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MacPherson
Making Waves in Chicagoland Club Scene
SKOKIE,
IL, April 30, 2003 --- From
intimate piano bars to big band, zydeco, country,
and blues spots… MacPherson loudspeakers are making great sound in
some of Chicago's most venerable music venues.
Recently,
two very diverse clubs —that have nothing in common as far as type
of music, audience, and space—installed new audio systems. The only
commonality is that they both selected MacPherson loudspeakers and
are very pleased with the results. One club is using the SCHOLAR
Model 118 subs and AXIAs. The other is using PC12s, LFE12s, and an
M12XP.
Redhead
Piano Bar is a sophisticated piano bar in the heart of Chicago's
nightlife district. Read more.
FitzGerald's
is
a "cozy old roadhouse" in Berwyn (outskirts of town) where
entertainment runs the gamut from open-mic
poetry readings to swing, big band, jazz, rock, blues, and zydeco. Read
more.
Redhead
Piano Bar
 A
Chicago institution, the
Redhead Piano Bar draws
visitors and conventioneers as well as regulars from the city and
suburbs.
Sheet
music and photos of visiting movie stars cover the muted red walls.
Lights are dim. The atmosphere is warm, intimate, and relaxed. Guests
gather around the piano, often singing along to old classics and popular
melodies. Others lounge around the large rectangular bar, while cozy
couples sit at quiet tables in the back.
An
audio system featuring
four MacPherson PC12s and three LFE12s covers the main performance
area, while an M12XP above the piano serves as the performer's monitor.
Meyer UPM-1P loudspeakers are used as delay-zone speakers.
Warm
sounds drift from the digital piano, a notoriously punishing source for
loudspeakers. But the PC12s handle the audio with ease. Eight hours a
day, seven days a week. According to piano player Phil Baron, "The
sound is just great. Clean and clear."
In addition to clarity, the PC12's combination of quality components and
phase-corrected design eliminates low ear fatigue —
resulting in an added bonus for listeners who go home without that nasty
ringing in their ears and wake the next morning without noise hangovers.
And
as an added bonus for Redhead owner, Art Bryan, the elimination of low
ear fatigue means customers stay longer.
FitzGerald's
 Owner
Bill FitzGerald calls his club "a cozy old roadhouse."
Charming and inviting, FitzGerald's has been featured in a number of
high-budget films, including "A League of Their Own" and
"The Color of Money." However, its real claim to fame is the
eclectic entertainment and big-name performers like Stevie Ray
Vaughn, Robert Cray, The Neville Brothers, Los Lobos, and Koko Taylor.
FitzGerald's has something for everyone —blues,
zydeco, swing, big band, rock, and more. Tuesdays are Open-Mic nights
featuring songwriters and poets. Sundays are generally jazz nights. An
annual American Music Festival takes place every July.
As
different as can be from the sophisticated crowd at Redhead, the
atmosphere here is casual with a versatile dress code. Patrons mill
around the 2,500-sq.-ft. club in everything from tuxes and formals to
sandals and shorts. This ambience is one reason why FitzGerald's has
built such a loyal following over the past 21 years. The music, of
course, is the other.
All
that was lacking was a new audio system. The existing system was
definitely dated. Coverage was poor and there were a number of
acoustical challenges. The new system required speakers that would
perform equally well for all types of music as well as speech. And the
boxes had to be unobtrusive.
MacPherson
speakers were a perfect solution. Installed in several phases, so that
the engineers and some of the artists could "test" the
equipment, the final system includes two AXIAs, two SCHOLAR Model 118
subs, and one M12XP, powered by two Crown Amps with an XTA processor.
The
result? According to Bill FitzGerald, "The
clarity is fabulous. Customers listening to a multi-instrument combo one
night said it was like taking earmuffs off. And the equipment is
virtually invisible."
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