21 Aug, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
- 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.”
23 Jul, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
While a new Chinese sports centre is providing a platform to take Olympic events to a new level, its Electro-Voice sound systems are doing the same for audio. Caroline Moss reports from Suzhou:
The
Chinese city of Suzhou is known more for its traditional gardens, nine
of which have UNESCO world heritage status, than for its sporting
facilities. However, the new Olympic Sports Centre could be set to
change that. The sports centre, designed as a new city landmark, is
based in a zone built to consolidate all of Suzhou’s sporting facilities
in one new area, including the existing stadium which will be relocated
from downtown. Sound systems for the sports centre’s three main venues,
some of which will also stage music events, have been provided by Bosch
China.
Built to a design by German architectural practice, Gerkan, Marg and Partners, the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre takes its cue from the Chinese landscape gardens that populate the city. A 47-hectare, publicly accessible landscaped park accommodates extensive sporting facilities as well as offices and a shopping mall. The three main sporting facilities – a 45,000-capacity stadium, indoor arena and aquatic centre – have been equipped by Bosch in a tender that was won by Hangzhou Tianlong Audio. According to the brief, all three venues had to meet the most stringent of standards to ensure the project got top ranking among Chinese sports facilities and is able to host international sporting competitions and other events.
Xianghua Zhou is one of the proprietors of the systems integration
company, which is based in the nearby city of Hangzhou. Sporting
facilities are becoming a bit of a speciality for the company, which
recently completed work on the Shanghai International Circuit, the venue
for the annual Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix. Hangzhou Tianlong Audio
was employed on the Suzhou project as a subcontractor, working for the
main contractor to provide and install the audio systems.
The main
structures of the buildings were already in place when Zhou and his
team started work in the summer of 2017. This included the stadium,
which has the distinction of being constructed with the first
single-skin steel cable network roof in China. While the visual aspect
of this roof gives the stadium a distinctive and striking look, the
practicalities of flying a powerful sound system from it presented some
specific challenges. There wasn’t much that could be done about movement
in the roof caused by heavy winds, which can add a swing range of up to
1.5m, but the effects of other extreme weather conditions have been
mitigated by the installation of Electro-Voice EVH weather-resistant
speakers which have been mounted on the lip of the roof. The speakers
have been supplied in white, so the aesthetic qualities of the stadium
roof have not been spoiled in any way.
However, the main challenge thrown up by the special roof was that it wasn’t capable of bearing very heavy loads. This caused problems, as the tender specified that all speakers should be capable of being derigged for maintenance at any time. Hangzhou Tianlong Audio worked closely with the Bosch team to come up with a solution for this. Their first design included lifting mechanisms to be flown at each point, but this would have added too much weight to the structure. The company played around with the design, changing it many times before finally hitting on an ingenious solution: they would design their own piece of lifting equipment that operates from the ground. Two such systems have been built and supplied, allowing the loudspeakers to be lowered to the ground by means of a motorised winding engine and raised back up on wire cables wound around a winch. This method of installation was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Stadium which, like Suzhou, has a cable-supported fabric membrane roof, covering approximately two thirds of the audience area. The London stadium is installed with Electro-Voice EVH speakers, which have also been used in Suzhou.
A total of 80 EVH-1152S full-range, horn-loaded speakers have been
installed on 40 rigging points around the perimeter of the roof, in
alternate groups of three and one; the trio of speakers covering the
spectators in the stadium seats, and the single ones – 20 in total –
projecting sound outwards onto the playing field. The system was
designed using EASE prediction software. ‘The general acoustics of the
stadium were very good, and there were no major problems,’ says Zhou,
explaining that coverage is even throughout the entire audience area.
The
entire system is being driven by Electro-Voice TG7 3500 w/ch
amplifiers, with audio transmission throughout the stadium via Dante.
Cables to each speaker have been run through the roof of the stadium
from amp rooms on either side, and Zhou estimates that at least 20km of
Cat-6 cabling has been used for the installation.
