A new modular Martin Audio installation has solved decades of coverage problems in the Met's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium – and doubles as a portable rig for performances across the museum's gallery spaces.
The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was designed in 1954 with no amplification in mind. Built to let acoustics do the work, the 700-capacity hall was originally praised for sound so good that, as one contemporary review noted, a person speaking in conversational tones on stage could be heard with ease from the balcony. As programming evolved to include contemporary performances and full live bands, the legacy system of early-generation powered column speakers couldn’t keep pace. Dead spots, uneven coverage and a frequency response ill-suited to modern productions had programmers favouring the galleries over the auditorium.
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Sebastian Hurtado arrived as Senior Technical Manager AVMS Production in 2024 and didn’t take long to draw conclusions. “I think I identified the need for an upgrade within three days of arriving,” he recalls. With budget approved and a clear brief – replace the system without compromising the visual or architectural integrity of the space – Hurtado consulted several manufacturers before landing on Martin Audio. “We sent an initial concept, and they mapped it out and made recommendations. It made us feel confident it was being done correctly.”
The installed system is anchored by three Martin Audio TORUS T1230 and one T1215 constant curvature array elements, configured as a centre cluster hung from a truss at the front of the stage. Four FlexPoint FP12 point-source speakers address outer coverage gaps on the sides, while four time-delayed FP6 6″ models handle the notoriously tricky under-balcony zone. “The FP6s have provided one of the biggest improvements,” Hurtado notes. “They sound fantastic and are delayed so well that it almost seems like they’re not doing anything, which is perfect.”
For larger productions, a ground-stacked system of three TORUS T820 tops and two SXC115 cardioid subwoofers per side is available – and doubles as a portable rig deployable across the museum’s gallery spaces, including the acoustically challenging all-glass Engelhard Court. Ten LE100 stage monitors round out the rig, which have already caught the attention of visiting engineers.
“The even coverage is the most significant improvement – there’s not a dead spot in the entire room,” says Hurtado. “Whether it’s a lecture that keeps the audience engaged, or a full band with brass and strings, everything is represented properly.” The upgrade has also changed how the institution programmes its spaces. “It has prompted programmers to start doing more events in the auditorium. Now, our spec is much more rider-friendly, and we don’t have to rent outside gear.”
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