JBL VT4887
A three-way compact line array element that weighs 68 pounds including its rigging — and still hangs with the big VerTec boxes.
Overview
Sixty-eight pounds, rigging included. That's the number that defines the VT4887, and it's the number collectors and installers keep coming back to when they talk about it. JBL built this as a compact three-way line array element — twin 8-inch Neodymium Differential Drive woofers, four 4-inch midrange drivers, and a pair of neodymium high-frequency drivers — and managed to fit the whole package into an enclosure measuring 31 by 11 by 16.5 inches. For a working system designer, that combination of small footprint and low hang weight opened up rooms that a full-size VerTec hang would never have fit into.
The driver complement is unusual for a box this size. Where most compact line array elements settle for a two-way topology, the VT4887 runs three ways, with the midrange handled by four JBL 2104 4-inch drivers and the high end by two JBL 2407H neodymium compression drivers. The cabinet itself is PlyMax with a DuraFlex coating and a steel grille, and the whole thing hangs from JBL's S.A.F.E. suspension system. The neodymium motors throughout are the reason the weight stays down — collectors who've pulled these apart note the magnet assemblies are dramatically lighter than the ferrite equivalents that dominated the previous generation of JBL pro boxes.
The VT4887 was one of three new VerTec products announced together, built to be compatible with the flagship VT4889 full-size line array element.
Pro Audio Review (May 2003, p.62) listed the VT4887 in its live sound speaker buyer's guide at a price of $3,649 per element, describing the three-way configuration in detail — the twin 2168 neodymium woofers, the four 2104 midrange drivers, and the two 2407H neodymium HF units. That price put it firmly in the professional touring market rather than the club-budget bracket, which is exactly where JBL positioned the VerTec line.
The VerTec platform itself was introduced in 2000, and by the time the compact VT4887 arrived it had already established a serious touring reputation. Pro Audio Review (May 2003, p.62) noted that the VerTec line array system had "easily demonstrated its staying power and its sonic power," appearing on an ever-growing list of high-profile tours and fixed installations. The VT4887 was the smallest of the three VerTec elements described in that issue — the VT4888 used 12-inch woofers and the original VT4889 used 15-inch units, while the VT4887 scaled down to 8-inch woofers to fit the smallest venues.
By 2007, a permanent installation at Caesars Atlantic City's 1,600-seat theater featured three JBL VerTec VT4887 compact line array elements alongside four JBL PD5322/64 loudspeakers for delay and six JBL Pro MS 28 front-fill lip speakers. The reviewer described the system as performing "flawlessly" during a weekend with Tony Bennett and his quartet — a useful data point for anyone wondering whether these compact boxes could handle a demanding acoustic act in a fixed install.
On the touring side, Sirius Showequipment AG of Niederdorfelden, Germany provided Audio Analysts with over 100 Crown I-Tech amplifiers for Bruce Springsteen's European tour, while Audio Analysts also supplied Crown I-Tech amps on the North American leg. Those amplifiers powered JBL VerTec VT4889 and VT4887 line array elements and JBL VT4880 arrayable subwoofers. The Springsteen tour began in Hartford, Connecticut on February 28, making 29 stops across North America before a 12-country European run — a demanding schedule that put the VT4887 in front of arena-sized audiences night after night.
For collectors and installers today, the VT4887 occupies an interesting niche. It's a genuine VerTec element — part of the same family that toured with Springsteen and hung in Caesars Atlantic City — but in a package small enough that a single person can handle it. The S.A.F.E. suspension system and the pre-engineered Drive Pack compatibility mean the boxes can still be integrated into modern rigs, and the neodymium drivers keep the weight manageable for smaller venues and rental inventories. The $3,649 original price per element puts period examples firmly in the professional-gear bracket, and buyers should expect to find them in working rental fleets rather than as collector shelf pieces. The PlyMax cabinet and DuraFlex coating were built for road abuse, so cosmetic condition varies widely — and the steel grilles, which take the brunt of load-in damage, are worth inspecting closely on any used example.
What the VT4887 represents, more than anything, is JBL's bet that line array technology could scale down without losing its essential character. The VerTec platform proved itself on the largest stages; the VT4887 proved it could work in the smallest rooms too. For anyone building a compact array system around period-correct JBL components, it remains one of the more practical entry points into the VerTec family.
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