HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Harman Pro Group was selected to provide components for a brand new PA system for the 1,000-seat auditorium at Hollywood High School, which has earned a far-reaching reputation for its progressive and prolific drama program. The sound system was designed and installed by Richard Ralke, president of L.A. Sound Company in Canoga Park and features JBL Professional VerTec line array loudspeakers, Crown I-Tech amplifiers and a Soundcraft Vi4 mixing console.
The system comprises 14 JBL VerTec VT4887A compact line array elements with four JBL VerTec VT4881A arrayable subwoofers. The system includes a Soundcraft Vi4 mixing console, and amplification is provided by eight Crown ITech 4000s for the line arrays, one Crown ITech 8000 for the subs, four Crown XTI 4000 for stage monitors and one Crown CDI 1000 for dressing room and backstage. The audio package reflects the standard equipment riders of touring concert acts like Bruce Springsteen, Blue Man Group, Gwen Stefani, Nine Inch Nails, Toby Keith, Neil Diamond, Lenny Kravitz, Rascal Flatts, Josh Groban, Seal, Eric Clapton, and many others whose rental system suppliers take to the road with similar gear.
“L.A. Sound Company is providing the students, staff and audiences of Hollywood High School with a world-class system,” noted Michael MacDonald, Harman Pro Group executive vice president of Marketing and Sales. “Now, when students step onto the stage at Hollywood High, they’re entering the same technology environment they would experience in the world’s best-sounding and most prestigious venues. We’re proud of our association with Richard Relke and L.A. Sound Company and the unique academy of performance that is Hollywood High.”
Hollywood High’s Musical Theatre and Vocal Department is led by staff teacher Stormy Sacks. “Our student body is drawn from a broad ethnic mix, and our productions incorporate a wide spectrum of styles,” observed Sacks. “The sound system that we needed to acquire had to accommodate, with crystal-clear clarity, all styles of vocal and instrumental music as well as the spoken word. We have just begun to use our new Harman Pro Group system, and it is proving to be versatile and high-performing with an extraordinary dynamic range. It has transformed the experience for both the performers and the audience; and, I know that in years to come we will recognize that this sound system was vital to the growth of our Performing Arts Center. It is already helping us to build a larger audience – one that can finally experience and enjoy the superior level of performance by the students at ‘world-famous’ Hollywood High.”
L.A. Sound Company, founded in 1971 by Richard Ralke, has evolved from being a regional tour company into a full service corporate and concert system provider, system designer, integrator and pro audio retailer. The company has become a fixture on the Hollywood scene and has earned a reputation for excellent sound coupled with personalized service. Locally, L.A. Sound Company is supported by Harman Pro Group sales representative Dave Kaiser of Sound Marketing West.
“This school auditorium is a central a part of Hollywood folklore,” Ralke said today. “Legends have been born here and it’s appropriate that our own local hero, the Harman Pro Group, also joins these icons and soon-to-be icons on the stage at this remarkable high school.”
The alumni rolls from Hollywood High School reads like a Who’s Who of movie history. Former students include screen legends like Mickey Rooney, James Garner, Judy Garland, Keith and Robert Carradine, Sara Jessica Parker, Lana Turner, John Huston, John Ritter and Laurence Fishburne. The school is located between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard and is a fixture in a Hollywood landscape that includes other iconic Harman Pro Group installations including Mann’s Chinese Theater, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Kodak Theater, the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), The Directors Guild Of America (DGA) and the Alfred Hitchcock Theater. In addition to its star-studded alumni, the school has also hosted concerts for The Byrds, Elvis Costello and the Stone Roses among others.
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For more information, please visit www.lasoundco.com and www.harman.com
