New RH Series from Renkus-Heinz Opens at Merriam School of Music

	Merriam School of Music with Renkus-Heinz

When Allan Merriam committed to building an auditorium for the students of Merriam School of Music in Oakville, Ontario, he took the same approach he's taken over his lengthy career -- no compromise. Long heralded as a visionary in music education, Merriam's eponymous school is renowned for its educational integrity across all disciplines, ages, skill levels, and instruments.

Merriam's vision for the school's new production and performance facilities led him to acclaimed recording studio designer Martin Pilchner of Toronto-based Pilchner-Schoustal International Inc. PSII was commissioned to design a fully integrated live performance hall coupled with a professional level recording studio. The 100-seat, 1,400-sq.-ft. auditorium is located directly above the recording studio space in the basement.

Audio for the room was provided by Contact Distribution, the Canadian distributor for Renkus-Heinz. "Martin and I have worked on a number of projects in the past, and he's become a fan of the tight, consistent coverage patterns of Renkus-Heinz systems," explains Contact Distribution's Bill Coons. The facility became one of the first to install the new RH Series, a new custom designed two-way point source system featuring a dual wedge angle design and a range of highly versatile rigging options.

"Bill suggested the signature series RH123, and they turned out to be exactly what we needed in the way of coverage, physical size, and price point," states Martin Pilchner. "They offer great dynamic range, and they're self-powered so they were easy to integrate." A pair of PN212-SUB dual 12" subwoofers covers low frequency content. "The PN212 subs were also a perfect match for the room -- small enough to fit under a low profile stage, but plenty of headroom."

Pilchner reports the system exceeded expectations. "We knew they would sound good but we were somewhat surprised by just how good," he says. "The co-entrant HF/MF drivers delivered full range sound and consistent coverage all the way to the very back of the room." Onstage monitoring is handled by CF121M-2 powered monitor wedges.

Merriam adds, "When you put a focused and committed performer thru quality product, the talent and passion don't get lost in the technology. The Renkus-Heinz system gives us the clarity and audiophile experience we were looking for. We really have the best sounding small scale performance space in the city."