The company deployed an arsenal of JBL loudspeakers, including 24 JBL Vertec VT4889 full size line array elements, 24 VT4888 midsize line array elements, and eight VT4880 full size arrayable subwoofers. Fill speakers, delay arrays and secondary room systems included CBT Series column speakers, VRX932LA compact constant curvature array loudspeakers and JBL EON powered portable loudspeakers. Crown XTi, MAi and I-Tech amplifiers powered the sound rig. The system was configured with Harman HiQnet System Architect software for remote control and monitoring.
"The room is shaped like a triangle, which isn't ideal, but with the CBT speakers, we were able to angle them in a way that gave us more freedom with the main Vertec line arrays," said Ken Freeman, technical director of Meeting Services. "We used the directivity of the CBT speakers to our advantage. They're also extremely light so I didn't have to put in any extra rigging points. In the end, I saved more money on the CBT speakers than what I actually spent on the speakers themselves."
Founded in 1970, Comic-Con is the annual international preview event for all that is science fiction, fantasy and popular culture. Entertainment industry executives, producers, directors, writers, stars and their thousands of fans flock to California every summer to get a first glimpse of comics, movies, television shows and toys due out that year.
"The entire Comic-Con convention has a very loyal following, so the most important issue was to make sure the sound coming from the movies and stage was powerful, epic and most of all, entertaining," added Freeman. "Our JBL system has been so successful in Comic-Con's history, that producers and directors are actually cutting customised trailer mixes to sync with our solutions, offering the perfect sound to the audience.
"Comic-Con previews have a huge impact on the success or failure of the movie, so the expectation level for our systems is at 'can't fail. The intense, all-encompassing sound is what makes the difference between a family staying home to watch a movie online or actually going out of the house to see the newest release. This event is a chance to show off the depth of sound that cinema theaters offer."
(Jim Evans)