Up in the control room, the mixing console is a Stage Tec Auratus Platinum. During most sporting events held in the stadium, the console usually receives audio signals from TASCAM and Pioneer CD and DVD players in the control room rack playing recorded music, and announcements via Shure wireless mic systems consisting of UA844+SWB antenna distribution systems, UA874 active directional antenna, SLX24 and SM58 handheld mics and MX418 goosenecks. The stadium is mainly being used for football matches, and has become home to a local team. Additionally, and befitting its name, the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre can also accommodate all the different Olympic sporting activities, with a track circling the stadium pitch for sports such as running, hurdling, jumping and throwing events. The stadium’s PA system, therefore, will find most of its use in providing background music and speech for sporting applications, with its secondary purpose being for emergency evacuation and other announcements.
When the stadium hosts rock concerts, however, as well as the
protective covering that is applied to the pitch and the stage erected
in the centre, the audio system is expanded with the addition of a
portable Dynacord Cobra-2 compact line array system, which can cover the
entire venue, working together with the installed system. This portable
system has been used for a popular TV show, Running Man China. Large touring productions may often choose to bring in their own systems, however.
In
one of the distinctive, curved buildings that makes up the sports
centre is a gymnasium, or indoor arena, with 8,000 fixed seats that can
be expanded with portable seats stored underneath them to accommodate a
total of 13,000. This venue is approved for CBA (Chinese Basketball
Association) league games, the first-tier professional basketball league
in China, of which Suzhou boasts a local team, the Jiangsu Kentier
Dragons. The gymnasium can also be used for other sports, such as
badminton and curling.
According to CBA requirements, a cuboid LED
screen has been installed in the centre of the gymnasium which can be
raised and lowered. So, this presented the main challenge when it came
to installing the Electro-Voice X2-212/90 high-performance compact
vertical line array system. ‘We needed to avoid hitting the LED screen
but, by using EASE to predict the system design, this was a
straightforward job,’ says Zhou.
A total of 70 X2-212/90 speakers in black have been installed here, divided into six hangs of eight, and two of 11, both flown in the centre of each of the long sides of the gymnasium, where they can focus more energy on the VIP seating areas.
This venue can also be used for musical events – a recent Jacky
Cheung concert was held here – with a stage erected at one of the
shorter sides of the gymnasium, above which a lighting rig has been
fixed. Again, the sports centre’s portable system can be deployed here
if necessary, but, quite often, supplementary equipment will be brought
in by the production itself. However, Zhou is impressed with the
capabilities of the installed Electro-Voice system. ‘For concerts, you
definitely need to add subs in here of course, but this model is compact
and powerful and has a very good performance at the low end,’ he says.
Amp
rooms on each of the long sides of the venue are installed with
Electro-Voice TG7 3500 w/ch amplifiers, and again the signal is
transmitted via Dante. Up in the control room is a further Stage Tec
Auratus console, while a Shure radio mic system is in use here as well.
Over
in the 3,000-seat aquatic centre, which houses two swimming pools, two
separate speaker systems have been installed, one for spectators and the
other for the swimmers competing in the main pool. ‘They put on water
ballet in this pool, so they needed to have an underwater system,’
explains Zhou.
Six Electro-Voice UW30 underwater speakers in white have been installed along each of the long sides of the competition pool, 1.2m below the surface. Hangzhou Tianlong Audio constructed special boxes with a grid to contain these 12 speakers, which have been hardwired into the pool via conduits that run below the poolside and up into the amp rooms, and are networked via AES digital cabling. Electro-Voice claims that these speakers are able to offer a fast transmission speed underwater courtesy of the patented structural enclosure which acts as a sound transducer. This waterproof enclosure also ensures that no metal parts are exposed, increasing the longevity of the speaker and allowing it to operate in deep water.
The audience system for the competition pool consists of 20
Electro-Voice EVH-1152S weather-resistant speakers, which have again
been supplied in white to meet the high standards required for the
installation. A cluster of three of these has been flown in the centre
of each of the long sides of the pool, facing downwards to cover the
audience. To the right and left of these central clusters are two
further clusters targeting the audience, each consisting of two EVH
speakers, while single speakers at either side of these focus on the
pool itself.
Up in the control room, all sound sources – mainly
prerecorded music for swimming competitions and water ballet, plus
announcements – are run from a DiGiCo S21 compact digital console, with a
Yamaha MGP24X installed for backup. Again, a Shure radio mic system has
been provided here.
