More than a century old, St. Thomas High School enjoys a
gorgeous campus on prime Houston real estate. The Catholic institution’s
current building dates to 2002 and includes a gymnasium with a
surprising history: The gym originally was an aircraft hanger for B29
bombers, located 110 miles north of campus, until it was donated by an
alumnus, moved to St. Thomas, and reassembled.
The gym’s sound system has been through changes over the
years, too, culminating in a new Dante-enabled system designed and
installed by Houston multimedia systems-integration firm Touch Thirty
Three. The current system features two Renkus-Heinz loudspeaker clusters
managed by a Symetrix Prism 16×16 DSP, which works very well—but it
didn’t all come together at once.
“This installation started out very piecemeal,” recalls
Touch Thirty Three owner and principal design consultant Bruce Coffman.
“They had a terrible-sounding system in here and asked us to see if we
could do something to improve it. The first thing we did was to install a
new AMX control system, which dramatically improved how they were able
to use the old sound system. Once we made it easier to use, they
recognized the limitations of the system’s sound quality.”
As a result, about three years later, St. Thomas asked
Touch Thirty Three for a more extensive upgrade to the gymnasium sound
system. Because it’s the largest indoor gathering space on campus, the
room periodically doubles as a sanctuary for masses, hosting up to 1,200
worshippers. “For mass, they put carpet over the entire floor, they
bring in folding chairs, and they have a stage that goes at the far end
of the room,” Coffman reports. “It’s completely different than when the
room is used for sports. Because of the room’s dual use, we couldn’t put
in a typical sound cluster over center court, so we put a big
Renkus-Heinz T15-series Reference Point Array cluster at one end of the
room.”
To feed the array, Touch Thirty Three installed a Dante
network, centered around the Symetrix Prism 16×16 DSP. The Prism is
equipped with a Symetrix xIn 12 12-channel analog input expander, which
accommodates the school’s existing 12-channel audio snake. With this
rig, notes Coffman, “If they want to have a choir or a musical ensemble,
they’ve already got the wiring, and it all shows up on faders on the
AMX control system.”
The Renkus-Heinz T15-series array consists of four self-powered full-range point-source loudspeakers, each with a 15-inch woofer and a Complex Conic horn. “The cluster acts like one big speaker,” Coffman observes. “You can walk the floor, and you don’t hear any seams between coverage.” Coffman also specified two Renkus-Heinz two-way, 8-inch down fills to cover the “money seats” at the edge of the main pattern from the main cluster.
The single array, managed by the Symetrix Prism 16×16,
sounded great and delivered good coverage but challenges remained.
During basketball and volleyball games, it seemed odd to have the sound
coming from the far end of the room. And during mass, when less
experienced users turned the system up to reach the back of the room,
they encountered feedback problems with wireless lavalier mics and the
PZM mic atop the altar. So recently, when the school was doing a major
renovation, Touch Thirty-Three addressed the directionality and feedback
issues by installing a second, identical Renkus-Heinz T15-series array
over center court. The central array operates as the main system for
sports events and serves as a delay fill for the center and back of the
room during mass, enabling the front cluster to operate at a lower
volume and averting feedback.
Adding the second array and unifying the system went
smoothly, thanks in large part to the Symetrix Prism and SymNet Designer
software. “The great part about Symetrix equipment, along with the AMX
controller, is that we were able to give the school anything they
wanted,” Coffman offers. “All we had to do to expand the system was
reprogram the Prism, and Symetrix’ phenomenal support staff helped us do
some of that reprogramming work. SymNet lets us tailor how the
components operate together to turn it into a single, seamless system.”
Coffman especially likes the combination of Symetrix and
Renkus-Heinz products. “Symetrix processors and Renkus-Heinz speakers
are a great match for each other,” he asserts. “The Renkus-Heinz
clusters sounded great just the way they came from the factory, so I
could use SymNet to tweak the system’s functionality, rather than its
sound quality. The Symetrix Prism processor determines how the
components work together, depending on how the room is set up and the
purpose for which it’s being used.”
