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.”
9 May, 2019 | Electro-Voice
On Friday May 3, beloved Bedfordview venue Bailey’s Live welcomed
the iconic South African rock band Clout. With the gig powered by a new
Electro-Voice (EV) rig, the crowd were treated to a night of great music and
top-quality sound.
Musician Gary van Zyl has played bass in
some of South Africa’s most esteemed bands, including Juluka and now Clout, who
are best known for their hit single, “Substitute.” He explains that Prosound
have been sponsoring him since the 80s, though he has worked at the company –
as repairs manager – for the last 11 years.
This relationship led to Prosound
sponsoring the rig for the Clout show at Bailey’s. The rider featured new gear
from US company Electro-Voice, including two EV ETX35P speakers and two ETX18sp
subs for the main PA (left and right), solutions which have been praised around
the world for their power and portability. This was complemented by a stage
setup of one EV TourX TX 1122FM 12” monitor speaker; three EV Phoenix PX 1122M
12” monitor speakers; one ZLX 15p powered speaker and two EV Q1212 amplifiers,
with EV PL series drum microphones to ensure fantastic low-end response and
snappy snare drum sounds.
Murray Grassow, the full-time sound
engineer at Bailey’s Live, says that he “likes the EV rig, because for its
weight and size, it packed a hell of a punch.”
He also mentions the attractive look of cabs, and says that – in his experience – the company makes durable and reliable gear.
“For
example, I have been working with a second-hand TourX single 15” tops
and single 18” subs for many years, and they just keep pushing on like
they’re brand-new.”
Reflecting on the show, Grassow says “it
was great to work with Prosound and Clout are still some of the best musos I
have worked with.”
From the band’s perspective, “We had a
fantastic night and Lee Brune (of Prosound) did a great job as always,” van Zyl
says. “Bailey’s is a beautiful venue and Murray, their sound technician, was
very helpful. The EV rig kicked butt!”
5 Apr, 2019 | Electro-Voice
Nestled by the Swan River and right in front of Perth’s new $1.5
billion Optus Stadium, The Camfield boasts an impressive set of numbers:
9000 square metres, 3,000 person capacity, 2 km from CBD, 300 kegs of
beer delivered every week, 125 kegs of beer made in-house, 80 m long
bar, 175 beer taps, and 180 staff on an average night. Then there’s 96
Electro-Voice loudspeakers and amplifiers used to provide sound for
functions, ambience and pure raw entertainment, whether it’s a game
coverage or live music in its spacious beer-garden.
The pub is
extremely spacious, and welcoming at the same time. It caters for a wide
variety of patrons and uses: from the sports fan visiting next door, to
workers popping in for lunch or an after work drink, through to meals
with friends and family, or corporate events of all shapes and sizes.
Not only does The Camfield provide the suitable spaces, extensive menus
and a wide selection of beverages (including in-house micro-brewery
products) for a wide variety of patrons, it also features the
professional audio system required for a venue this size.
“The performance of both the indoor and outdoor speakers selected outdoes what was proposed to the client”
The Canteen
The
bright and tasteful bistro space caters to reservations, walk in guests
and small to large functions. The combination of bar, dining and lounge
style seating offers an ideal space for meeting up with friends and
family or networking with clients.
Electro-Voice’s EVID-S, the
latest award winning commercial installation loudspeakers, provide
background music in this space. EVID-S offers impressive performance,
faster and easier installation, and great value for money. Due to the
expansive area and changing volume in chatter from varying numbers of
patrons, EVID-S loudspeakers are reinforced with Electro-Voice EKX
passive subwoofers, to extend the frequency response of the system at
all volumes.
The Terraces & Surrounds
There
are a number of terraces with spectacular views of either the Swan
River, Optus Stadium or the Beer Garden. Perfect for cocktail events, or
just for chilling out, the spaces combine both high and low seating.
Industry staples, the Electro-Voice EVID ceiling speakers are used
across the terraces. Designed with both the contractor and the listener
in mind, EVID ceiling speakers are aesthetically pleasing and sonically
proven to provide exceptional sound for patrons. Corners of buildings
feature ZX5 loudspeakers that easily fill the outdoor spaces with music.
The Beer Garden
The
Beer Garden is at the heart of the venue. The space has access to the
Main Bar, Garden Bar and the Container Bar with roof-top seating. The
space has a huge, custom-built screen surrounded by an arrangement of
high and low seating, as well as beanbags. Across the outdoor spaces a
full-range of high performance Electro-Voice ZX5 loudspeakers provide
sound for the big screen as well as outdoor entertainment.
The ZX5
is lightweight and combines audio performance, with versatility,
aesthetics and a tremendous output capability. ZX5 loudspeakers are
known in the industry for their installation versatility, durability and
high-spec performance. They deliver 600 W power continuously (2400 W
peak), produce a maximum SPL of 132 dB and have a very smooth frequency
response.
