Electro-Voice EKX and ZLX loudspeakers provide the ideal combination of professional sound quality and compact form factor
Dynacord L series DSP amplifiers allow user-friendly system management.
The system serves double duty for daytime BGM and nighttime live sound.
A new Electro-Voice loudspeaker system with power and processing from Dynacord is delivering state-of-the-art sound quality in a compact format for patrons at Naimuang Station, a leading regional restaurant known for its live music scene, in Chai Nat, Thailand.
The restaurant’s management was determined to elevate the audio experience at the venue to the next level. In addition to top-notch sound quality, a key prerequisite was controlled coverage to keep the output contained in the venue and minimize any noise pollution into neighbouring properties. In step with this consideration, the system also needed to sound great at lower volume levels for daytime guests. And, of course, it all needed to be reliable and easy for the staff to manage.
To deliver on this vision, a system comprising passive EKX and powered ZLX series loudspeakers was specified. The main PA includes four EKX-15 and four EKX-12 full-range boxes to cover the dining/audience area, with low-frequency support from four EKX-18 subwoofers. Four ZLX-12BT boxes serve as stage monitors. Both the EKX and ZLX series models feature Signal Synchronized Transducers (SST) technology, which, in addition to allowing for a more compact speaker enclosure, helps to time-align the low- and high-frequency drivers and allows for a larger waveguide and port to fit inside the enclosure, yielding enhanced pattern control and bass response.
The main EKX system is powered by Dynacord L Series DSP amplifiers, designed for live/mobile applications: three L3600FD (2x 1800 W) and two L2800FD (2x 1400 W). Dynacord’s remote control software allows Naimuang Station to wirelessly manage and monitor system settings such as volume and EQ without the need for additional speaker processing. For example, the audio can be adjusted to provide the perfect ambience with background music for diners during the day, with higher output for live shows at night. Being able to configure the system quickly and easily completes a solution that combines user-friendly convenience with professional performance.
ApexPro is the premium distributor of Electro-Voice and Dynacord equipment and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Pata Pata Beer Garden in Johannesburg’s Maboneng precinct has been equipped with a new sound system based on equipment from Electro-Voice and Rane. The solution was designed and installed by Prosound.
Maboneng precinct itself is currently undergoing a transformation into a new cultural hub for the city. Situated in the old diamond district, the area is now home to a variety of arts centres, entertainment venues and retail stores. As part of this process, Pata Pata has set itself out to be a multipurpose entertainment venue for live bands, DJs, sporting events and corporate functions. The venue approached Prosound to design a solution that would meet the various needs of these differing uses while keeping within a specified budget.
The main challenge for the project came from the 500-capacity venue itself. It is a large, hangar-style building with a raised mezzanine level to the rear which combined to create a number of audio issues. To tackle these, Prosound pro audio sales specialist, Lucky Lande, provided a bespoke solution to fit within the client’s budget while also overcoming the acoustic challenges.
The system comprises Electro-Voice EKX passive loudspeakers powered by the German manufacturer’s Q-series amplifiers. Processing is handled by a Rane HAL1. ‘The design provided great flexibility in allowing the client to plug into the system from various positions in the venue,’ said Mr Lande.
The audio system installation ran alongside a general renovation at Pata Pata, which created its own set of challenges. However, according to Mr Lande, ‘the installation was a great success, with the client very happy with the outcome and commenting that this is the best system he’s heard, and worked on, in a long time’.
PEL Services Limited upgrades evacuation and public address systems for legendary Celtic FC with phased stadium installation
Electro-Voice pro audio EVF and EVH series loudspeakers provide improved coverage and clarity as part of integrated digital audio network
Bosch Praesideo meets all voice alarm and communication needs, networking interfaces with legacy loudspeakers and new sound system
Celtic Football Club in Glasgow boasts Scotland’s largest football stadium and some of its most ardent fans. When the club took on the task of upgrading the stadium experience, it engaged PEL Services Limited, an electronics engineering firm based in Northolt, northwest London, to design and install upgrades to the public address and emergency sound systems in 60,000-seat Celtic Park.