One of Touch Thirty-Three’s strengths as a company, notes
Coffman, is making a sophisticated system, such as the one in St. Thomas
High School’s gymnasium, easy to operate for the end user. “Symetrix
allows me as a system designer to do some pretty amazing stuff in the
background to make the system simpler for a user,” he posits. “Whatever
the school wants to do, whether for sports or mass, the Symetrix
processor, Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers, and AMX controller allow them to
do it seamlessly, and someone with a minimal amount of experience can
get very consistent, good sound. This works very well for St. Thomas
High School.”
Flexible system blends permanent ZX3 loudspeakers with time-aligned dual EVOLVE 50 portable column speaker systems
Truth Seeker Productions designed selectable-zone system for full coverage of both sporting and musical events
EVOLVE 50 systems are employed for a wide range of applications, both on and off campus
Burnsville,
MN, July 2019 – With a gymnasium that is used for music and theater
events as well as athletics, Langford Area High School in rural
Langford, SD was searching for an economical – but high performance –
sound system that would provide clear, high-fidelity audio in multiple
seating configurations. The solution they found combines permanent and
portable systems from Electro-Voice for unique flexibility and ease of
operation.
The system design came from Ohio-based Truth Seeker
Productions, where President Dave Horn is well aware of the sonic issues
involved in a multipurpose gymnasium. “For games, you’ve got to cover
the bleachers on both sides of the court, but that creates both coverage
and localization issues for auditorium activities like a play or
concert,” he explains. “Fortunately, Electro-Voice makes a portable
system, the EVOLVE 50, which offers quick set up and great sound quality
with a very low profile, so there’s no visual distraction. With two of
them, we can create a full-range stereo concert system that can combine
with the bleacher speakers, plenty loud and very clear. Both we and the
school are thrilled.”
The main PA system consists of six
fixed-installed Electro-Voice ZX3 loudspeakers; Truth Seeker used EASE
modeling to place three per side for full coverage of the bleachers. All
are powered by a single Dynacord C1800FDi two-channel DSP power
amplifiers for installed applications. For auditorium set-ups, two
self-powered EVOLVE 50 column systems provide full-range audio with full
stereo capability in a very compact footprint, and are time-aligned
with the ZX3 speakers to ensure clear, cohesive audio for stage
productions.
From there, Dave Horn created a series of coverage
zones, making it easy to select home and away bleachers, with or without
the EVOLVE 50 systems. Having two portable systems also allows the high
school to deploy them anywhere on campus and for outreach events in the
community.
“That’s why we chose the EVOLVE 50,” says Horn. “They
sound great and they’re easy to implement. Plus, the narrow speaker
columns give wide horizontal coverage and a strong stereo image without
creating a visual obstacle. When they’re combined with the ZX3s for the
bleachers, you’ve got a true multipurpose solution for a fraction of the
cost of two systems.”
ETC’s flagship Eos range of lighting consoles have been selected to run all three venues of the established Festival
International d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence in the south of France.
Continuing
its success in the French market, over a hundred Eos family consoles
have been installed in France so far,
with this number continuing to rise. The technical team at the art and
music festival, stage an average of five operas a year, bringing
expertise, speed and efficiency to the event. They have run the entire
event on the Eos brand with nine consoles used across
the three main venues in the city of Aix-en-Provence.
Chief Electrician, Jean-Pascal Gauchais selected ETC for the quality of its products, award-winning color tools and
the consoles’ ability to handle all types of luminaires, both traditional and automated.
“Thanks
to ETC evolving its product range, it has been possible for us to
program using Eos console desks on our budget,”
comments Jean-Pascal. “The philosophy of consoles in tracking mode is
an element that I particularly like, it is really convenient in the
programming of the shows. When deciding on which console to use, we
recognized that Eos was the best and most effective
choice as we had worked with it previously in several large opera
houses. We ran the festival last year and had great support from ETC and
dealer Texen, with Philippe Roy – Field Project Coordinator at ETC
France – who provided great assistance during that
time.”
