-the-art audio system that was very user-friendly, with auto-switching capabilities and independent volume control for different zones in the bar,” said Rotter. “By partnering with HARMAN, we were able to cover all of our bases for the system—including controllers, amplification and speakers—all from one integrated provider. All of the solutions work together seamlessly, and the HARMAN team was extremely helpful in making sure that the system we created met all of the customer’s needs.”

The system E2I Design installed at Wonders Bar & Grill includes a dbx ZonePRO 1260m digital zone processor, 4 dbx ZC2 wall-mounted zone controllers, 1 dbx ZC3 wall-mounted zone controller, 1 Crown DCi 4|600 power amplifier, 8 JBL AWC82 loudspeakers and 1 JBL SRX828SP dual self-powered subwoofer system.

Using the ZonePRO processor, E2I Design created four separate audio zones within the bar, including a stage area, a general hangout area, an indoor patio and the actual bar itself. All of the zones play the same audio source and have their own volume controller, which allows the staff to set different volume levels within the same room and enhance the overall experience for customers. For example, the music can be turned up very loud in the back of the room near the pool tables, and set much lower in front of the bar so patrons can easily order drinks and have conversations without shouting over the music. The AWC82 speakers are also highly directional, and E2I installed them to point away from the bar to make the area even quieter.

The system is programmed to automatically switch between multiple audio sources, which can be prioritized using selector switches for different events at the bar. The TV can be set to override the music from the jukebox during a big football game, or a live DJ can override the TV and jukebox during a performance. Finally, the system is designed to sleep until there’s an input source, so there’s no need for the staff to worry about powering the system on or off.

“I’ve had three other bars with sound systems, but I wanted to do something different for this one,” said Dayyan Wonders, owner of Wonders Bar & Grill. “In a lot of bars, it gets so loud that the bartenders can’t hear what the customers are ordering. With the HARMAN system, everyone at the bar can hear what’s going on and customers sitting at tables can actually have conversations. And with auto switching, we don’t have to worry about customers trying to play the jukebox when the rest of the crowd wants to hear the game. This my favorite system I’ve ever had—I couldn’t be any happier.”

E2I Design hired audio engineer Mike Pena to fine-tune the system and ensure that the audio sounds great anywhere in the room. Using the ZonePRO, Pena was able to program limiters, volume levels and EQ settings for each separate zone and audio source. The seamless integration between the HARMAN solutions made the entire tuning process fast and easy, and the resulting sound quality speaks for itself. 

“I work with a lot of HARMAN products in touring sound systems, and I got that same level of clarity and detail from this system,” said Pena. “The ZonePRO has the tools we needed to ensure that the system could adapt and deliver amazing sound quality with all of the different audio sources in the bar—from a country song on the jukebox to a basketball game on TV. We were able to get the system sounding great in all of the different sections and zones, and do it quickly. It was almost three-dimensional sounding with the way it was designed and how well the HARMAN solutions interact with each other.”

Lexicon, dbx and JBL enable front of house engineer, Rob McWhorter, to stay in step with the dancer and electronic music star

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—Virtuoso electronic violinist, YouTube phenomenon and New York Times Best Selling author, Lindsey Stirling recently commenced her latest North American tour with Lexicon, dbx and JBL Professional audio brands bolstering her inimitable sound and elaborate production style.                                                                                                 

During her live show, Stirling twists and twirls alongside four dancers while switching between four violins. “The fact that Lindsey can play as stably as she does while she’s moving is amazing, but working on Lindsey’s violins can still be complicated,” said Rob McWhorter, front of house engineer for Stirling. “A violin is an acoustically based instrument but, with the band’s EDM, dubstep, electronic and pop dance style influences, we have a lot of volume. We can’t keep a live mic in check with Lindsey and instead need to run all of her violins direct.”