“Fully networked sound reinforcement for one of the loudest stadiums ever”
With a strong stadium-wide IT network and existing public address infrastructure already in place, PEL advised the selection of Bosch Praesideo digital Public Address and Emergency Sound System with Electro-Voice pro audio loudspeakers to improve coverage, clarity and fidelity within the main bowl area of the stadium. Because both systems can be interfaced to the Dante™ networking standard, both the Bosch Praesideo system and all Electro-Voice loudspeakers are monitored and controlled remotely via Electro-Voice N8000 NetMax digital matrix controllers.
“Celtic Park is an awesome stadium, and one of the loudest places I’ve ever been for a match,” notes Vic Swain, Engineering Director for PEL. “The club wanted a state-of-the-art emergency notification system, and wanted to integrate that with an audio system that would provide clear sound for every seat in the house. It’s a challenging project, but the combined solution of Bosch and Electro-Voice works perfectly.”
The first phase of the operation was the installation of the Bosch Praesideo public address and emergency sound system, serving what Swain refers to as the “back of house” area: the internal portions of the stadium, including concourses, turnstiles, restrooms, and offices. Its open architecture and high level of redundancy makes Praesideo a scalable, reliable solution that exceeds safety standards while offering complete communications flexibility.
The stadium system is based on dual Praesideo network controllers with an audio expander interface and six strategically placed call stations. The 100V audio system utilizes legacy installed loudspeakers, all of which were tested and upgraded with Bosch line supervision sets. This enables Praesideo to check all speakers for proper line operation. The system is powered by 22 Bosch power amplifiers with onboard DSP modules.
PEL engaged Acoustics Plus, an independent acoustic consultant based in Croydon, to advise on proper deployment of the Electro-Voice loudspeakers. Research included recording SPL levels throughout a game, documenting the sonic requirements and using computer modeling to map optimal locations and dispersion patterns for full coverage. Aimed down from beneath the roof, the system uses a mix of frontloaded EVF-1152D and horn-loaded EVH-1152D, both full-range, weatherized loudspeakers from the EV-Innovation family.
“Celtic always wants to do the very best for their fans – in addition to meeting the evacuation system legal standard for Speech Transmission Index,” notes Swain, “they also wanted it to sound just as good when the place is really rocking during a big match. These EV speakers accomplish that with ease, even in problem areas. We had structural engineers and riggers working closely with the acoustic consultant to make final adjustments. A lot of preparation, but on the day the speakers were hung and aimed, it was extremely quick and accurate.”
As part of the process, Electro-Voice CPS series power amplifiers, two N8000 NetMax DSP matrix units, and a redundant fiber ring were installed as infrastructure support for the full stadium system. To date, the new loudspeakers are in place above the north stands and adjacent corner areas. Future phases will complete the installation above the south stands, adjacent corner areas, and west and east stands behind the goals.
“The integration of Bosch Praesideo in the back of house with Electro-Voice loudspeakers aiming at the area above the seats, all working together in a centrally controlled network, represents a real commitment to the safety and comfort of the fans,” he says. “It’s great to help a legendary organization like Celtic F.C. to achieve their goals.”
The new Stella Hotel, located conveniently close to the Easterwood Airport, accommodates visitors who want to enjoy their stay in comfort and attend events in well-appointed spaces. To ensure quality sound in the ballroom and meeting rooms, the hotel called on systems integrators Hairel Enterprises of Conroe, which specified a system based on a Symetrix Radius 12×8 EX DSP.
“The Stella Hotel is one of the nicest hotels I’ve worked on in years,” relates Hairel Enterprises vice president Rob Slaughter. “It features 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the three-section Aurora Ballroom and four outboard meeting spaces. The background music system is extensive and uses a lot more 70- volt speaker zones than you would expect. Music is routed to zones in various combinations, and zones often are combined, depending on what’s going on. Symetrix DSPs are the first processor we reach for, especially for hotels, and the Radius 12×8 EX easily handled everything for the Stella Hotel project.”
Slaughter cites multiple reasons for choosing Symetrix, starting with reliability. “We’ve used a lot of Symetrix processors, going back many years,” Slaughter recounts. “Sure, once in awhile a unit will fail due to a lightning strike or a Coca-Cola spill, but Symetrix DSPs are among the most stable products across the board-not just in DSP land but in product land in general. Their mean time between failures, or MTBF, is very low.”