In addition to the Eos consoles, there were a total of 44 Source Four fixtures, 36 Source Four PARs, 32 ColorSource
PARs and 22 High End Systems’ SolaWash 2000s positioned across the city as part of the festival.
The
first venue of the annual festival, Théâtre de l’Archevêché, received a
set of three Eos family console desks:
a flagship Eos Ti for programming in the auditorium during rehearsal, a
Gio @5 for the set as well as an Ion Xe Remote Processor Unit (RPU)
system
with an Eos Programming Wing.
“ETC’s
consoles work together reliably and efficiently as a complete system.
By default, the Eos Ti is a remote control
of the RPU system. We ran tests prior to the set up during which cables
were pulled out, and the Eos Ti instantly took control without any
faults or changes to the show,” remarks the Chief Electrician.
A
similar set up was completed at the next two venues – Grand Théâtre de
Provence which ran on an Eos Ti, Gio @5 and
Ion Xe 20 and the Jeu de Paume Theater with Eos, Ion Xe 20 and an Ion
Xe console desk as back up. “The lighting operators are especially
delighted with the arrival of Eos and the new features they have
discovered, such as the “Undo” button, a sort of Ctrl
+ Z that allows you to go back to the previous state of the lighting
show.”
During the creation phase, an ETCnomad was used to complete
the
planning of the lighting showcase. “One of the events at the festival
made significant use of live screens and the video operator chose
to use his own Eos interface from a laptop to create color consistency
between the video screens and the board. This is where ETCnomad was
particularly useful, allowing us to have additional control, and program
the shows from any location with just a USB
key,” says Jean-Paul.
“The
lighting control of the productions in all three venues worked smoothly
together thanks to ETC’s Eos family of
control. A strong team effort was vital in combining the festival light
shows, specialist networks and scenic materials to ensure the whole
festival was a success,” adds Jean-Paul Gauchais.
ETC
dealer, Stonex has supplied 19 Source Four Mini LED fixtures to light
the installations of acclaimed Indian artist and filmmaker
Amar Kanwar at the Thyssen Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid.
The
renowned art museum in Spain hosted the work of Amar Kanwar –
‘Testimonios Relámpago’ and ‘El Bosque Soberano’. ETC lighting was
used to enhance his exhibition which focuses on the concepts of nature,
landscape, climate and human presence whilst criticizing the political
state and lack of justice in his native country, India.
Kanwar’s
artwork in ‘La Sala de Las Semillas’, is characterized by taking
elements of nature from India and using them as an activist
proposal. Different types of rice grains were collected and carefully
categorized in small drawers. The room required a dim light that created
a warm and intimate atmosphere. Kanwar selected ETC for the
installation based on his previous experience with the
company from exhibiting in different parts of the world.
Lighting
Designer Carlos Alzueta specializes in theatrical and museum lighting
and worked on the project at the Thyssen Bornemisza. “Amar
Kanwar has in-depth lighting knowledge and having used ETC before, was
especially interested in using Source Four Mini LED fixtures for their
reliability and superior optics,” comments Alzueta.
“For
lighting in museums and exhibitions, it is useful to have the option of
focusing, adjusting or cutting out light. We worked with
a combination of neutral filters with different densities to adjust the
light of the fixtures,” remarks Kanwar.
The
lighting design involved a CAD program to calculate light output in the
Thyssen Bornemisza. “The distance of light projection to
the walls of the equipment room and the angle of the optics – 50°- were
determined, as well as the amount of equipment required to cover the
entire wall,” says Carlos Alzueta.
The
decision to have LED lighting, resulted in saving energy consumption and
saving time from the lighting installation, which was simplified with
ETC’s products.
“ETC’s
Source Four range is the industry standard in Spain when it comes to
theatre lighting. Considering the European regulations which are setting
energy efficiency requirements in lighting, ETC’s Source Four products
are a strong fit for lighting in museums which are becoming increasingly
LED. The high-quality standard of ETC products will see it lead the
change towards LED and color control that we
have been experimenting with for some years,” concludes Alzueta.
