Chicago Church gets update with FBT

Jamie Villarie On September 16, 2018 / MUSE, Press, Press Release, subwoofer

When First Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church in North Chicago wanted to take their sound system from analog to digital, they had plenty of brands to choose from. After extensive research and guidance from their advisor, Tim Hill, owner of Sound Hill Technologies, they chose FBT. Derrick Moore, the church’s deacon and drummer, says it all came down to the brand’s ability to provide rich sound that supports the wide variety of speakers and performers that the house of worship features weekly – from passionate speeches of a single pastor to the sounds of a full gospel choir.

Hill, who has been in the business since the 70s, has been on both sides of the microphone, holding both vocal and engineering degrees, and being a minister himself.

“I’ve directed music and productions at my own church,” said Hill. “Houses of worship need great sound for their pastors and full choirs, but there are also children’s choirs and plays and everything in between. I recommended FBT as a brand because they have a high-priced sound at a mid-range price so, dollar-for-dollar, you can’t beat their affordability. They also offer a quality of voicing that’s pretty tough to beat. This all allows me to provide my clients with an exceptional product at a competitive price.”

The church had some challenges that Hill and his team had to contend with, including the fact that the space – located on the second floor of an existing building – had a 30-foot ceiling. There was no way to get a lift up the stairs, so he used scaffolding to install the required electrical support and all of the flyware (custom-made by Hill himself) from the beams.

To maximize sound in the 1,200-seat church, Hill installed 3 powered line arrays, left, center and right side of the pulpit, each consisting of one Muse 118FSA sub and 4 Muse 210LAV cells. He also used 2 Ventis 112As for choir foldback.

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

John Krupa On July 4, 2018 / MUSE, Press, Press Release

At the 49 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this year, an FBT sound system took center stage with Propaganda Group, a New Orleans-based AV company charged with designing and managing the sound at the Kids’ Stage. Chris Scott, the company’s front of house engineer at the event, raved about the rig throughout the seven-day outdoor event – along with the featured performers.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has grown since its humble but significant beginnings in the 70’s. Today, the massive festival draws over 400,000 visitors for a two-week long celebration of music that spans over thirteen main stages and several smaller venues. Music includes every genre, from jazz, blues, Americana, blue grass, Cajun, zydeco, and roots rock, to African and Latin. There’s even a family-friendly “Kids’ Stage” that supports everything from puppet shows and storytellers to full bands and orchestras.

Joe Triola of Metro Joe’s Marketing, who has collaborated with the sound and backline companies that work with the Festival since 1993) was responsible for suggesting FBT at one of the nation’s most iconic annual celebrations. According to Triola, “the Kid’s Stage has grown just as much as the festival and, with such diversity, I knew it would be the best test to hear just how good FBT is. It passed with flying colors!”

“Back in the old days the kid’s stage was just a PA on a stick and the most difficult thing was micing a mime, “ he added, laughing. “This year we used a full FBT line array with over 40 different microphones and wireless. Many groups that started playing there have moved up to the big stages and the sound quality reflects this; it’s grown dramatically.”

FBT install at Grace Bible Church in La Vernia Texas

On July 2, 2018 / Press, Press Release, Subline, Ventis

When Grace Bible Church in La Vernia Texas planned a complex renovation that took two years to complete, Jack Saenz, Installation Manager of BP Lighting, Sound and Video (BP), was brought in by Rock River Media to design a sound system that would fit within their budget but exceed their expectations. Saenz suggested a rig made up entirely of FBT equipment – and says everyone is thrilled with the results.

The new church layout was beautiful, but not without its challenges. High ceilings were an advantage toward the front of the church, but an area toward the back threatened to cause a great deal of bounce that could disrupt even dispersion, and the ceiling where the main PA needed to be hung lacked structural support.

After reinforcing the ceiling structure, Saenz and his team tackled the sound system. To get even coverage throughout the room, they flew Muse 210A’s (five on each side) and then strategically placed four Subline 218 SA’s, spread out evenly under the stage. For front fills, Saenz used four Ventis 206A’s and, for wing fills and rear delays, they used Ventis 112A’s (one for each side of the church and a stereo pair in the back). Read more →

Technologies for Worship line array roundup coverage featuring Muse210LAV

On June 19, 2018 / Press

The Muse210LAV precision coverage vertical active line array was featured in the newest issue of Technologies for Worship magazine.
You can find the online edition here.

Sapphire NYC gets sound overhaul

On May 25, 2018 / MUSE, Press, Subline, Ventis

The Sapphire Club, one of New York City’s premier adult entertainment venues, is known for its high-end atmosphere and upscale amenities. Now, thanks to an FBT system designed by KPODJ, it’s also getting noticed for its superior sound quality. Since Sapphire is a 10,000 square-foot venue that regularly hosts celebrity DJs, that’s big news.