Another factor is ease of use. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to program it,” insists Slaughter. “You can do a lot with Symetrix’ Composer software, and it doesn’t fight you. The GUI is very friendly. Some of our people regularly go to Symetrix training classes, too, so we know how to get the results we need. Also, Symetrix processors integrate easily with the Crestron control systems we used in the Stella Hotel.”
Symetrix Radius 12×8 EX processors are equipped with 128 (64×64) redundant Dante™ channels for audio networking over IP. The Radius 12×8 EX offers 12 analogue inputs and eight analogue outputs, and the I/O is expandable via an expansion card slot. The Radius 12×8 EX in the Stella Hotel system includes Symetrix xIn 12 and xOut 12 expanders, which add a dozen analogue mic/line inputs and outputs. Slaughter’s team also specified a Symetrix xControl External Control Expander, which provided eight flexible analogue control inputs; 16 logic outputs for driving LEDs, trigger relays or control contact closure ports; and 2 RS-232 ports.
“The Radius’ audio quality, compatibility, reliability, and ease of programming were major factors,” Slaughter recounts, “but there’s another reason we chose Symetrix: We have a great relationship with the Symetrix rep. We buy based on relationships because we know we’ll get great support. I’ve had times I needed a DSP the same morning, and the Symetrix rep found one for me.” Of course, for the customer, it’s about reliable, high-quality performance. “We have the utmost confidence in the Radius DSP in the Stella Hotel system,” concludes Slaughter. “Symetrix processors just plain work.”
Strange to say, but until this year there had never been a museum dedicated to the Revolutionary War. That all changed this past April when The Museum of the American Revolution opened in Philadelphia And the “rock star” of the museum, according to The New York Times, is George Washington’s field tent. Yes, that George Washington. The actual, more-than-200-years-old tent that General Washington ate in, slept in, and plotted in (it was called the original Oval Office) is on display at the museum. Making sure it can be seen, though, was a tough battle in itself. The museum had to satisfy the requirements of the conservators—making sure the centuries-old fabric was preserved—yet create an engaging show that would be compelling to modern audiences. To balance these competing directives, they turned to Ted Mather and Rachel Gibney from New York City’s Available Light. And they, in turn, chose ETC ColorSource fixtures.
Mather has extensive experience in museum lighting. “I started getting pulled into this in 1999, when exhibit designers were realizing they had to up their game,” says Mather. Museums realized that simply presenting a wall of information and artifacts behind dusty glass wasn’t connecting with modern audiences, and they were losing the battle for attention with the new generation. “What they started to do was create immersive environments that felt like science labs or operating rooms. When the environment around you changes based on your actions, you feel engaged and there’s a reason for you being there, as opposed to just sitting there,” adds Mather. “Visceral experiences stick with you afterwards.”
Available Light designed lighting for the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA.
And while Mather and Available Light’s experience in the theatre realm gives them a keen understanding of the dynamic ways to use light to tell a story (color, contrast, texture, movement, angle, focus), their experience on the exhibit side means they know how to do it simply. “There’s no run crew in a museum,” explains Mather. “Available light has learned to use a theatrical lighting language without requiring the maintenance and support a show does. We are attuned to doing design work that can withstand the architectural environment.”
All of which is exactly why they were called in for George Washington’s tent. The museum knew they needed to produce a show that would get audiences emotionally invested, and had hired a video production team to create a film-like experience around the tent. The experience would show what the tent meant to George Washington and the success of the American Revolution, all while changing the times of day and locale, evoking a sense of the travels of Washington, depicting different locations of fields, foliage, frozen streams, snow and winter.
“Basically the video is different locations and times of year,” says Mather. “Our lighting needed to track those times of day, where the sun was coming from and going to, then light the scenery around the tent as if it were in that setting—gobos for patchy clouds, some dappled green for foliage.”
But now that the museum had a video exhibit, they had two competing directives — and a lot of restrictions.