Outside in the commercial plaza, an ice rink
in the shopping mall is covered by a sound system of Dynacord VL Series
loudspeakers, which plays music for the skaters.
With the addition of its new Olympic facilities, Suzhou’s ambition to develop a new sporting zone is well and truly off the starting blocks.
Article from: www.proavl-asia.com
14 Jun, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
Electro-Voice has unveiled the MFX Multi-Function Monitors range at InfoComm 2019, engineered to complement the Bosch brand’s X-Line Advance X1, X2, X12-128 and X12-125F line array models and corresponding installation versions.
This MFX catalogue comprises the 12-inch MFX-12MC and 15-inch MFX-15MC. They are two-way coaxial monitors that use high-output, coaxially aligned HF and LF transducers paired with a new Constant-Directivity waveguide and crossover design. Coverage in monitor orientation is 40° x 60°. The dimensions and location of the waveguide are said to interact with the woofer to create a bipole output that enhances coverage control through the midrange frequencies.
As well as providing a stable sound image when the performer moves off-axis, the compact coaxial design of the cabinets reportedly results in a low-profile footprint onstage in comparison to other high-end monitors. The cabinets also employ a brand-new concept with dual monitor angles of 35° and 55° that allows the output to be focused directly towards the performer.
The MFX Multi-Function Monitors have also been optimised for use with TGX10 or IPX10:4 amplifiers from EV’s Bosch sibling Dynacord. Both the MFX-12MC and MFX-15MC can be deployed in passive or biamp configuration, and can be put to use for different applications via DSP settings in the amps. Power handling for the MFX-12MC is 400W (continuous) and 4,000W (peak); the MFX-15MC delivers 500W (continuous) and 4,000W (peak). Both models have maximum SPL ratings of 135dB and 136dB, respectively.
In addition, the MFX monitors feature an integrated pole cup, allowing use as short-throw main/full-range loudspeakers for sound reinforcement when needed.
10 May, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
“EVA
has the right tone, covered the space very evenly, and there was
nothing abrasive or harsh. We knew right away that we had found the
right system.”
Located in suburban Akron, Ohio,
Grace Church is a contemporary Christian church with eight locations.
They sought a more musically coherent sound system to replace the aging
point-source system in their main Bath Campus location. Integrator Kevin
Root of Rootaudio saw the 620-seat sanctuary as an excellent candidate
for a line-array system, and suggested Electro-Voice as a solution.
“Electro-Voice
systems deliver amazing sound quality without breaking the budget, so I
spoke with my representative, CL Pugh,” says Root. “They set up demos
of the X1 system and Expandable Vertical Array (EVA) for us. The
larger-format, longer-throw X1 was more than this sanctuary – which
seats just over 600 – needed, and the EVA filled the room perfectly. EVA
has the right tone, covered the space very evenly, and there was
nothing abrasive or harsh. We knew right away that we had found the
right system.”
Working with EASE software, CL Pugh and Rootaudio
designed a highly efficient system based around two five-box hangs of
EVA-2082S dual-element array modules. The top three boxes have
90-by-6-degree dispersion, transitioning to the 120-by-20-degree version
beneath them for nearfield coverage. This layout provides full HF
coverage from about three feet off the stage, eliminating the need for
front fills, side fills and delay speakers. The arrays are each paired
with three EVA-1151D subwoofers, flown separately, directly behind each
line array. As a final touch, three Electro-Voice ETX-18SP self-powered
subwoofers are mounted beneath the front stage extension.
The
entire system is powered by just four Dynacord C3600FDi DSP power
amplifiers. Each array requires just one amplifier, with one channel for
the top three modules and the other feeding the bottom two boxes. Each
flown set of three EVA1151D subs is powered by a single amplifier.
“These
are great amps,” says Root. “With the power they have, and the
efficiency of the EVA arrays, there’s so much headroom that they haven’t
even hit the limiters yet, even during services.”
The actual
installation went very smoothly, with all speakers flown in just one
day, followed by time alignment and final tuning. Root reports that the
EVAs sounded great right out of the box, requiring very little system EQ
beyond a bit of filtering due to the room shape, which is 60 feet wide
at the back and about 100 feet wide in the front. The entire process was
completed in less than a week. The EVA’s installation-dedicated design
also ensures a clean, architecture friendly look, with hidden rigging.
