Meyer Sound at the Lied Center of Kansas

Consistent audio quality is the rule at the Lied Center of Kansas, the principal performing arts venue for the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Whether attending a headliner concert in the 2,000-seat theatre, an evening of acoustic folk music in the new pavilion, or an outdoor social event on the adjoining terrace, patrons appreciate the superlative music and voice reproduction provided by Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers.

The newest addition of Meyer Sound equipment was installed in the facility's new education pavilion. A flexible open space hosting a broad range of events -- pre-and post-performance discussions, lectures, master classes, and intimate musical performances -- the roughly 200-person capacity pavilion presented an acoustical challenge to the system designer and integrator, Kent Clasen of Lawrence-based MSM Systems. He resolved the issue by implementing dual Meyer Sound UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers.

"The room is extremely live with hardwood floors and two glass walls," Clasen says. "Other wall and ceiling surfaces are set at angles, so mounting architectural columns -- our initial plan -- would appear awkward. Fortunately, the UPJ-1P loudspeakers gave us precise control to keep sounds properly focused. We're also getting excellent intelligibility and wider bandwidth for music, and the architects are happy with the look thanks to the custom-color finish."

The pavilion's system also includes a recessed 500-HP subwoofer for low-frequency extension. "The sub is primarily used for full-bandwidth reproduction of video soundtracks," Clasen says, "but it's also handy for something like acoustic bass in a jazz band."

Rounding out the system, two additional UPJ-1P loudspeakers are adaptable for pole mounting, connection to outputs for the adjoining terrace, or for use elsewhere in the building. "We've used them a lot for effects and monitoring," notes Doug Wendel, associate director of Lied Center of Kansas. "They sound wonderful, and you can do just about anything with them."

The recent pavilion setup follows an earlier Meyer Sound installation for the main theatre. Comprising eight CQ-2 main loudspeakers, two 650-P subwoofers, and four UPM-1P loudspeakers for front fills, the system lends optimum audio support to the wide variety of jazz, pop, world music, and spoken-word performances in the main venue.

"The sound of that system is just amazing," Wendel says. "Kent did a great job of tuning it, and the coverage is seamless. We just had a Mongolian contemporary music ensemble in here, and once again the sound was absolutely perfect."

Lied Center of Kansas opened in 1993 and was made possible by generous support from the Lied Foundation Trust based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Its diverse programming includes performances by University of Kansas music ensembles, as well as touring Broadway shows, humor, and spoken word presentations, and concerts encompassing a range of pop, jazz, classical, and ethnic/world music styles.