Directive One: Docent viewing. The museum still needed a traditional “isolated jewel” look for the tent, showing it off under white light. “Whatever was lighting it had to reveal it as an artifact, a piece of historical material. The fixture had to do white very well,” says Mather.
Directive Two: Show looks. For the video show, the light needed to be able to show a variety of colors as well as have a variety of texture to wash the tent as if it was outside, in the actual environment being displayed on the video. “The whole point here was to show it ‘outside,’ out there with the men in the middle of winter, the middle of summer.” In this mode the light had to be carefully controlled so that it wouldn’t spill on the video projection surfaces, or out into the house.
George Washington’s tent in its display, with a video backdrop and lighting featuring ETC ColorSource fixtures. Lighting design by Available Light.
In addition to these artistic guidelines, there were numerous technical demands that had to be adhered to. The light had to be UV and infrared free. And finally: There was a hard limit on how much light could hit the tent. The tent could handle no more than 50,000 lux hours per annum. “Whatever the brightness was, we had to meter all of that and add it all up – brightness, length of show, number of shows per day, week and year — at the end of the year it all had to stay below 50,000 lux hours per annum.”
The competing demands for viewing, combined with the hard restrictions on lighting output led to a museum staff that was skeptical the exhibit could happen without damaging the tent.
“The fact that I have a show background immediately raised red flags to some people on the museum’s staff. ‘Will they know anything about conservation?’ ‘Will they be responsible with the artifact?’ We had to build trust,” says Mather.
They did that by conscientiously listening to conservator’s requirements on UV, infrared, and ozone, and using in-depth measurements during thorough test runs. The hard cap of 50,000 lux hours per annum the tent could be exposed to annually? Mather brought in a color spectrophotometer to measure and record the output of lights. That hurdle crossed, the conservators demanded the lights had to be placed at least eight feet away from the tent. Why? “Fibers in the tent will expand and contract from heat,” says Mather. This requirement is a holdover from the days of halogen and has become irrelevant in the age of LED sources—but the conservators didn’t know that. “I had to leave a light on for a few minutes and then ask them to feel the fixture, to see how not warm it was. I took the time to educate the conservators about the lights, because it’s such a big responsibility for them.”
Mather and his crew also built a full-scale mock-up of the exhibit in Orlando. They used it to test several different fixtures, measure output and judge the quality of the light. “We tested several different fixtures: ETC’s LED Source Four Series 2 with the Lustr and Tungsten arrays, ETC’s ColorSource fixture and a few others,” says Mather. “We needed a fixture with a high quality white and good color. We wanted pick a fixture that would make the historians happy.” They chose the ColorSource line of ellipsoidals and PARs thanks to the quality of their light and their beam shaping capabilities. And the historians were happy—so happy, in fact, that they asked Available Light to design the light for the rest of the museum, too.
The result is a show – and museum – that preserves the historical artifacts of our nation, and also creates an excitement around it.
“I’m delighted to have been able to work with such a creative team dedicated to making the tent a meaningful part of our nation’s story,” adds Mather. “I’m thrilled with how it turned out! Rather than an embalmed artifact, it really breathes life into our relationship with George Washington.”
Not bad for a 200-year-old tent and the latest in lighting.
Just as Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most popular U.S. Presidents, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) is one of America’s most popular presidential libraries. More than 300,000 visitors pass through its Gateway area each year to enjoy 40,000 square feet of immersive exhibits, historical artefacts, interactive exhibits, and dramatic performances. While only a few exhibit areas rely on spoken word, audio is everywhere: mostly music, sound effects, and occasional museum-wide announcements.
After a dozen years, the museum’s analogue audio system began to show its age, and some pieces could no longer be serviced. After research and consultations with systems integrators Video Services of America in Chicago, ALPLM Systems technical director Sam Cooper opted for a Dante-enabled network managed by four Symetrix Prism 16×16 DSPs and a Symetrix Radius 12×8 EX DSP equipped with a Symetrix 4 Channel Analog Output Card.
Music and effects are supplied by TASCAM DA-6400 64-channel digital recorders with Dante I/O cards connecting the recorders directly into the Dante network. An assortment of JBL Control-series ceiling and wall-mount loudspeakers deliver the audio, powered by Crown amplifiers.
