In one of its first installations since restructuring into a customer-centric organizational model, HARMAN Professional Solutions provided a complete system solution to Marcus Theatres, a leading Midwestern cinema brand. The integrated system with an immersive audio experience will be implemented in the UltraScreen® auditorium at the Gurnee Mills Cinema near Chicago.
The system features multiple HARMAN brands, including Lexicon Quantum Logic Immersion (QLI) processing technology, JBL ScreenArray® loudspeakers and Crown DSi amplifiers. Built according to Marcus Theatres’ proprietary
UltraScreen format, the upgraded auditorium features a 70-foot-tall screen enhanced by pristine—and now precise—multi-dimensional audio for preshow and trailer content. For fans, the system delivers a deeply immersive cinematic experience.
“The UltraScreen auditorium at Gurnee Mills is an ideal venue to showcase the combined impact of Lexicon QLI, Crown DSi and JBL ScreenArray technologies in a HARMAN Professional Solutions installation,” said John Batliner, VP Global Cinema Sales, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Couple these technologies with our client-facing organization and dedicated cinema team, and you have a mutually beneficial partnership between a very successful and progressive cinema chain and a global technology provider. I am confident this partnership will positively impact movie-goers’ experiences and the chain’s bottom line.”
The complete HARMAN audio system at Gurnee Mills centers on the Lexicon QLI-32 Quantum Logic Immersion Processor. Fully compatible with existing cinema processors and designed to deliver up to 32 channels of surround sound, the QLI-32 enables cinemas to provide an immersive sound experience within budget. The audio system also features a main screen loudspeaker system of six JBL ScreenArray 5732 loudspeakers, three of which are in the standard left/center/right position behind the screen, with the other three placed higher up behind the screen, also in a left/center/right configuration. The main screen system also features four JBL ASB7128 subwoofers, Crown DSi amplifiers that power the loudspeakers and subs and, for surround sound, JBL CBT 50LA-1 column loudspeakers powered by Crown DSi and DCi amplifiers.
“I’m amazed at what the Lexicon QLI technology can do with an existing audio track,” said Mark Collins, Director of Projection Technology, Marcus Theatres Corporation. “QLI produces an immersive experience that I think will be a tremendous asset for us moving forward.”
The opportunity to partner more strategically with innovative companies like Marcus Theatres was a major factor in HARMAN Professional Solutions’ recent decision to organize around clients. Led by Blake Augsburger, President, HARMAN Professional Solutions now consists of industry-specific units developed to meet the needs of customers in the areas of strategy and solutions. The unit dedicated to customer solutions for cinema is led by professionals experienced in the industry, including Batliner; Chuck Goodsell, Senior Manager, Cinema; Guy Hawley, Sales and Business Development Manager, Cinema; Dan Saenz, Business Segment Manager; and Andrew Kappus, Senior Cinema Marketing Specialist.
“Our new teams dedicated to customer care and product development will help us be more responsive to our clients without missing a beat on the depth of innovation that has made HARMAN so strong on the technology side,” noted Batliner. “Our goal is to have a deeper understanding of our clients’ businesses and the customers they serve, and our combined efforts with clients like Marcus Theatres will yield just that.”