The Amplifiers
Every amplifier
used to drive the loudspeakers at the Camfield comes from the
Electro-Voice CPS range. Engineered in Germany, the CPS 2 and 4 channel
amplifiers are industry workhorses known for their reliability and value
for money. The 2 channel models drive the low-impedance ZX5
loudspeakers while the 4 channel models drive the EVID-S 100 V line
loudspeakers.
Words from the Integrator
Marcus
Stackpole, Project Manager from Vision Cabling explains why
Electro-Voice gear was chosen for the project. “Vision Cabling Systems
designed the concept around the EVID-S wall-mount and the ZX5Pi
weatherised range for the performance, quality and ease of installation.
Backed with The Camfield being so close to the Swan River, speakers
that could perform in an environment such as this were integral to
deliver the project. Since the opening of the venue the support for the
product from an integrator’s perspective has been outstanding and we
look forward to working with Electro-Voice and Audio Source
(Distributors of Electro-Voice in WA) again on upcoming projects. The
performance of both the indoor and outdoor speakers selected outdoes
what was proposed to the client, exceeding their expectations and
delivering a higher quality of sound than previously thought with
acoustic challenges throughout the venue including stadium ambience.”
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.
8 Mar, 2019 | Dynacord, Electro-Voice
- Five weatherized Electro-Voice EVH and EVF loudspeakers provide full-range coverage for 8,000-seat stadium
- Dynacord C3600 amplifiers provide power, DSP and FIR-Drive speaker optimization for cohesive, full-range audio
- Southwest Building Systems delivered cost-effective service with a single system design custom-integrated into two similar stadiums
“We’ve had nothing but awesome reactions from everyone. People are blown away by the sound. Now we can really get the place rocking, from the time the team comes out of the locker room and all through the game.”
When legendary Texas football coach Mike Spradlin joined Magnolia Independent School District in suburban Houston as Director of Athletics in 2016, he set about upgrading the football experience at the district’s high schools. Part of that plan was the installation of new video scoreboards and sound systems at both Magnolia and Magnolia West. Southwest Building Systems (Sillsbee, Texas) was engaged to design and install new sound systems at both facilities.
“Our old systems were just a few horns mounted on top of the press box. They sounded terrible, and music was out of the question,” says Robert Patty, Sports Information Coordinator for the district. “We wanted to create more of a college-type game day experience, to get the fans and players pumped up.”
The goal was to deliver full, even coverage in the bleachers, with clear, high fidelity sound quality for game announcements, music, and sponsor video commercials. Southwest Building Systems designed a PA system featuring long-throw Electro-Voice loudspeakers powered and processed by C Series amplifiers from EV’s sibling brand Dynacord. The same system was installed in both stadiums, which have virtually identical bleacher and scoreboard layouts.
The system is based on three EVH-1152D/43 coaxial loudspeakers, a two-way, horn-loaded design that delivers up to 139 dB SPL. This highly directional 40 x 30 version provides the tight dispersion required to deliver clear sound throughout the 8,000-seat venue. Two 1152s cover the home side of the field, with the third handling the smaller visitors’ bleacher section. Two EVF-2151D subwoofers provide low frequency support.
Power is provided by four Dynacord C3600 amplifiers, with integrated DSP and FIR-Drive to optimize loudspeaker performance (Dynacord amps are optimized for use with EV speaker systems). One is dedicated to each biamped EVH-1152D, while the fourth amp powers the two subwoofers. One interesting problem posed was the fact that there are no other buildings near the scoreboard. As Brent Thornhill, President of Southwest Building Systems, explains, “Normally we house the amplifiers in a nearby fieldhouse, but that was over 500 feet away. We wanted to put the Dynacord amps close to the speakers, so we came up with an outdoor-rated, climate-controlled rack room to put them in. We call it The Fridge.”
The speakers feature Electro-Voice’s fully weatherized design option, with fiberglass cabinets, powder-coated stainless steel grilles with hydrophobic mesh, and water-tight input panel covers. The loudspeakers are housed in an enclosure above the new video scoreboard, providing further weather protection while keeping them out of sight.
“We like to provide a sleek, integrated look to our end zone systems,” says Thornhill. “The enclosure has a special black fabric cover that blocks out the wind-driven Texas rain but doesn’t interfere with the sound. We printed them with the school logos, so they look like part of the scoreboard.”
As a final touch, the announcer’s microphone in the press box was outfitted with the Electro-Voice PC Desktop-18, a gooseneck design with sturdy, weighted steel base and selectable pick-up pattern from the PolarChoice range.
Fans, teams, coaches and administrators of both the Magnolia Bulldogs and Magnolia West Mustangs are impressed with the way things are sounding:
“We’ve had nothing but awesome reactions from everyone. People are blown away by the sound,” reports Robert Patty of Magnolia ISD. “Now we can really get the place rocking, from the time the team comes out of the locker room and all through the game. Our superintendent was there for the first game, and came over and told me, ‘Man, this sounds like a rock concert!’
It’s really brought our whole football program to a higher level, just like we hoped. We couldn’t be happier.”
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