Performing Arts Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall Goes Digital With Two HARMAN Soundcraft Vi6™ Digital Consoles

scraft_basshall.jpgFORT WORTH, Texas — As the owner and operator of Bass Performance Hall, Performing Arts Fort Worth (a not-for-profit organization) in Texas has upgraded the venue's sound system with two HARMAN Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles. For shows that utilize house consoles, including concerts, family programs and other performances during the season, the company now has one Vi6 at the front of house position inside Bass Performance Hall and the other for monitoring, while also being able to transport the desks to two satellite performance spaces within the complex.

Opening its doors in May 1998, Bass Performance Hall has been one of the most technologically advanced and highly respected performance spaces in the area. Looking to revamp the Hall's system from analog to digital to keep its reputation intact, Doug Kirk, Technical Director of Audio & Acoustics Systems for the Hall, tested the Vi6 in early 2011 and mixed four shows on it in a month's span. “The sound quality was great right out of the box, and that is our number-one concern with our performances,” Kirk says.

After a month with the Vi6, Kirk ordered two Vi6 consoles for the Hall. “Out of all our research and demos, the Soundcraft Vi6 was head and shoulders above every other digital console,” Kirk continues. “Its ease of operation is fantastic and its VistonicsTM interface is completely intuitive. It feels like you're working on an analog board, not a computer, which makes our in-house engineers and visiting FOH mixers happy.”

Installing the desk was no challenge to Kirk as the console was up and running in mere hours. With a capacity of 2,056, Performing Arts Fort Worth plans on expanding seating arrangements in Bass Performance Hall, as the footprint of the console space has dramatically been reduced. From the original 12x12-foot space where the analog console used to sit, the FOH space with the Vi6 is now 8x6 feet.

“We now have a greater selling point to bring big acts to Bass Hall when we say Soundcraft is our FOH console,” Kirk concludes. “We're staying state-of-the-art and on top of the industry trends. Not only do the larger-name bands and Broadway tours enjoy the console, but members of our local engineering union are extremely excited to get their hands on it and offer the community great sound.”

For more information on Bass Performance Hall and Performing Arts Fort Worth, please visit http://www.basshall.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.