TWEETER CENTER IMPROVES COMMUNITY RELATIONS WITH NEW VERTEC® LINE ARRAYS FROM JBL PROFESSIONAL

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, September 25, 2006 — Highlighting JBL Professional’s ability to deliver versatile and powerful loudspeaker technology for demanding fixed-venue challenges, Pro Sound Service has installed new VERTEC® line arrays and AE Series loudspeakers at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA for the 2006 summer concert and event season.

The Tweeter Center is a 19,900-seat outdoor venue with a covered, roofed section of about 7,500 seats with the balance in an open seating area. A wall at the back of the seating area separates it from the community. The new sound reinforcement system to serve the lawn area was designed and installed by Pro Sound Service, a 16-year-old firm that has been providing repair and maintenance on the venue’s existing system for 10 years. The previous system, like the open-air venue itself, was 20 years old and was fatigued from continuous, hard-driving use.

Until installation of the new system, there had been an ongoing noise-complaint issue from the neighborhood located behind the back wall of the facility. A 16-foot high wall barrier had been erected to alleviate noise complaints after the town established a maximum allowable sound pressure level of 95 dB SPL at the back wall. Sound levels are continuously monitored via a real-time calibrated measuring system with mics located at the top of the wall. Minute-by-minute SPL readings are printed for review by town officials and a high priority is placed on containment of sound within the venue.

“During the system installation and commissioning,” said Charles Tappa, Pro Sound Service president, “we found that we were able to measure a full 10 dB difference between the measurement mics at the top of the wall and the SPL at ground level. This, we absolutely attribute to the tight vertical pattern control of the JBL VERTEC line array system.”

Tappa and crew took detailed measurements of the facility, including the existing speaker mounting cluster locations in the fascia, as the budget constraints would require the use of existing speaker locations. It was determined that VERTEC line arrays would provide the required coverage and output power within the seating area while maintaining control of sound pressure levels at the boundaries of the audience coverage area.

The final design specified that each of four existing cluster locations would contain five VT4888 enclosures, with two additional locations each housing VRX932LA compact constant-curvature line arrays and a single AM6212/95 cabinet as “fringe fill.” The total system includes 20 JBL VERTEC VT4888 midsize line array elements, two AM6212/95’s, and six VRX932LA’s.

Additionally, the system included 11 Crown I-Tech 4000 amplifiers and 10 I-Tech 8000’s, with two dbx 2231 dual 31-band graphic equalizers. JBL’s VERTEC Line Array Calculator software allowed the team to accurately predict not only coverage patterns, but SPL at various locations in the lawn area along with rigging details. The advance predictions and as-installed results were very close, according to Tappa.

“During system commissioning,” said Tappa, “with the system running at 95 dB SPL at the back wall, a handheld meter was taken into the neighborhood to check sound pressure levels. We made a phone call to verify that the sound system was still on because it could not even be heard in an area that was previously a problem spot in the neighborhood. This was truly a testament to the highly effective, as-advertised pattern control of the VERTEC system.”

The new system is one of the first lawn-delay systems in the nation to use Harman Professional’s HiQnet? networking protocol and System Architect Software, According to Tappa. “HiQnet gave us a level of system control and flexibility not previously available. The HiQnet-compatible Crown amplifiers allow for individual DSP on each amp channel. Along with the DSP we have load monitoring and error reporting so that we can get automatic system reports of any small problems before they become big ones. HiQnet allows for global changes of all 42 DSP processors in the various amplifier channels through easy-to-build control screens. The HiQnet remote control and monitor system was a major selling feature to the customer, who immediately realized the full potential of this advanced system.”

About Pro Sound Service Inc.: Pro Sound Service is the one of the Boston area’s leading Audio Visual design, installation and service firms. Located south of Boston in Braintree, MA., the company provides services to all types of venues in the New England Area.
Pro Sound Service can be reached at www.prosoundservice.com

About JBL Professional:
Headquartered in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world’s leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of professional loudspeakers for recording and broadcast, musician, cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. Celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2006, JBL Professional is the proud recipient of the 2005 Technical GRAMMY® award. JBL Professional is part of the Harman International network of professional and consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to the JBL Professional website at www.jblpro.com.

About The Harman Pro Group:
Headquartered in Northridge, California, the Harman Pro Group is part of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com), a leading manufacturer of high-quality, high fidelity audio products and infotainment systems for the automotive, home and professional markets. The Company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: HAR. Harman Pro Group companies include AKG Acoustics, BSS Audio, dbx, Crown International, JBL Professional, Lexicon, Soundcraft, and Studer.