EAW loudspeakers provide the audio backbone of the Melrose Ballroom in Astoria, New York – a high-end entertainment venue that opened in March to rave reviews.
The owners of the 8,000sqft event, concert and performance venue felt the cultural district needed a space equipped to handle everything from small private parties to rock and roll concerts. With three floors and a capacity of 1,200, the Melrose more than fits the bill. The owners contacted Audio Spectrum, located in Boston, to design and install a new sound reinforcement system.
“The Ballroom’s main live performance area boasts a powerful line array system made up of EAW KF Series enclosures,” explained Rafael Jaimes, president of Audio Spectrum. “The elegant DJ lounge on the upper floor features EAW Avalon loudspeakers to entertain prestigious clients. The loudspeakers fill the spaces effortlessly and produce flawless audio.”
The main room features two left-right hangs of KF740 line arrays – each consisting of six three-way enclosures – hung to the left and right of the stage.
The compact KF740 provides excellent pattern control via 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 result is full, even sound in the spacious two-storey room.
Five EAW VFR89i two-way, full range loudspeakers make up a delay system that provides side and rear fill – mostly for the back of the room and portions of the mezzanine seating area. The 90º x 50º coverage pattern blankets the area. Jamies notes that the VFR89i loudspeakers “match perfectly with the KF740s to produce even, consistent sound throughout the entire performance space.”
A centre-flown cardioid subwoofer cluster of four EAW SB2001s provides the driving low end that dance music demands. The compact, high-output dual 21in cone driver subwoofer is a powerful workhorse that has greater impact, power handling and output than many larger subs. Its small footprint made it ideal to hang in the mid-sized venue.
“The original design for the ballroom’s main performance area did not call for a line array,” Jaimes said. “But the fact that bands now demand such configurations, combined with my hands-on experience with EAW KF Series line arrays, convinced me this was the system they were looking for.
“As a result, we proposed the new system based on the KF740 enclosures. Between its weight and sound output (141dB SPL) it makes a remarkably efficient and compact line array. Its mid-range throw reaches way into the back of the hall.”
Audio Spectrum also provided an Avid VENUE SC48 at front of house and Lab.gruppen amplifiers to power the system. EAW Focused processing is delivered via two UX8800 DSP also located at FOH.
Upstairs, the rooftop Lounge boasts plenty of low-end and mid-range punch, compliments of Avalon by EAW loudspeakers. Three CLUB.four loudspeakers joined by two CLUB.three models are arranged to cover all areas of the indoor/outdoor space. Both of these full-range models feature coaxial designs, with each CLUB.four also housing a 12in woofer and each CLUB.three sporting a 15in woofer, both enhanced by tuned spacing designs.
Even more LF response is delivered by dual Avalon SUB.two subwoofers with a unique hybrid design – two 12in on a bent bass horn and single 21in vented – to deliver both extreme extension and the massive physical impact.
“The Avalon speakers in the Lounge are exactly what that space needs,” said Jaimes. “Those boxes produce excellent coverage for club-style events and their sound clarity and bass are outstanding.”