“Working
with churches, budget is always a driving force, so some people end up
designing a system around the budget instead of the room,” says Kevin
Root. “That’s what makes EV and Dynacord such a great value. We designed
the right system for the room, which turned out to be within budget and
with no compromises, which is how it should be. Everyone involved is
thrilled at the result.”
4 Apr, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
The Christian Reformed Church was established in Sydney’s leafy
Sutherland Shire in 1960 and is one of 45 Reformed Church congregations
across Australia. Following three location changes the current church
building was completed in 1991, in the suburb of Barden Ridge, and
serves an average service attendance of 250-300 parishioners.
“The sound quality is great. Dispersion is very even throughout the church and the band are raving about how good they sound.”
PA History
The
first loudspeakers installed in the new church were only good enough
for speech and were not used for the amplification of the band. Few
years later, Matthew James, the sound specialist at the church, sourced a
pair of the ever-reliable Electro-Voice SX-100 speakers from Bava’s
Music.
When asked how Matthew got introduced to EV audio gear he
replied: “I’ve always been interested in sound and speakers and used to
build my own speakers using the “loudspeaker design cookbook”. I soon
learned that to get the most natural best sound it takes years of
testing drivers, crossovers and cabinet design, something that is impo
ssible to do in the garage on a very limited budget!
I think what
got me first interested in EV speakers was when we used to go down to
the Black Stump conferences once a year at the Cataract scout site. EV
speakers were extensively used, and I thought they sounded great.”
The New Audio Visual System
Earlier
in the year the church committee took the decision to upgrade the Audio
Visual system for a number of reasons. Firstly, even though the SX-100
loudspeakers did a decent job for over a decade, the coverage they
produced was not ideal around the back or sides of the church. “The EV
SX-100 loudspeakers are great value for money and they sound nice,
however they were just not designed for a church space of this size.
There were a few areas where the sound was a bit thin.”
Apart
from the church band screaming for a new system, the second major reason
for a new audio system, was the introduction of two new projectors and
projector screens. The SX-100 loudspeakers were in the way. Hence,
Matthew James started researching which Electro-Voice loudspeakers might
suit a church if this size and provide quality sound, even coverage and
value for money. He came across the Vari-Intense model and sought
advice from Bava’s Music and subsequently Electro-Voice product
specialists who confirmed the choice was very suitable.
The EVC-1122-VI (Vari-Intense) in Detail
With
the main floor of the church being 18 m long x 14 m wide, and ceiling
height of 7 m or more, it made sense to use the EVCVari-Intense
loudspeakers. As they are hung at just over 6 m, the unique driver, horn
and waveguide combinations allows the EVC-1122-VI loudspeaker to throw
and cover evenly across an area of 3 times their height position to the
front, and 2 times their height to each side. This meant that just two
of these would suffice to deliver quality sound across the entire floor.
The
advantage of the VI approach is that there is reduced variation in
sound level from the front to the back of the audience, compared to
typical point source solutions. The high frequency section of the EVC
1122/VI loudspeaker comprises a single 1¼-inch pure titanium dome
compression driver directly coupled to a compound waveguide that
combines long-throw and short-throw behaviour in a single acoustical
device. This unique waveguide creates uniform pattern control and
smooth, linear response.
Dynacord L Series Amplifier
Dynacord’s
L2800 amplifier was chosen to power the Vari-Intense loudspeakers. With
1400 W per channel at 4 ohms, the amplifier is more than capable
driving the 300 W continuous (1200 W peak) Vari-Intense loudspeakers.
The L Series amplifiers are engineered for demanding live music
applications. They are ideal for live performances in venues such as
houses of worship, sports venues, school auditoriums and clubs. The L
Series power amplifiers comprise a best-in-class, tour-grade feature set
that brings real professional performance to a new price point. Their
high-quality components and professional processing power and
performance characteristics enable exceptional sound quality with plenty
of headroom.
An on-board DSP includes multi-band PEQs,
crossovers, limiters, and delay per channel. It also has true channel
grouping control with extra DSP capabilities like PEQ, GEQ and delay for
each group. The amplifier is also equipped with advanced FIR-Drive, a
premium feature normally reserved for the highest quality tour-grade
DSPs. It optimizes original factory loudspeaker settings, yielding a
level of performance unheard of at this price point. Due to these
reasons no additional DSP unit was required for this project.
