Opened in 1942 as the first performance space in the US designed exclusively for dance, the Ted Shawn Theatre in Becket, Massachusetts, has recently been equipped with a full Martin Audio sound system.
Founded in 1931 by modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn on a historic 220-acre farm, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival is America’s longest-running international dance festival and welcomes thousands of global visitors each summer. Designed around Martin Audio’s Wavefront Precision WPM Series line arrays, the new system was specified and supplied by Audio Inc. ‘This is the first year we’ve taken on full production in the venue,’ says Stephan Wojtecki, Head of Audio at Audio Inc. ‘When Edward Tolve, our Operations Manager, and I did the walkthrough, as soon as we walked into the room, we knew – WPM, 100 per cent WPM.’
Audio Inc’s introduction to the Martin Audio Wavefront Precision line began with an installation project: ‘We had an installation at the time in a high school auditorium,’ Wojtecki recounts. ‘We realised WPM was an incredibly good-sounding product. After that job I immediately knew we had to do more with it.’
Subsequently, the company approached the local Martin Audio representative when seeking a versatile, scalable set-up for rental applications. ‘I approached Martha Callaghan when we were looking to invest in a small-format PA that could scale from small-to-mid-size rental events. After talking with Martha, we looked closer at WPM, which also led to a conversation about WPS, and we made a major purchase of both a couple of years ago.’
At this summer’s Ted Shawn Theatre deployment, the team performed a complete system redesign, modelling the space top-to-bottom using Martin Audio Display software. The system comprises six WPM cabinets per side, supplemented by a flown SXC115 cardioid subwoofer in each array. To address a challenging rear mezzanine – where the FOH mix position is located – Audio Inc deployed a pair of Martin Audio Torus T820 constant curvature arrays as delays, with FlexPoint FP6 cabinets as front fill. The system is powered by six Martin Audio iKon multichannel amplifiers running over a Dante network.
‘The system sounds so warm and musical, even at a distance,’ Wojtecki says. ‘That’s often the general description I get when people hear Wavefront Precision or most Martin Audio boxes for the first time. The venue has a clean-sounding, perfectly tailored array that – importantly for dance – is so discreet people hardly notice it is there.’
‘People are appreciating the upgrades in clarity and tone without it being overbearing,’ adds Christopher Marc, Jacob’s Pillow Audio Supervisor. ‘Our rigs in the past have relied on volume for “clarity”, thus eliminating any real dynamics in the room. This system has allowed us a huge improvement in clarity at any level.’
With the system design, Audio Inc was also able to solve long-standing coverage issues: ‘The top of the steeply-raked rear mezzanine is where they had the biggest coverage problems,’ Wojtecki explains. ‘The Torus T820s filled in very nicely in the software. When we did our final tuning, we watched the Smaart traces as we blended in the delays and they filled in the gaps perfectly. They are voiced so well with the WPM that the transition is seamless, and overall we have it down to a 3dB variation from front to back.’
Stage monitoring is designed to meet the high-energy demands of performers. Here, four CDD-Live 8 coaxial differential dispersion speakers per side are paired with SX212 subwoofers, alongside Martin Audio XE500 floor wedges for when ‘throw-and-go’ is required.
‘Everything blends together nicely and creates a highly uniform soundfield across both the audience and the stage,’ Wojtecki reports. ‘The rear-rejection of the WPM array is incredibly helpful for a proper dance monitor set-up. Because of that rejection, it feels like you have two separate systems – one for the stage and one for the audience – working together to create a linear field. Having proper coverage on stage that sounds voiced identically to what the audience hears out front was one of the biggest appeals.
‘All I had to do was time-align everything and apply a tiny bit of corrective EQ on the delays and front fills,’ Wojtecki continues. ‘If you measure the room correctly and input the exact data into the Display software, the results just work – especially in single-box resolution. Nine times out of ten, you don’t have to touch it.’
While the system design primarily stays consistent throughout the Festival, the WPM’s flexibility allows the team to adapt to specific rider demands. ‘The Akram Khan Company has a specific “mountain” scenic element on stage from which the sound needs to be localised,’ Wojtecki says. ‘We added an additional centre WPM array and delayed the entire PA back to that spot. We also supplemented the low-end with two additional SX118 subwoofers on each side for the immense soundtrack of the production.’
‘As Jacob’s Pillow grows as an organisation to facilitate and support all kinds of dance, this investment signifies a huge lift in support for that mission, and the idea that live sound and design is a significant part of dance,’ Marc notes. ‘Audio Inc has taken the time to truly invest in what we are trying to do. They have provided a huge support system to us by listening to our needs, responding to them, and making the appropriate recommendations.’
Hands-on with the system, engineer Mads Hamilton is also effusive in their praise: ‘I could not be happier with the system and the team that has worked alongside us to install it. All interactions I have had with Audio Inc. have prioritised the operation of our systems to their fullest capacity and the quality of audio for Jacob’s Pillow patrons. Stephan’s patience, kindness, and availability to our team has made my job as the engineer exponentially easier. I am looking forward to the remaining weeks of the Festival getting to play with this stunning system.’
‘We’ve built our Martin Audio inventory to the point where we have almost the full line now – CDD, FlexPoint, Torus and Wavefront Precision,’ says Stephan Wojtecki. ‘Our clients love the sound quality, the business just keeps growing, and Jacob’s Pillow is a true demonstration of this. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience to see the system and our team deliver so successfully for this world-renowned event.’
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