Fully restored in 1992, the Warner took on yet another incarnation and became an esteemed live performance venue. The new sound system delivers the power and clarity of Outline technology to support the venue's expanded entertainment roster.
Taking its name from Harry Warner, one half of Hollywood's famed Warner Brothers, the Warner Theatre is now a preeminent D.C. Metro showcase, and home to the annual BET Awards. Its lofty stage has been graced with performers from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, ZZ Top, and Paul Simon - who accepted the first ever Gershwin Prize awarded for a popular song - beneath its magnificent proscenium in 2007. Today this regal palace boasts a new world-class sound reinforcement system from Outline that will further enhance its significance as a prominent and renowned venue for top acts in the entertainment industry.
"The sonic performance is stellar, and the narrow profile of the arrays minimizes impact on both lines of sight and frontal lighting needed for theatrical purposes," says Ishai Ratz, house sound engineer. "The Outline Butterfly delivers all the performance we need, and then some, but does not overpower the theater visually. That was an important consideration when it came to choosing the right PA for this venue."
Two left/right hanging arrays of 14 Butterfly speakers along with two CDL1815 Cardioid Subwoofers comprise the front of house system. This system is complemented by eight arc-delayed Outline LAB15SP self-powered subwoofers mounted beneath the stage delivering uniform and coherent low frequency coverage. Six Outline self-powered steerable MiniCOMP.A.S.S. speaker systems, with their unique variable horizontal control, provide the front and stage lip fills.
Tom Bensen, Sr. vice president and managing director of Outline North America was on hand to commission the system when it was first installed in mid-January of this year, just prior to Inauguration Day. "At the onset of celebrating our 40th Anniversary in 2013, I am pleased to have such an important and respected institution as the Warner Theatre join the Outline family," says Bensen. "As a venue managed by industry leader Live Nation, the quality and calibre of performers that will come through this acclaimed theatre will provide the ideal, mutually advantageous platform whereby the artist, the venue, and Outline will each benefit greatly from the experience."
(Jim Evans)
