JBL by Harman VerTec line arrays were once again selected to perform at the 88th Annual Academy Awards. The live ceremony was held in Hollywood to recognise the excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences in 2015. For the event, Valencia, California-based audio system provider ATK Audiotek deployed the sound reinforcement system, which was designed by Pat Baltzell of Baltzell Audio Design.
One of the biggest nights in entertainment, the 88th Annual Academy Awards was broadcast live on ABC and watched by more than 33 million viewers. Hosted by Chris Rock, the evening’s highlights included Spotlight winning Best Picture, Leonardo DiCaprio earning his first Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in The Revenant and Brie Larson winning hers for Actress in a Leading Role for her outstanding work in Room.
The main sound system included 30 JBL VerTec 4889 line array elements, suspended in two arrays of 15 enclosures each, and 12 VerTec 4880A subwoofers, suspended in two arrays of six subwoofers each. The system also featured six JBL MS28 loudspeakers, which were temporarily installed for under-balcony area coverage. A total of 140 JBL Control 25T surface-mount loudspeakers were temporarily installed under audience seats in the VIP seating area. Four ultra-compact JBL AC15 two-way loudspeakers were used for the Academy Governors’ boxes.
“The VerTec series has provided reliable performance for the Academy Awards for several years now,” said Pat Baltzell, Baltzell Audio Design. “JBL’s technology delivers consistent, high-quality sound, time and time again. With a production of this magnitude, I know I can rely on the system to perform exactly as expected, so I can focus on other areas of the event with confidence.”
“We’re fortunate to work on several big-name events throughout the year, and for each of those events, we use our A-team and the best system,” said Mikael Stewart, VP of Special Events, ATK Audiotek. “A VerTec system allows for a fast, reliable install. It delivers highly advanced and consistent performance at show time. We know that when the design uses JBL VerTec, our clients are happy with the results.”
