Fresno, Calif.-based Speeda Sound will again be a major West Coast supplier of sound systems for fairs and their correlating events, adding a new JBL VerTec line array systems for this year’s season.
Speeda Sound handles audio responsibilities for the Alameda County Fair and the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa. With the popularity of these fairs on the rise, the expectation of fair managers and entertainment directors for better live sound has risen. Attendance at the 2004 Orange County Fair, for which Speeda Sound handles the grandstand shows, was up 9.3 percent as compared to last year, with more than 960,000 persons in attendance. “In our 30 years of business, we’ve made a point of staying on the cutting edge of the latest demands of the entertainment world,” King noted. “We’ve been able to stay on top by providing complete audio production packages for fairs and festivals that need a higher level of service.
“We looked at lots of speakers and found that VerTec could be used safely,” he continued. “Because of the lightweight enclosures, we can hang the speakers from ground-support lifts while opening up sightlines. JBL’s VerTec line allows us to physically downsize the audio package while increasing the audio coverage at the same time.”
Other fairs covered by Speeda Sound this season include the California State Fair, California Mid-State Fair, the Temecula Festival, the San Mateo County Fair and the Big Fresno Fair. “We’re pleased to be working closely with the West Coast’s leader on the fair circuit,” said David Scheirman, director of tour sound for JBL Professional. “Each fair exposes many touring artists to a given sound system and, more importantly, to the rental company that sets up and operates it. We’re pleased and honored that Mike and Larry King and the entire technical staff at Speeda Sound have committed to a major investment in JBL VerTec. Through the efforts of firms like Speeda, we expect to see a continued recognition of VerTec as the line array system of choice in situations requiring premium-grade concert sound with minimal setup time.”
For more information about JBL’s VerTec, please go to www.jblpro.com.
