ASHEVILLE, NC (12.17.21)—Operating as a neighborhood theatre from 1935 to 2011, and saved from demolition after a community campaign, the Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver BC has maintained its art deco style and its history all while completing extensive renovations that were completed in 2020. Designated as a heritage space and opened with Covid restrictions in place, the multi-purpose 594-seat theatre now offers multi-dimensional programming including film screenings, musical performances, live theatre, comedy, festival and educational events, technical seminars and lectures as well as providing availability and access for events dedicated to charitable fundraising.
As part of these renovations, a top goal for the theatre was to have a premium, rider-friendly sound system that could attract high-end acts with no questions asked. “When I reached out to several touring engineers about which sound system to choose, 9 out of 10 came back with d&b,” states Sean Mawhinney, General Manager of Hollywood Theatre.
d&b audiotechnik V-Series line array and Y-Series point source were deployed by Gearforce (Coquitlam, BC). The V-Series is a three-way passive, medium-sized loudspeaker while the Y-Series point source models are a compact two-way passive unit. The system includes 6 x V8 over 2 x V12 array cabinets per side, 4 x J-SUBs, 8 x M4 stage monitors, and an R90 touchscreen for remote control, Y7P near fill loudspeakers and V10P loudspeakers speakers located in the rear of the building, that can be run independently for small cocktail receptions in that area. “It was one of the reasons we decided to use an R90,” states Rob Nevalainen, Gearforce. “We built configurations in the R90 to allow the venue to do smaller events without the need of a system technician. They can run playback music from the bar, the DJ from the balcony, or change over to the full concert system at the push of a button.”
“After much consideration and consultation with Gearforce, the d&b V and Y-Series were the clear choice for the Hollywood Theatre,” states David Hawkes, Operator/Entertainment Director. “We did not originally plan to push our system but now have the added benefit of lots of headroom for the big rock concerts while maintaining the warmth of the room by assuring the sound system choice produced a warm sound as well.”
Hawkes said that everyone who has visited the room has commented on how great it sounds. “Our local industry of promoters, bookers and artists know that we have the best sounding mid-size room in the city now and our very active booking calendar reflects that. “The installation is clean and unobtrusive which was important to the overall aesthetic of the room which also helped us increase our heritage status to Heritage A during the renovation. Gearforce did a fantastic job with the install, and we proudly have them as our in-house sound technician provider. We are very happy with our choice of sound system and would recommend our choices to anyone. Our patrons as well, simply put, love our sound. And that is a good thing!”
The theatre has over 120 concerts and events already booked for 2022 and through Covid restrictions have managed to host many events ranging from live singer/songwriter performances, Film Festival Events, Comedy Shows, Lectures, Drag Shows, Classic and Modern Pop/rock concerts, classic films, and more.
For more information on d&b V and Y-Series, visit www.dbaudio.com
For more information on Gearforce, visit www.gearforce.com.
For more information on The Hollywood Theatre, visit www.hollywoodtheatre.ca.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gearforce
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