EV PolarChoice Lectern Mic
An
Electro-Voice PolarChoice lectern microphone was chosen for the spoken
audio. PolarChoice is apremium lectern microphone that is very flexible
in terms of pick-up patterns. The user can select between omni,
cardioid, supercardioid or hypercardioid patterns.
The microphone
is designed to provide a smooth and uniform frequency response, no
matter what pattern is selected. An extended low frequency response and
switchable high-pass filter can be utilised.
The Monitors
The
band, featuring 3 vocalists, keyboard/organ/piano player, drummer, bass
and guitar players, use three EV ZLX-12P powered loudspeakers as
monitors. An EKX-15SP powered subwoofer for supplements the monitors and
FOH speakers.
3 Apr, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
Located in Aptos, CA, Twin Lakes Church is a large faith community,
offering three contemporary Christian services per week in a sanctuary
seating about 1750. The church relies largely on the expertise among its
5000 members to drive its technical ministry, an approach that bore
fruit in the selection and installation of a new premium audio system.
The team chose Electro-Voice X-Line Advance X2 line array loudspeakers,
powered by the latest in amplifier technology – the Dynacord IPX series.
Director
of Technical Ministries Barry Schneider led the process, using an
in-house tech team from design through physical installation. Twin Lakes
sound engineer Karl Heebner, who designs and installs sound systems for
AV Now Fitness Sound in nearby Santa Cruz, was tapped as the official
integrator.
Having heard several sound systems demonstrated at
trade shows, the X2 and a system from another major brand were selected
for an on-site evaluation. After a shootout, the X2 system was the clear
winner. “All the demo systems were good, but we really loved the
consistency across varying ranges and levels with the X2,” says Karl
Heebner of AV Now. “There was a conversational quality that we loved for
spoken word, with immense clarity and power for full concert events
like our Christmas shows.”
The system design was a collaborative
process among Twin Lakes, AV Now and Electro-Voice. The main PA consists
of twin 10-box line arrays of X2-212/120 loudspeakers, supported by
eight X12-128 dual-18” subwoofers hidden beneath the stage. Eight
ultra-compact EVU-2062 dual-6” speakers provide audio in the lobby area,
while legacy loudspeakers remain under the balcony. The entire system
is powered and processed by Dynacord’s new IPX series power amplifiers.
“We
tend to take on these projects ourselves, so it’s a little different
from the average church,” explains Schneider. “AV Now helped us to
collaborate with Electro-Voice on the system design. It turned out to be
an outstanding experience.” To aid in the transition from design to
integration, a structural engineer was engaged to produce final
drawings. The installation was done by the Twin Lakes technical team,
then commissioned by Electro-Voice.
“The great thing about the X2
system is how completely it fills the space,” notes Schneider. “We no
longer need front fills, and only about three rows are shaded by the
balcony. We’ve got great uniformity across the room, without the need
for a lot of additional support.”
Dynacord’s IPX series powers the
entire X2 system, requiring just six IPX 20:4 and two IPX 10:8 models
(four- and eight-channel respectively). The IPX 20:4 offers a power
density of up to 20 kW from a single unit with all channels driven. IPX
amps offer the highest flexibility both for low- and high-impedance
applications with parallel and parallel/bridged power drive modes, and
up to 50 percent less power consumption thanks to Dynacord’s Eco Rail
technology. Fully integrated 96 kHz DSP with FIR-Drive processing and
OMNEO IP architecture supports Dante audio networking and OCA protocol.
“We
loved the idea of going forward with the latest technology, and the new
Dynacord amps fit right into our Dante network,” notes Karl Heebner.
“That allows us to send a full digital signal to the speakers. Our IPX
amps were first run, commissioned prior to them hitting the market. With
that kind of factory support, we knew we had made the right decision.”
Reactions
from the congregation and tech team support that view. “Everyone loves
the new system,” says Barry Schnieder. “I would like to say that direct
support from the EV team played a big role in our success. They always
answered our calls, and spent a couple days here commissioning the
system to make sure everything was just as we wanted it. It really gives
us confidence in the long term, knowing the kind of support that’s
backing it.
