L-Acoustics PR - Pasadena City College’s Sexson Auditorium

PASADENA, California – December 2025 – Opened in 1924, with a complete rebuild in 1936 after the Long Beach earthquake, Pasadena City College’s (PCC) John A. Sexson Auditorium serves as the creative heart of the school’s vibrant performing arts programs, hosting theater productions, dance performances, music recitals, academic ceremonies, and community events throughout the year. The art deco-styled venue with its grand façade and continental seating accommodates 1,964 seats and plays a vital role in the college’s mission to nurture the next generation of creative professionals.

Notably, Sexson Auditorium has seen its share of iconic performances over the years, holding a special place in rock history as the home institution where the classic lineup of Van Halen first formed. Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes, the members of Wall of Voodoo, and many others are also counted among the school’s illustrious alumni.

To ensure the historic auditorium can continue serving students and the community for decades to come, PCC recently completed a comprehensive upgrade that included new seats, fresh paint, and a state-of-the-art L-Acoustics L Series concert sound system, integrated by Los Alamitos-based TechArts.

Navigating Architectural Constraints with L Series

‍When PCC set out to replace Sexson Auditorium’s 25-year-old PA system, the project team faced architectural constraints that meant minimal physical depth was available for new loudspeaker arrays. PCC Lead AV and Staging Specialist Steven Deatrick, who worked closely with TechArts Designer-Programmer Jason Vandergrift on the project, explains that the existing rigging points were positioned close to the auditorium’s front wall, leaving almost no room for conventional line array systems. “We had very little depth to work with,” says Deatrick. “Nearly every line array product we evaluated was physically too deep and would end up touching the room’s front wall when flown from the existing rigging points.”

The team explored multiple line array options, but kept running into the same problem: changing the rigging points would require substantial structural modifications that were not feasible. The breakthrough came when Vandergrift modeled the L-Acoustics L Series arrays. “When Jason did the modeling, we found that L Series arrays would attach to the room’s existing hang points and fit perfectly within the available depth, which was a major advantage,” says TechArts CEO Chuck Mitchell.

Remarkable Coverage from a Compact Footprint

‍Beyond solving the physical space challenge, the L Series system delivered impressive acoustic performance from an unusually compact configuration. The arrays provided front-to-back coverage throughout the entire auditorium, including the balcony, using just one L2 over one L2D enclosure per side, a remarkably efficient solution that also met the existing rigging points’ weight limits. “L Series provided substantial SPL from a compact design while offering extensive coverage control due to their polar pattern and FIR filtering options,” Mitchell adds. “It’s impressive that just two enclosures per side could cover the whole space so effectively.”

Complete System Integration with LA Amplified Controllers

‍Installed in July 2025, the venue’s new L2/L2D main arrays are powered by a pair of LA7.16i amplified controllers, while eight KS28 subwoofers driven by LA12X are positioned end-to-end across the face of the stage. To address coverage in the under-balcony area where the main arrays cannot reach, four coaxial X6i loudspeakers powered by LA4X amplified controllers are mounted to the ceiling of the rear main floor, filling the acoustically shadowed seating zones.

Vandergrift is particularly enthusiastic about the X6i performance in this application. “The X6i are surprisingly amazing,” he shares. “We’ve now done two projects with them as unobtrusive under-balcony systems. They have a really nice, pleasing sound and are great little boxes.”

The system is managed through the L-Acoustics P1 processor, with signals distributed via Milan-AVB to both the primary and secondary amplified controller networks. “The install was done pretty quickly,” Vandergrift notes. “We did wire pulls in advance before the product arrived, and then it took us less than a week to get everything up in the air, followed by tuning a week later.”

Exceptional Clarity and Directional Control

‍The audio quality and coverage of Sexson Auditorium’s new L-Acoustics system has drawn enthusiastic responses from users across the campus. “The feedback I’ve heard from everyone centers on the exceptional clarity throughout the space, from left to right and top to bottom,” Deatrick says. “One of the most welcome benefits has been the cardioid directivity of the arrays. When you were on stage with our old system, you would hear a lot of sound coming back at you from the house. With the L Series system, the stage is remarkably quiet, and performers can now hear themselves in their monitors much better because the system is so much more directional and controlled. Everyone has been really pleased with how everything sounds now.”

Partnership and Timely Delivery

‍Deatrick reports that both TechArts and L-Acoustics proved to be exemplary partners throughout the project. “They handled everything from A to Z—from design and delivery to installation and support,” he says. “We were working within a tight timeframe to bring this project to completion once we selected L Series. L-Acoustics was able to deliver ahead of schedule, which was fantastic, and Chuck, Jason, and the TechArts crew were completely engaged and exceeded all our expectations on the installation side.

“We’re really excited to have this system in here,” he adds. “It looks fantastic in the space, and I know it’s going to beautifully handle whatever we put through it—whether that’s student theater productions, dance performances, music recitals, or community events—for many, many years to come.”

For more details on PCC’s Sexson Auditorium, visit www.pasadena.edu. TechArts can be found online at www.techarts.net.

Please visit L-Acoustics at www.l-acoustics.com.

About L-Acoustics

‍Since 1984, we have been continuously innovating to shape the future of sound.

Our European-designed solutions optimize Source, System, and Space—unleashing creative possibilities in content, perfecting audio technology, and harmonizing with venue acoustics to guarantee exceptional performance.

Our global team of over 1,000, with 20% dedicated to R&D, has pioneered breakthroughs like the V-DOSC line array, L-ISA immersive solutions, and the eco-conscious L Series—innovations that have both transformed our industry and transcended our auditory perceptions.

The world’s most demanding stages trust us: Adele’s Las Vegas residency, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Zaha Hadid-designed Guangzhou Opera House, and over 13,000 premium venues worldwide. We’ve earned this trust by consistently delivering extraordinary audio in every venue and any space.

We are L-Acoustics. We connect humans through the best shared sound experiences.

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