Nestled on the shores of West Okoboji Lake in the heart of the Iowa
Great Lakes resort region, Historic Arnolds Park has been a major
vacation attraction in the Midwest since the 1800s. The park was
renowned for its Roof Garden Ballroom, a large dance hall that attracted
such artists as Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, The Guess Who, the Glenn
Miller Orchestra and many others during its heyday from 1923 to 1988.
Today, it operates as a non-profit attraction to benefit the community.
On
August 2, the new Roof Garden Ballroom reopened as a 1200-capacity
multipurpose venue, with an authentic vintage look buoyed by a
thoroughly modern sound system – Electro-Voice X-Line Advance X2
line-array loudspeakers powered by Dynacord IPX series DSP amplifiers.
The system enabled the park to celebrate its history with a series of
concert events featuring artists who played at the original venue. Tommy
James & The Shondells had the honor of headlining the first concert
in the redesigned Roof Garden Ballroom.
“Tommy James played the
original Roof Garden six times going back to 1966, so they were the
perfect act to open the new building,” notes Jeff Vierkant, CEO of
Historic Arnolds Park. “It was a packed house. They put on a fantastic
show, and the sound quality was incredible.”
Designed and
installed by NLFX Professional (Bemidji, MN), the all-Electro-Voice
loudspeaker system consists of twin eight-box X2-212 line arrays, with
five 90-degree enclosures flown above three 120-degree versions. Low
frequencies are supplied via six X12/128 dual-18” subwoofers. A set of
four Fri-28LPM line the stage lip as front fills, ensuring full coverage
in every seat.
Three Dynacord IPX20:4 DSP amplifiers drive the
rig, with each capable of supplying up to 20 kW of power. These
intelligent amplifiers also provide a built-in OMNEO/Dante interface for
networking the system, plus FIR-Drive and additional system DSP for
easy centralized control of the entire sound system. The entire system
is controlled from a laptop via IRIS-Net software. Handy presets make it
easy to operate the system while still affording the advanced control
that touring engineers prefer.
According to John Lynch, FOH
engineer for Tommy James and the Shondells, the Electro-Voice system was
outstanding. “This was a really nice rig – really smooth, with tons of
headroom,” he reports. “We run an old school rock ’n’ roll stage, with
classic guitar amps and no in-ears. The EV system had the punch to get
over that easily, yet with excellent clarity. And the subs are amazing.
We were moving a lot of air – shook all the dust out of that room!”
The
band’s monitor engineer, John Melasippo, had access to the venue’s new
stage system, also courtesy of Electro-Voice. Available speakers include
10 Xw15A 15” floor wedges, with three Dynacord IPX10:8 DSP amps
providing power along with network connectivity. One ETX-18SP powered
subwoofer is also available as a drum monitor.
“We couldn’t have
done this without NLFX Professional, who did a fantastic job,” notes
Arnolds CEO Jeff Vierkant. “Ben Stowe really made sure we were well
taken care of. He designed a system that sounds fantastic from every
seat in the house. He also trained our local sound engineers on the
system, and got it all installed and perfectly tuned on our short
timeline. Great company.”
For Historic Arnolds Park, the
re-opening of the Roof Garden with the X-Line Advance system marks the
return of a classic venue that meets the needs of top-level talent to
play amid the natural beauty of northwest Iowa. “From the opening
number, the crowd was happy, the band was happy, and Tommy was happy,”
adds John Lynch. “That’s what’s important. The sound system is a big
part of that, and the EV rig helped make for a very smooth day.”
Pepe Khumalo, from the Johannesburg branch of Prosound, discusses the company’s sound system installation at the AFM Church in Botswana. The characteristics of the Electro-Voice EVA line array speaker system for fixed installation combined with the shape of the building made the system the perfect choice for the church.
Pepe Khumalo, from the Johannesburg branch of South African Electro-Voice partner Prosound, discusses the company’s sound system installation at the AFM church in Botswana. The characteristics of the Electro-Voice EVA line array speaker system for fixed installation combined with the shape of the building made the system the perfect choice for the church.
#ElectroVoice #Dynacord
Founded and organized by Eric Clapton, the Crossroads Guitar Festival
is a two-day music event and trade show that benefits the Crossroads
Centre substance-abuse rehabilitation facility in Antigua. The 2019
edition was held at American Airlines Center in Dallas, with the indoor
arena augmented by an all-day outdoor Village Stage featuring special
guests and surprise performances in a master clinic format, sponsored by
Ernie Ball.
