Background and context
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at Florida State University in Tallahassee has been a central performance space for the College of Music for more than a century. The 1,172-seat venue, located in the historic Westcott Building, hosts a wide mix of events, including opera, ballet, visiting artists, lectures, graduations, and classical concerts.
That variety has long created a challenge for sound reinforcement. The hall needs a system that can support high-SPL amplified productions, but it also regularly presents unamplified classical and vocal performances where visible loudspeakers and altered acoustics are unwelcome.
As part of preparations for the 2025–26 academic year, venue operators decided to replace the existing PA with a new system that could meet contemporary production expectations while integrating with the hall’s retractable infrastructure, first installed during a major renovation in 2010.
Key announcement
L-Acoustics has supplied a K3i line source system for Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, designed to work with the venue’s motorized hoists so the loudspeakers can be raised completely out of sight into the stage’s acoustical shell when not required.
Atlanta-based integrator Clark, an L-Acoustics Certified Provider for installations, handled the project. System design was carried out using the manufacturer’s Soundvision modeling software to address the room’s geometry, acoustic constraints, and the tight openings in the shell through which the arrays must travel.
The main PA consists of left-right hangs of ten K3i enclosures per side. A center cluster combines one A10 Wide above one A10 Focus for vocal and imaging support. Low-frequency reinforcement is provided by KS28 subwoofers, typically deployed in ground-stacked groups of three per side on stage when additional low end is needed.
Front-fill is delivered by six X8 coaxial loudspeakers along the stage lip, while onstage monitoring uses ten X15 HiQ wedges. System amplification and processing rely on LA7.16i amplified controllers for most of the rig, with LA12X units dedicated to the subs and stage monitors.
The venue’s signal transport is based on a Milan-AVB network. A DirectOut Prodigy MP handles distribution, working with six L-Acoustics LS10 AVB switches to support multiple front-of-house mix positions for an AVID S6L console, either in the rear booth or at a mid-house location.
Industry impact
The Ruby Diamond project highlights a growing priority in performing arts venues: reconciling modern sound reinforcement with architectural and acoustic heritage. Because the apertures in the hall’s shell are too narrow for flown subwoofers, the K3i’s extended low-frequency performance is used as a primary tool, often allowing shows to run without subs at all.
Where additional bass is required, the use of mobile, ground-stacked KS28 arrays keeps the permanent architecture untouched. This approach may appeal to other historic venues facing similar limitations on structural modifications or visible hardware.
The design also leverages L-Acoustics’ Panflex variable directivity to manage reflections from the hall’s decorative side walls, which could not be treated with acoustic panels. Asymmetric and narrower dispersion settings are used on selected elements to reduce energy on wall surfaces and in side boxes, while upper cabinets cover the far field.
Why this matters
For event and venue technologists, the Ruby Diamond installation underscores several trends: retractable or hidden loudspeaker systems in heritage spaces, networked audio transport for flexible FOH positions, and the use of full-range line arrays where flown subwoofers are impractical.
It also illustrates how universities are investing in production-grade systems that meet professional rider expectations while remaining adaptable to academic programming. The combination of a compact, full-range array, configurable directivity, and Milan-AVB networking provides a template for multipurpose halls that must shift quickly between concert, theatrical, and institutional use.
Further technical details on the K3i and related components are available on the L-Acoustics product pages at l-acoustics.com.