ETC’s
exclusive dealer in Spain, Stonex supplied the fixtures and assisted in
delivering the project thanks to over 39 years of experience in
providing
professional lighting and stage engineering solutions.
ETC
has completed the acquisition of the ArcSystem, BluesSystem, and
CueSystem product lines from GDS. From 2015 to 2019, ETC manufactured
and sold these
product families in North and South America only. Now, ETC takes over
the entire development and distribution process of these products across
the globe.
“Bringing
these family lines into the ETC fold allows us to reach more parts of
the world with ETC’s quality architectural lighting solutions and
unmatched
customer service,” said David Lincecum, ETC Vice President of
Marketing. “With this expansion, ETC increases venues’ access to
beautiful and efficient LED lighting in auditoriums and other
front-of-house public spaces.”
With
the transition complete, customers should now request quotations and
orders from ETC. Products distributed by ETC will be fully serviced by
ETC and
fall under its standard product warranties.
Already
installed in many of the world’s leading venues, ArcSystem is firmly
established as the leading solution for auditorium house lighting,
multi-purpose
venues, houses of worship, and anywhere that requires a premium quality
of light with flawless dimming. Optional wireless connectivity
facilitates easy and non-destructive installation into an existing
building.
Those ordering ArcSystem solutions now have more options to build into their auditorium lighting system. The line now includes new color temperatures, RDM control, and Fade to Warm options. Among the new fixture variants is the Pro One-Cell Micro, comparable to an MR-16 lamp, offering a compact recessed option controlled by its corresponding D2 ArcMesh Driver. For projects requiring exceptional brightness, the new Pro One-Cell High Output packs more than 8000 lumens into the same fixture size as the standard Pro One-Cell.
Following the success of Robbie Williams’ first U.S. residency in March, the British pop phenom returned to Las Vegas for another sold-out run this summer. In all performances, High End Systems Hog lighting consoles were networked for the lighting, lasers and media servers’ video content.
To make a splash in the
American market, Williams put together his “Live in Las Vegas” setlist at the
Wynn’s Encore Theatre to include more well-known Rat Pack standards, with fewer
of his own #1 U.K. hits.
LD Sean Burke not only designed
the production and the lighting but also programmed and served as lighting
director. Barry Lather worked with him as the show director and set co-designer.
“The design came from Barry,” Burke notes. “He had this vision of a ‘swing’ show with dancers, props, and so on. The band is pretty big for this small stage, so trying to fit it all in was a challenge. Different levels were needed to give a visual perspective in this small space.”
To deal with the narrow
width and low proscenium, Burke added six vertical ladders which flank the
video screens and the downstage areas. “This gives a lot of really good looks
toward the audience; it’s right there in front of them and being low produces a
big impact visually,” he explains.
Having been a Hog
console user for many years, Burke dedicated specific desks for different
segments of the production.
“We used a Full Boar 4
and a Playback Wing 4 for the lighting and video content control. The video
content on a media server is triggered via ArtNet. We also had a second set as
full back-up on the network.”
The LD continues, “We had
four DP 8000 units on the show: two active and two spares, for a full
redundancy on the system. Two units ran as a Hognet network, which went to the
rental lighting gear. We ran the HogNet DPs to aSCN devices giving us DMX. The
other two DP 8000 units were outputting ArtNet, which took over the house
system. We also had a Road Hog to run the laser system.”
Burke’s company, Holes
in the Dark, provided the Full Boars and the Playback Wings. Christie Lites
supplied the DP 8000 processors for the consoles along with other rental gear,
and ER Productions brought in their Road Hog as part of the laser control
package.
ER Productions
frequently uses Hog consoles. For this stint, Lawrence Wright programmed, and
Shane Davis operated the lasers.
“We were excited to
support Robbie Williams with a large, visually impactful rig,” Wright says,
adding that the Road Hog “triggered a vast array of laser effects and cues
perfectly on time via timecode each night.”
