The Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) New York Culture Center has upgraded its sound system with a VUE Audiotechnik al-4 Compact Line Array System, specified by project consultants SIA Acoustics and installed by integrators Panavid.
The culture centre install, in Union Square, Manhattan features custom-painted white VUE al-4 speakers paired with VUE V4-i install versions of the V Series systems engines. A challenging aspect of the project was the multi-concave ceiling, which causes audio anomalies such as muffled sound in the rear of the facility.
“The al-4 system combines the unique accuracy and fidelity of VUE’s beryllium full range compression drivers with the dispersive control and low frequency impact of a line array system,” said Jeffrey Friedlander, senior consultant at SIA. “These qualities combined with the small form factor made the al-4 system an ideal match for the cultural centre’s programming, audience layout, physical geometry, and sensitivity to visual aesthetic.”
The VUE-developed compression drivers feature Materion Truextent beryllium technology that allows for a noticeable difference in HF extension and response linearity by moving the first break-up modes well above the audible range. In SGI’s unique space this resulted in more defined high frequencies at higher SPL levels and enabled the sound to reach the back of the auditorium without any loss of clarity.
Friedlander added: “Intelligibility of spoken word and sibilant clarity are paramount for the system’s day-to-day use. The al-4 system outperforms many solutions that sit at significantly higher price points.”
“Due to size restrictions and audio demands, VUE Audiotechnik’s al-4s were the ideal selection for this venue,” commented Dennis Mitchell, client relations executive, Panavid.
“Panavid did a fantastic job with the installation and room tuning the VUE system,” said Robert Miller, sound engineer for the SGI-USA New York Culture Center. “We do many different events at SGI, such as Artists for Peace concerts, Culture of Peace Distinguished Speaker lectures or a World Peace Prayer meeting, where we might have 300-plus people chanting. The sound is always clear and consistent everywhere in the room.”