Visitors buy their tickets at the Gateway, but you won’t hear networked audio there because, observes Cooper, “that would drive the front entry personnel nuts.” On entering the Plaza, though, guests begin an audio-intensive walking tour through the world of Honest Abe. “You might see and hear Lincoln giving a speech, or hear birds, bugs, chopping wood, and music in the Plaza,” offers VSA Senior Sales Representative Greg Bayer. “The museum uses a vast array of synchronised sound effects and music, and as you move between locations, you transition to new sounds and music. There are speakers everywhere, and getting the timing and flow right requires sophisticated control, which is a strength of Symetrix DSPs.”
The exhibits are organized into two major “Journeys.” Journey 1 presents the Railsplitter’s pre-Presidential years, while Journey 2 is about his presidency. “The cool thing about the Journeys is the 27 separate areas we call Scenes,” Cooper details. “For example, Scene 1 is outside the log cabin, and Scene 2 is inside the log cabin. As you wander through, the music changes from one scene to another-but at the doorways, the music is blended so you don’t notice that it changed. The composer wrote the music to keep the same feel throughout transition areas yet immerse you into the scene.”
This complex audio network covers the museum exhibit areas and the Plaza only, although plans are to extend coverage to the gift shop. It could eventually also cover the library if desired. The two theatres, both still on the older analogue audio system, will also be added to the Symetrix network eventually.
From the Plaza, you can enter “Journey 1,” which uses 28 channels of audio, while “Journey 2” has 56 input channels where every input is used, including XLR analogue inputs. “The Plaza has its own music,” notes Cooper. “The ‘Ask Mr Lincoln’ exhibit has separate dialogue. ‘Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic’ has its own music, as does the ‘Illinois Gallery,’ which changes with each exhibit. We didn’t use much EQ, but level control was very important, and the Symetrix DSPs made a big difference there.”
In fact, says Cooper, level setting was the most challenging part of programming the system. “We’d take it down 3 dB in one room, then realise that’s too much, so we’d adjust it again,” he recalls. “But because of that change, we’d have to go to the next room and make a little change. We spent a lot of time going back and forth and adjusting. We walked the Journeys with the VSA team over and over until we got it right – and they did a great job. Once we got the levels right, we generally haven’t had to change them.”
Symetrix’ products proved to be the right solution. “We chose Symetrix DSPs because they have the capabilities we need, including Dante, while also fitting our budget,” reveals Cooper. “They’re not hard to program in general, but neither VSA nor I had done something quite like this before. In addition to level control in the Plaza, we wanted two Symetrix ARC-3 controllers, mounted inside our operator control panels that mirrored each other to control the Plaza system. We have four zones in one scene that use multiple audio streams, depending on section, and those need to be controlled independently on a dedicated mixer in the DSP. Sometimes we mute individual scenes, which adds complexity. We have interactive exhibits on the network, each with audio. We also wanted the ability to expand the system. It was a lot to program. So VSA called Symetrix on the phone, and the Symetrix people were great about explaining how to do what we wanted.”
Beyond the Plaza, with its two ARC-3 panels, each Journey-except the two theaters- has a separate Symetrix ARC-series wall panel for control. That includes a Symetrix ARC-K1e rotary encoder mounted in “Ask Mr Lincoln’s” electronic control room, and three ARC-SW4e push-button wall panels remotely controlling audio functions for the Journeys.
Sam Cooper is thrilled with his new audio tools, and with life at the ALPLM. “I have a dream job, and I have a great staff that backs me up,” he enthuses. “We worked on all of this together and made a point of including the entire staff in the install as much as we possibly could. VSA did a great job making the system work the way we wanted it to. The Symetrix network has been bulletproof. I am very, very pleased.”
Just as Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most popular U.S. Presidents, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) is one of America’s most popular presidential libraries. More than 300,000 visitors pass through its Gateway area each year to enjoy 40,000 square feet of immersive exhibits, historical artefacts, interactive exhibits, and dramatic performances. While only a few exhibit areas rely on spoken word, audio is everywhere: mostly music, sound effects, and occasional museum-wide announcements.