When Tom Capo, manager and co-owner of KPODJ, was initially asked to design a sound system for the club, he knew he needed something to complement its sophisticated atmosphere. FBT was his first choice.

“Sapphire caters to a crowd that has great taste and likes the finer things,” says Capo. “FBT as a brand is just outstanding. While their prior system was loud, with the new FBT system, now it’s powerful – and that’s because, as loud as it can get, it never loses its richness and clarity.”

Despite the main room of the club being one large space, zones were needed so that sound could be adjusted as the flexible seating in the room changes. A low ceiling also had to be considered when configuring the system.

“When someone is on stage, we needed the ability to focus the sound toward the front of the room and keep the back and lounge seating areas a bit quieter,” says Capo. “But when they remove the seating to create their nightclub setting for larger events, we needed to provide them with a way to disperse the sound equally throughout the room.”

Capo met the challenge by installing three powered Muse 210LAs on each side of the stage; two Subline 218sa’s; a single-cabinet, passive Mitus 118S; and eight Ventis 206 speakers to round out the room. To control the zones, a digital matrix mixer was special ordered from Italy – FBT’s DMM8008 – that allows for multiple inputs and outputs, with separate line controls for each of the outputs. Capo was thrilled with the results.

KPODJ, which was established in 2002 as a mobile DJ company, has now grown to include a storefront, warehouse and installation business that covers everything from sound and lighting equipment to trussing and scrims. As top distributors of some product lines, they’re also well-accustomed to dealing with premium items that stand head-and-shoulders above their competition – one of the reasons he says he prefers to deal with Italian Speaker Imports / FBT-USA, the exclusive distributor of FBT.

“My company has worked with lots of brands over the years. There are definitely more expensive speakers out there, but I don’t typically see the value for their price,” Capo adds. “When people are looking for high-end sound, we usually recommend FBT.”

ProShow Sound, LLC uses FBT

John Krupa On March 19, 2018 / Line Array, MUSE, Press, Press Release

ProShow Sound, LLC uses FBT at Case Western Reserve Fundraiser

Annually, Case Western Reserve Medical School students produce and perform musical spoofs and parodies about their profession in a fundraiser that helps the underserved population of Greater Cleveland to gain access to health services. This year, ProShow Sound and FBT supplied stellar sound to the event.

BY LMDESANTO
PUBLISHED: MARCH 19, 2018

When Case Western Reserve Medical School approached Keith Steele, President of ProShow Sound, LLC, to supply a sound system for their annual fundraiser, Steele was happy to offer his expertise. The event production veteran with over 30 years of experience chose FBT for the job, and was thrilled with the results.

Doc Opera is an annual fundraiser and variety show that’s written, directed and performed by Case Western’s medical students each year, to raise funds that help the underserved population of the Greater Cleveland area to gain access to quality health services. The performances, which range from skits to musical performances, are all parodies and spoofs on the medical school and community. Because the theater was built in the 1920s and the full orchestra spanned the full length of the proscenium, Steele had a few challenges to consider when designing the system.

“The theater is a really nice space but, because it was built in the early 1900s it was designed to reverberate,” said Steele. “The room had no fly points and, because the ceiling was so high and the orchestra spanned the full length of the proscenium, we decided to put four 210 Muse LAVs on each side of the stage their carts, and aim them just where we needed them so there wouldn’t be a bad seat in the house.”

Minutes before the show, everything changed when ticket sales exceeded expectations. The balcony (initially closed) was suddenly opened for seating, and Steele and his crew handled the change, just in the nick of time.

“There are so many moving parts to our business, so many things that can change at the last minute, that you just have to be prepared to roll with those changes and adjust your plans accordingly,” said Steele. “We’d already set the rig up for optimal coverage to the back row of the lower level. I got on the radio and had two of my techs get up in front of the curtain and drop the back of the top box on the cart 5 degrees. We had to point and shoot at that point, but the sound FBT Muse offers and the ease of rigging makes quick changes really easy to deal with.”

Years of experience also help. Steele and his company have been providing audio/visual services since 1988, and have worked with such notable artists as the Original Wailers, Mickey Hart, Parliament Funkadelic, bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley and G.E. Smith, among others. He has also worked with CBSN as live broadcast engineer for the RNC and is the audio provider for Cleveland Pride festival (the second largest in Ohio) which features nationally recognized artists’ performances. But big names aren’t what have earned Steele and his company their outstanding reputation; if you ask him, he’ll say that that came from treating his clients the way they want to, and should be, treated. ProShow has recently become the manufacturer of all IP65 power connections for the FBT Muse line arrays.

