1 SOUND loudspeakers powered the audio for the New York Public Library’s Library Lions Gala, an intimate event for 540 attendees that featured an unannounced performance by Bruce Springsteen, one of the honourees at the event celebrating literary and cultural icons.
L&M Sound & Light provided audio and lighting design and production across most of the event, held in the Library’s historic Rose Main Reading Room. The company also designed the exterior lighting and created two distinct looks for Astor Hall – an elegant cocktail reception followed by an after-party transformation.
The Rose Main Reading Room spans approximately 297ft with 52ft ceilings, presenting demanding acoustics and architectural characteristics. L&M’s audio system is designed to meet these challenges whilst maintaining the space’s visual elegance.
Four 1 SOUND Tower Systems were placed at the front of the stage as the mains, providing coverage for speeches and live performances, including Springsteen’s surprise set. Each Tower System included three Tower LCC44 loudspeakers and a CSUB610 subwoofer, deployed horizontally in omni mode, taking up 11in of floor space for the ground stacks.
The company says the Towers’ controlled directivity with a wide dispersion pattern and narrow throw of 5° off the top of the loudspeaker is designed to ensure clear, balanced audio without reflections bouncing off the vaulted ceiling. Their active cardioid cancellation is designed to maintain clarity for both spoken word and live music, whilst minimising sound spill onto the stage.
For delay coverage, three Contour CT28 loudspeakers per side provided full range, medium-far throw coverage for consistent sound across the full length of the Reading Room. The system is designed to deliver consistent coverage and clarity across the space.
For Springsteen’s performance, L&M used four 1 SOUND CM38 Cardioid Concert Monitors. Measuring 8in tall with a maximum SPL of 130 dB and a three-way crossover, the wedges are designed to be low-profile whilst delivering detailed audio.
Before launching into the iconic ‘Thunder Road’, Springsteen acknowledged that whilst he has played at fireman’s fairs, weddings, and bar mitzvahs, this was a career first for performing at a library.
The CM38’s linear passive cardioid behaviour is designed to provide an 8 dB reduction behind the monitor, the company says, preventing excess stage spill and maintaining clarity for the first rows of seated guests.
