L-Acoustics installed a K3i sound system at Florida State University Ruby Diamond Concert Hall to address complex acoustic challenges in the historic venue. The compact, retractable system solves a decades-old issue by allowing loudspeakers to disappear into the stage acoustical shell when not needed.
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall has been the beating heart of Florida State University College of Music since 1911. Acting as Tallahassee primary performing arts venue, it seats 1,172 and hosts everything from full opera, touring artists, and ballet productions to graduation ceremonies, academic lectures, and classical concerts.
The theater is used for a lot of different types of productions, said Mike Shapiro, Head Audio Specialist at Ruby Diamond. We needed a top-tier, rider friendly system that would deliver powerful, impactful performances for our amplified shows, but that same system also had to have the ability to be raised through our reflective acoustic shell, out of the way, for acapella, classical acoustic, and other non-amplified shows. The L-Acoustics K3i checked every box.
Clark, an Atlanta-based integrator and L-Acoustics Certified Provider for installations, carried out the installation working from a system design modeled in L-Acoustics Soundvision software. The existing hoist motors were removed, serviced, and reoriented to accommodate the new system.
Our tolerances for getting the K3i to go up into the shell were tight, said Brian Morrison, business development manager at Clark. Our team did extensive analysis and measurement beforehand. In the end, we were able to position the PA for uniform coverage across the entire listening space and still get it to fit through the openings. The adjustability of the L-Acoustics boxes was critical to making that work.
The new system features left and right main hangs of 10 L-Acoustics K3i per side, with a center-fill hang of one A10 Wide over one A10 Focus. Three KS28 subs are stacked on the stage below each K3i array, with six coaxial X8 spread out across the stage lip for front-fill. On stage, 10 X15 HiQ wedges provide monitoring. LA7.16i amplified controllers drive the entire house rig, aside from the subs, which are LA12X-powered.
The system also features a Direct Out Prodigy MP for Milan-AVB distribution, paired with six LS10 AVB switches. This network allows the venue AVID S6L console to work from either the booth position or mid-house location.
If you are doing a graduation, they just stay in the booth in the back; for music, they use the mid-house position, Morrison said.
The retractable design gives lighting designers freedom they previously lacked. For operas, ballets, and classical performances on Ruby Diamond wide proscenium stage, lighting rigs need to cover the space from multiple angles. With the K3i raised and out of sight, that constraint disappears.
The system delivers exceptional coverage and outstanding sound quality throughout the venue, Shapiro said. The consistency from seat to seat is remarkable, ensuring every audience member hears the performance as it was intended, regardless of where they are seated.
For more information, visit l-acoustics.com.