 “Always having a direct signal means there’s a lot you need to do to make the sound as big and natural as possible,” McWhorter said. “ One of the key elements of Lindsey’s violin sound is reverb, and on this tour, I have a pair of Lexicon PCM 96s to help give me the biggest, most spacious and ambient reverb as possible, so I can run them very wet and still sound natural.” McWhorter further deploys the Lexicon PCM 96s for Sterling’s vocals and the drum kit.

Rounding out Stirling’s violin sound, McWhorter uses two dbx 676 Tube Microphone Preamp Channel Strips. “I have slightly different settings for each violin—various combinations of reverb, EQ, compression and different pre-amps—and two of the four instruments rely on dbx processing,” he said.

Having worked with Stirling since her debut tour four years ago, McWhorter also serves as her production manager and uses JBL speakers for onstage monitoring. “All of our monitors are JBL, and we’ve been using them since day one. In the four years that we’ve had them, I’ve never had to replace a driver. We use a drum sub, wedges at the keyboard position and side fills for the dancers. That way, if any of their IEMs go out, I know they’ll still be able to hear the mix. The JBLs are solid and never let me down.”

Stirling catapulted into the limelight as an acclaimed violinist and performer with her self-released and produced music videos on YouTube, which have garnered more than 1.4 billion views and more than 8 million subscribers. With her unique blend of Celtic folk, classical, dubstep and dance, her debut and sophomore releases have both topped the Billboard Album charts and, to date, her tours have sold more than 500,000 headline tickets worldwide. Lindsey’s highly anticipated third studio album, “Brave Enough,” will be released on August 19 through her own imprint, Lindseystomp Records.

JBL, Crown and dbx deliver premium sound quality and powerful zone control for the upscale Novotel New Plymouth Hobson

NEW PLYMOUTH, New Zealand—The choice of a HARMAN Professional Solutions integrated system­—featuring JBL loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and dbx signal processing—­is proving to be the perfect match for the stylish, 4.5-star Novotel New Plymouth Hobson hotel in New Zealand’s Taranaki region. The hotel required an elegant audio system to provide premium sound quality, coverage and control of its many areas. Local integrator TSH Audio & Video worked closely with Jands, the New Zealand HARMAN Distributor, on the audio design of the project.

TSH Audio & Video (formerly Taranaki Sound Hire) has been installing innovative AV systems and supplying technical hire services to the Taranaki community for more than 40 years. Established in 1988, Jands is a specialized distributor of world-leading audio brands in New Zealand.

The hotel’s distributed sound system is controlled with a dbx by HARMAN ZonePRO 1261m digital zone processor. The ZonePRO family of fixed architecture audio processors offers a high-quality, cost-effective solution for commercial audio applications. The system is managed by several ZonePRO Ethernet controllers throughout the venue.

“ZonePRO is a rock solid platform and is really easy to program,” said Daniel Evans, Senior Technician at TSH Audio & Video. “Working with the ethernet controllers makes it so easy to install and manage.” 

An array of JBL loudspeakers was selected for this installation, including the new JBL Control 31 loudspeakers installed in the conference room. Part of the JBL Control Contractor Series, they feature extremely smooth frequency response and extended bandwidth for high quality sound. JBL Control 24CT-M ceiling loudspeakers with wide 150-degree coverage were installed throughout the venue for background music, including inside the gymnasium. In addition, JBL Control 25T loudspeakers were installed to provide music for the outdoor deck/dining area.

The audio system at Novotel New Plymouth Hobson is powered by Crown DCi 2|300 and Crown DCi 4|300 multichannel amplifiers. Crown DCi high-performance amplifiers are designed, engineered and manufactured with the highest quality standards and provide system integrators with a versatile, compact and highly energy-efficient amplifier.

“TSH was very pleased to be involved with the construction of this iconic New Plymouth project and to be working with Jands to specify a high quality audio system,” said Evans. “Jands provided us with quick turnaround on design changes and the HARMAN vast toolbox of products came in handy when we had to come in under budget."