Steele explained why he chooses FBT and Italian Speaker Imports, the brand’s sole U.S. distributor.

“John Krupa and his staff at Italian Speaker Imports are really dedicated to their clients, to customer service and everything that goes along with it. As for FBT, when you’re a small or medium-sized company, you have to maximize your return on investment or you’re going to be out of business. Their speakers are in the middle in terms of price range, but offer performance rivaling more expensive boutique brands. Other brands in that range just don’t offer the same high quality sound. The Italians have been making loudspeakers since the advent of radio. You hear that in FBT products, every time you use them.”

FOH Online: “Tim Rushlow Brings FBT to Nashville Palace”

On February 7, 2018 / MUSE, Press

Tim Rushlow recently completed a residency at Nashville Palace with audio support from FBT to accommodate his 20-piece big band experience. Despite the challenges presented by the 600-seat space, including hard surfaces and various obstructions, Rushlow’s manager and show co-producer, Clif Doyal, credited FBT as a good complement for the band’s big sound.

“The sound was incredible,” said Doyal. “The clarity, the true voicing, the highs and lows the system captured and the throw and disbursement amazed me – and that’s really unusual for speakers in that price range.”

Read the full story at FOH Online

Tim Rushlow Selects FBT For Nashville Palace Residency

On February 7, 2018 / MUSE, Press

Former frontman for Little Texas brings his 20-piece big band experience to Tennessee with M– USE 210LAV arrays, HiMaxx40a side fills, and Subline 218sa subs.

Tim Rushlow has sold 11 million records, won CMA and ACM awards, has three Grammy nominations and has been on eight world tours, so he’s earned the right to be

discriminating when it comes to the equipment he uses. The former voice and frontman for the well-known country group Little Texas recently came off of an eight-week residency at the Nashville Palace in Nashville, Tennessee.

To support the many sound requirements of his new act, a 20-piece big band experience reminiscent of a Las Vegas Rat Pack concert, he decided to use FBT. Despite the challenges presented by the space, Rushlow’s manager and show co-producer, Clif Doyal, said the brand was just what they needed to complement the big band’s big sound.

Read the full story at Pro Sound Web

Italian Speaker Imports Finds New Home

On January 18, 2018 / Press Release

Italian Speaker Imports (I.S.I. / FBT USA) announced its move to a new location in Bedford Hills, N.Y. this week. The larger facility brings all of its administrative offices and inventory together under one roof, solidifying an even stronger customer experience than the company had already developed a reputation for. I.S.I. is the exclusive distributor of FBT, JTS and Bespeco, and is a partner with APE Labs.

John Krupa, President and owner of I.S.I., mentioned consolidation and productivity as the drivers behind the move into their new 3,000 square-foot space. Growth was cited as the catalyst behind it all.

“With our sales growing every day, we needed a larger space to not just house our inventory, but also to ensure that we could have a bird’s eye view of that inventory, at a moment’s notice, on our own,” said Krupa. “Our administrative offices and warehouses were previously situated in completely different locations. While we’re maintaining one warehouse in New Jersey for some larger products, most of our inventory is now in one convenient space, located right off of a major highway, on an industrial road which allows for larger and more frequent truck shipments and deliveries. Ultimately, all of this means we’re able to give our clients even faster answers – and results – when they need our products and assistance.”

I.S.I. was established in 2014, and has been growing, annually. Office Manager, Amber Miller credits the company’s commitment to distributing quality, Italian-made products and Krupa’s unusual commitment to personalized customer service as the reason. Clients seem to agree.

“When we’re talking about competitors in our market,” said Mike Brown, President and CEO of M & M Productions USA, “I tell people all the time: Anybody can go buy audio visual equipment and do a show for you. The difference between one company and another is the people ‘in’ that company, and the customer service they’ll provide to you. M&M Productions is all about quality and service. We love dealing with everyone at Italian Speaker Imports because they have the same philosophy we do. John Krupa, the owner, has an incredible reputation in our industry and when you work with him you see why pretty fast. The ongoing level of personal attention and the desire to make sure you have everything you need for an event to be successful is pretty amazing. You’re dealing with an outstanding Italian product, but because you have someone so dedicated here in the states, everything runs that much more smoothly. FBT, John and his company have just blown us away compared to other big name brands we’ve used prior to this. You can have the best speaker product in the world, but you’ve got to have the people to sell it, support it and stand by the product – At Italian Speaker Imports, they do.”

For more information, please contact:
LisaMarie DeSanto 845. 674. 2927 or [email protected]

Yearly archive for 2018