The sound system for the Village Stage was an
Electro-Voice X-Line Advance X2 line-array loudspeaker system, powered
by the latest Dynacord DSP amplifiers. Notable performers included John
Mayer, Eric Johnson, Joe Robinson, Andy Timmons and Paul Reed Smith. The
system was supplied by Gulf Coast Sound (Rayne, LA), with owner Larry
Habetz doing most of the mixing for crowds of up to 5,000. Electro-Voice
applications engineer Mike Reynolds was on hand as system tech.
The
main PA consisted of twin nine-box arrays of X2-212/120, supported by
eight ground-stacked X12-128 dual 18” subwoofers. Two EVC-1082
loudspeakers were deployed as front fills. The system was powered by
seven of the new TGX20 DSP amplifiers by Dynacord, which enabled 96 kHz
Dante audio with full redundancy. System monitoring and control were
handled via Dynacord’s new SONICUE sound system software. Two Dynacord
IPX10:8 multi-channel DSP amps powered the stage wedges.
On stage,
the microphone deployment was also Electro-Voice based, with ND76 and
ND86 dynamic vocal mics, and the ND44 handling the critical guitar amp
duties. Drum mics included the ND44 and ND46 on snare and toms, ND66
overheads, and ND68 on kick drum.
Larry Habetz reports that the
system was very well received by both artists and audiences. “The great
thing about this system is that it’s accurate and transparent,” he says.
“This show is all about tone, and the X2 really lets it shine. All
these artists have their own distinctive sound. Our job was to deliver
that sound accurately, and this EV line array makes that possible. We
had nothing but compliments all weekend.”
Guitarist Paul Reed
Smith, founder and Managing General Partner of PRS Guitars, was in the
unique position of hearing the FOH mix from his display area, then
experiencing the monitor system on stage. “While performing on the
outside stage at the Crossroads Festival and not knowing the brand of
line array and monitors, the people I performed with and other famous
musicians who played on the same stage, commented very positively on the
quality of the sound of the gear,” he notes. “I subsequently asked the
front of the house engineer and owner of the sound company what brand of
gear they were using ‘cause I liked it so much. They said it’s an EV
system. Nice job!”
Larry Habetz notes that the accuracy and
responsiveness of the Electro-Voice and Dynacord system is a perfect
match for an event like Crossroads Guitar Festival. “The X2 system gives
you the truth, and the new Dynacord amps really take it to the next
level in terms of efficiency and system control,” he reports. “Once we
were up and running, I knew we were in a great place sonically. But when
a tone legend like Paul Reed Smith compliments your sound from the
stage, it says a lot. That made it a great weekend, both for me and EV.”
The latest renovation at the historic Becker Brau – HB in Bucharest
has seen the installation of a new audio system that exploits the
synergies of Electro-Voice loudspeakers and Dynacord electronics. The
venue is the site of the first German brewery in the city and is a
popular location for a variety of events, from live music and theatrical
shows to weddings and corporate events.
It was this wide range of
applications that provided the main challenge for HSA Audio, the
Romanian Electro-Voice and Dynacord partner in charge of the system
design. “We were challenged by both the architecture and meeting the
needs of multiple people, from the owners and interior designers to the
orchestra and the event planner,” recalls Adrian Colita, General Manager
at HSA Audio. “Our main architectural challenge was to choose an audio
system that could seamlessly blend into the design of the location while
also meeting the technical and acoustic requirements.”
To achieve
this, HSA Audio chose the Expandable Vertical Array (EVA) from
Electro-Voice for fixed installations, which allows users to drive up to
eight boxes (the equivalent of 16 line array elements) from a single
amp channel. The main hangs consist of three EVA-2082S 920 per side,
with low-frequency extension via two EVA-2151D subwoofer elements each
side, all sporting a white finish. To complement this, EVID-S series
commercial sound loudspeakers were also installed, providing superior
sound quality with controlled coverage for keeping background music
focused and paging intelligible. Sixteen EVID-S8.2W loudspeakers form
the venue’s background music system, while also serving as delays for
the main system and providing a seamless, linear sound that matches the
elegant design.
