LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 1, 2001 Introduced in late 2000, the VERTEC™ VT4889 Line Array System from JBL Professional is already becoming a prime choice of sound companies and artists throughout the world. VERTEC has been used for tours, concerts, special events, political events, and outdoor festivals worldwide. Now concert theaters as well are starting to adopt VERTEC speakers as a new standard for clear, reliable sound with less weight and easier rigging. Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre and Houston's Aerial Theater at Bayou Place, venues owned and managed by Clear Channel Communications, are two of the early adopters.

"VERTEC was designed with very clear goals - clean sound and consistent coverage in a versatile, compact and lightweight package. When professionals hear the audio quality, they naturally think about the different types of applications VERTEC will work well for," stated David Scheirman, Tour Sound Director for JBL Professional. "Live music theaters such as the Wiltern and Aerial must have the best possible sound, but often have limited space due to proscenium stage openings. VERTEC allows them to meet and exceed both their audio and physical space requirements."
The 2,200 seat Wiltern Theatre art-deco music palace is Los Angeles' premier mid-sized indoor venue. In addition to being used for concerts, the Wiltern is often the site of concerts and other events produced for television. The new Wiltern sound system is based around two arrays of eight VT4889 speakers each. Due to the benefits of VERTEC's line array technology, upper balcony auxiliary speakers were deemed unnecessary. Cold Play, They Might Be Giants, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Live and contemporary Gospel Shows are among the acts that have recently performed through the Wiltern's VERTEC system.

The VERTEC speakers are augmented by eight JBL Custom Shop CSR-82L dual 18"subwoofers. Crown MA-5002 amplifiers power all speakers with signal processing from BSS models FDS366 for VERTEC and FDS324 for the subwoofers. JBL Marquis Series MS28's are in place for stage lip/front fill.

"The response from the acts and engineers to VERTEC has been great. Many acts have had their first VERTEC experience at the Wiltern and have gone on to add it to their riders after the performance," explained Reed Bartlett, Technical Director for the Wiltern. "VERTEC works very well for us. We get better coverage with a smaller footprint and improved sightlines compared to our previous system."

In October, 2001, the Aerial Theater at Bayou Place in Houston installed a Crown-powered VERTEC system. The uniquely designed theater holds 2,500 patrons, but can also be set up for cabaret and banquet style seating. Upcoming acts who will perform through the new system include 311, Tori Amos, Brian McKnight, Jerry Jeff Walker and Natalie Merchant as well as concerts already completed by the Kinks' Ray Davies, Boz Scaggs and the Houston Symphony.

"All of the sound engineers and acts love the VERTEC system. We've had everything from the BH Surfers to orchestral recitals and they all sound great," said Danny Wilde, director of operations. "It's a very potent PA system."

At the Aerial, seven VT4889 speakers are hung from each side of the stage with JBL SoundPower SP212-9 and JBL Custom Shop CSC2295 speakers for side and front fill. The speaker system also includes eight JBL Custom Shop CSR82L subwoofers. Signal processing is handled by a total of four dbx model 480 and 481 Driveracks.

"VERTEC is an excellent choice for theatres that provide live sound reinforcement," JBL's Scheirman points out. "The VERTEC system is scalable from smaller to larger productions, by adding more VT4889 cabinets and setting the box splay angles as calculated within the software application. We are gratified that these theaters are choosing VERTEC. The positive responses from system operators and venue staff alike are very heartening."

Headquartered in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world's leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of professional loudspeakers for recording and broadcast, musician, cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. JBL Professional is part of the Harman International network of professional and consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to the JBL Pro website at www.jblpro.com.

# # #