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| Fillmore’s main loudspeaker system includes two columns of eight JBL VERTEC VT4888DPDA powered midsize line array |
When Live Nation opened the newest Fillmore venue in Silver Spring, Maryland, the company knew it had to have a sound system worthy of the Fillmore’s storied history and to meet this requirement, the Fillmore Silver Spring boasts a cutting-edge audio system that includes HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line arrays, Crown Audio amplifiers and two Soundcraft mixing consoles.
The 28,000-square-foot, 2,000-capacity Fillmore Silver Spring was built as a collaborative effort between the State of Maryland, Montgomery County and Live Nation. The state and the county put up the money and Live Nation leases the facility from both on a long-term basis.
Sound Image of Escondido, California was contracted for the audio system design. The Fillmore’s main loudspeaker system includes two columns of eight JBL VERTEC VT4888DPDA powered midsize line array elements flown left and right of the stage, complemented by eight ASB7128 subwoofers across the bottom front of the stage, four VRX915M stage monitors and 10 SRX712M monitors.
The delay system consists of pairs of JBL AC28/26 loudspeakers for upper balcony fill, VIP areas at the sides of the stage, under balcony fill and for the rear bar are. Amplification is supplied by 14 Crown XTi 6000 amplifiers and HARMAN’s HiQnet System Architect™ software is used for system monitoring JBL DrivePack enclosures and Crown power amplifiers. Completed the system, a pair of Soundcraft Vi6 96-input digital live sound consoles handle front of house and monitor mixing duties.
“First and foremost, the new PA system needed to sound amazing,” said Dan Schartoff, VP of Production for Live Nation. “We needed a system that would be adaptable for all types of events and live performances by the likes of Deadmau5, Guns N’ Roses, Mary J. Blige, Kid Rock, Trey Anastasio, Childish Gambino…the list goes on and on.”
Schartoff noted the many criteria that must be met to achieve that amazing sound. “We needed clarity from the audio system,” he said. “The system needed to pack a punch and have the ability to be a blank canvas for visiting engineers while also being rider-friendly.”
The two Soundcraft Vi6 consoles at the Fillmore Silver Spring also provide tremendous benefits, Schartoff noted. “We have Soundcraft consoles in many of our venues and they give the engineers a chance to store their show settings on a drive. They can make changes offline or have them ready to go when they arrive at the venue,” he said. “They sound great and enable users to eliminate most of their outboard gear.”
“HARMAN and JBL have been great to work with,” Schartoff concluded. “Their service and support, and availability to provide solutions has been excellent. I was a bit hesitant to go with VERTEC and the Vi6 consoles at first, but they have exceeded our expectations.”