Power and processing for the installed solution is
via Dynacord L Series amplifiers with four L1300FD and a further pair
of L3600FD units deployed. Dynacord’s Multi Amplifier Remote Control
(MARC) software allows users to configure, operate and supervise up to
eight amplifiers. “The L Series amplifiers have helped us a lot on the
processing side for both the main audio system and the background music,
all the more so as we can easily set the delay groups,” says Colita. A
Dynacord CMS 1000-3 mixing console provides additional hands-on control.
“Our
customer and their guests are very pleased with the audio quality and
system performance, as well as the elegant design.” adds Colita.
Each year, Mason Sound (Jacksonville, IL) provides the sound system
and crew support for the concert series at the Illinois State Fair’s
main grandstand stage. New for 2019, Mason Sound utilized Dynacord’s
SONICUE sound system software to streamline the control and
configuration of their Dynacord TGX-powered Electro-Voice X-Line Advance
line-array loudspeaker system.
Requiring a 250-foot throw across a
dirt racetrack to the very wide grandstand, the Illinois State Fair in
Springfield is one of the region’s more challenging outdoor concert
venues, so controlled coverage is key. Additionally, the fair’s diverse
line-up of performers requires a sound system with the flexibility to
accurately and easily deliver a wide range of musical styles in the
hands of the various visiting mix engineers who run the rig over the
course of the eleven-day concert series. This year’s line-up included
Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Old Dominion, Pentatonix, Dan + Shay and Bad
Company, among many others.
SONICUE elegantly assisted in
addressing all the above for this year’s deployment. SONICUE is
system-focused software that uses an intuitive “speaker view” GUI that
provides direct access to every system parameter on the fly, resulting
in amazingly fast and precise set-up and tuning. With reduced
preparation time on several days, due to horse and auto racing events on
the racetrack in front of the stage, SONICUE proved to be a big help:
“Our older system would take an hour or so to set up,” says Mason Sound
system tech Jason Hebron. “This one takes about 20 minutes. All the
engineers have been very happy with it.”
Ian Zorbaugh, FOH
engineer for country stars Old Dominion, was among those with positive
reviews for the Electro-Voice and Dynacord system. “It exceeds all
expectations,” he says. “I mix pretty dynamic with Old Dominion, and had
no issues with running out of headroom. As soon as you turn sound on,
you feel comfortable mixing. It’s been a very pleasant experience.”
This
year’s system included twin 18-box hangs of Electro-Voice X2-212
line-array modules, with Mason Sound opting for the 120-degree
dispersion model. Six more boxes were ground-stacked to ensure full
coverage of the very wide venue. Massive low frequency capability was
supplied by two banks of 16 X12-128 dual-18” subwoofers stacked on the
deck under the main arrays. Side-fills of three X2-212/120 were stacked
on top of a pair Electro-Voice X12/125F subwoofers. The entire system
was networked together for central control through 16 Dynacord TGX20 DSP
amplifiers, providing 320,000 watts of clean, efficient power.
Being
invited back to provide sound at the Illinois State Fair for several
years now, Mason Sound President Dave Mason credits his personnel and
sound system. “There are a lot of sound companies in our area, and
Electro-Voice is one of the main reasons we stick out above the crowd,”
he notes. “Their products and support are second to none.”
The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup will be held in Beijing, Shanghai,
Wuhan, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan from August 31
to September 15, 2019. This is the first year in which China is hosting
the event, which features a record number of participating teams and
anticipates record attendance numbers. Accordingly, the demands on
infrastructure – including sound and security systems — are higher than
ever.
Thanks its rich experience in stadium system installations
and an extensive product portfolio, Bosch and its professional audio
brands Dynacord and Electro-Voice were chosen to provide integrated
sound and security solutions for four of the tournament’s major venues:
Beijing Cadillac Center, Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Wuhan Sports
Center and Foshan International Sports and Performing Arts Center.
According
to the different requirements of each site, Bosch PRAESIDEO public
address and voice alarm, Dynacord IPX and Electro-Voice TG multi-channel
amplifiers, Electro-Voice X1 line array loudspeakers and EVH
horn-loaded loudspeakers, and a range of other high-performance products
have been installed to help elevate the game-day audio experience for
fans and help share the excitement of the FIBA Basketball World Cup with
the world.
