CTS Nashville, Tennessee

The Opportunity

Deliver world-class sound quality and unmatched coverage in a compact design at the CTS Jingle & Mingle Party and offer that same solution to clients for a range of demanding live applications. Based in Nashville, CTS is a full-service production company that specializes in providing world-class audio, lighting, video and staging services for major concert tours, special events, houses of worship and more.

The Solution

In order to offer better value and performance for its high-profile artists and clients, CTS recently purchased JBL VTX A8 compact line arrays which they put to the test at their 6th annual CTS Jingle & Mingle party. The event featured a stellar performance by Nashville-based jazz artist Karlton Taylor and his band, and also served as the grand opening of CTS’s newly expanded operations center and warehouse.

The VTX A8 is a next-generation line array element that delivers JBL Professional’s flagship VTX A Series technology in a compact solution for small to mid-size rental and installed applications. CTS plans to utilize the A8 speakers on tours and events to deliver improved audio coverage and sound quality for high-profile clients performing in smaller venues and theaters. The VTX A Series’ patented rigging mechanism and suspension system helps CTS streamline deployment, while the A8’s reduced weight allows the team to achieve better coverage by hanging more speakers in venues where weight restrictions are a limitation. CTS recently deployed A8 line arrays for Country Radio Seminar showcase performances by Blake Shelton, Zac Brown Band, Ashley McBryde, Cole Swindell, Dan & Shay and more.

In addition to their JBL VTX A8, V20 and V25 line array speakers, CTS offers a wide range of HARMAN products in its extensive inventory of event production solutions. CTS regularly utilizes JBL F12 speakers as stage monitors, and the team powers all of their JBL speakers with Crown I-Tech Series amplifiers. Martin fixtures such as MAC Quantum Profile, MAC Axiom and MAC Viper Performance are also mainstays in CTS’s lighting inventory.

The Impact

“We work with JBL V20 and V25 speakers a lot, and we were blown away by the new JBL VTX A8 speakers,” said Carl Taylor, CEO, CTS AVL. “The A8’s package is beautiful, and together with its size, output, sound quality and price, it was kind of a no-brainer for us. Also, the A8’s voicing is consistent with larger JBL speakers. You can use A12s for your mains and A8s as outfills or delay towers and the blend between them will be spot-on. You won’t notice a difference between the speakers’ tonal balance. When we showcased the A8 speakers at our annual Jingle & Mingle event, the guests all loved them and talked about them. A lot of clients said they want to use them on their next project, so that was a big success.”

“We look forward to using the A8 speakers in smaller theaters, corporate presentations and ballrooms to provide great sound quality in a smaller footprint,” said Taylor. “Also, we work in some venues with restrictions on how much weight we can hang from the ceiling. With the A8s, we can hang eight speakers where we could previously hang only five, and because they’re smaller boxes, we can still get the output and sound quality we need in an area that has weight restrictions on rigging.”

“CTS has been in business for over 35 years, and HARMAN has been a very valuable partner to us,” concluded Taylor. “I really like that we’ve built a relationship and continue to have authentic conversations that are beneficial to our business. When I need to talk to someone about what’s new, what’s coming down the road, and when’s a good time to change products, I know who to call and HARMAN steps up to the plate.”