Cadillac Center
Beijing’s
18,000-seat Cadillac Center, formerly known as Wukesong Station, served
as a competition venue for basketball matches during the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games. Since it is the venue for semi-finals and finals of this
year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup, its reconstruction project has
attracted a lot of attention. Thanks to its location and advanced
facilities, Cadillac Center is among the busiest stadiums in the world,
with a particularly high utilization rate in recent years. The
installation was successfully completed within a tight time frame,
significantly reducing the impact on daily activities at the venue.
The
placement of the X1 arrays was limited by having just four hoisting
points available on the stadium’s ceiling structure. The choice of
horizontal coverage patterns – 90 and 120 degrees – and rigging hardware
options meant that a total of 48 X1 full-range elements were installed
across the space with no compromises in coverage or sound quality. These
are supported by 12 X12-128 subwoofers distributed in four groups,
ensuring excellent low-frequency reproduction. Four EVH horn-loaded
loudspeakers cover the court area, ensuring the players and team members
hear announcements clearly. The system at Cadillac Center is powered by
21 Dynacord IPX series multi-channel power amplifiers, which offer
presets to optimize the performance of the Electro-Voice loudspeakers.
Foshan International Sports and Performing Arts Center
Compared
with Cadillac Center, which has been in use for over ten years, Foshan
International Sports and Performing Arts Center — built in 2018 – is an
up-and-coming star. Within just one year the stadium, designed to host
international NBA games and the FIBA Basketball World Cup, has become
one of the most important sports and cultural facilities in south China.
“In
order to meet the customer’s strict requirements for the sound
reinforcement system, together with Electro-Voice team we installed a
total of 54 X1 line-array loudspeakers in six groups with 12 Xsub
subwoofers to cover the spectator area, as well as 20 TG7 power
amplifiers to satisfy system drive needs for transient peaks and low
impedance,” explains Wang Yong, project manager at Bosch partner Nanjing
Hiwin. “To ensure that spectators throughout the venue hear games and
announcements clearly during every match, we selected 28 EVF
loudspeakers as auxiliary fills (powered by seven TG5 amplifiers), and
eight ZX3 loudspeakers as mobile sound fills (powered by two TG5
amplifiers), delivering the exciting competitive atmosphere to every
corner of the venue.”
In addition, an Electro-Voice N8000 digital
audio matrix controller provides comprehensive and extensive management
for the entire system. Wang Yong adds,“depending on the requirements for
places of various sizes, such as deluxe boxes, chairman lounges, VIP
lounges and club lounges, we have installed hundreds of EVID and ZX1i
loudspeakers together with Dynacord C-series power amplifiers, ensuring
that personnel in different areas can hear sound clearly and
synchronously. In addition, a Bosch CCS 1000 D digital conference system
also allows effective communication between stadium and FIBA staff for
meetings during the event.”
Wuhan Sports Center
1000
kilometers away from Foshan, the Wuhan Sports Center has also
transformed its sound reinforcement system for the upcoming Basketball
World Cup. The Electro-Voice and Dynacord team installed four EVH
loudspeakers to cover the court area, with 36 flown EVA compact
line-array elements in six groups to cover different zones of the
spectator area. Utilizing the powerful processing functionality of 24
DYNACORD C-series amplifiers, the system provides consistently excellent
performance for major events at the venue.
Shanghai Oriental Sports Center
Bosch
and Electro-Voice solutions are also providing a combination of sound
and security at the 18,000-seat Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. This
large indoor sports facility installed Bosch and Electro-Voice products
soon after its completion. 10 years later, their excellent performance
continues to extend the value of the initial investment.
Key
products include EVH horn-loaded loudspeakers and N8000 digital matrix
systems to coverage and intelligibility across multiple audio zones. The
PRAESIDEO Digital Public Address and Voice Alarm System from Bosch,
combined with a range of ceiling and surface-mounted speakers in zones,
enhances the venue’s overall operating efficiency, safety and security.
More than 1000 high-performance Bosch cameras are installed on site to
ensure personnel safety and to conduct real-time surveillance inside and
outside the stadium.
Bosch, Dynacord and Electro-Voice are proud
to play such an integral role in hosting the 2019 FIBA Basketball World
Cup. Like every player on court, each brand strives for excellence in
every project.
