Located in suburban Fort Worth, the Mansfield Independent School District (ISD) facilities include the Dr. Jim Vaszauskas Center for the Performing Arts, a freestanding 142,000 square-foot facility used for live music and theater events. It also functions as a professional development center, with a conference/banquet area, breakout rooms and computer labs, creating a profit center for the school district while serving its students, staff and community.
During the pandemic, the facility began experiencing end-of-life issues with some of the high-end technology installed there, necessitating a full refurbishment. Mansfield ISD engaged CRUX Technology & Security Solutions (Fort Worth) to make an in-depth assessment of the situation, then make recommendations on how best to bring the facility back to state-of-the-art standards, in line with the district’s needs and vision.
The PA solution CRUX recommended was designed around Electro-Voice X2 line-array loudspeakers in combination with Dynacord’s IPX series amplifiers. DSP, time delays, speaker optimization, and system control were programmed into the amplifiers via Dynacord SONICUE Sound System Software. The physical installation was executed by another established area company, Electro Acoustics.
One key element of the upgrade was reinforcing the performing arts center’s ability to generate revenue for the school district by hosting national touring productions with its in-house sound system. This requirement is easily met by the EV-Dynacord solution, which provides a level of all-around performance and control that represents a marked improvement over the venue’s previous system.
“We specified the Electro-Voice and Dynacord products very deliberately on this project,” notes Mason Brooks, Senior AV Consultant at CRUX. “Since legacy product end-of-life and supply chain issues were driving forces on the project, we did not have the luxury of allowing alternates. These brands represent Grade A technology, and the X2 delivers a significant audio upgrade with a smaller footprint, and with less impact on sightlines. Bosch (EV and Dynacord’s parent company) was also one of the few manufacturers that could actually deliver the product in our required time frame.”
The ability to deliver a large system in a timely manner was critical, as the CRUX design actually created the largest permanent installation of Electro-Voice X-Line Advance in North America, with a total of 67 full-range cabinets plus ten subwoofers, making the 5500-seat auditorium’s PA system worthy of hosting major touring concert events. In addition, both the left and right sides of the semicircular room can be walled off to create smaller dedicated spaces, each with its own sound system and seating for 640.
The main auditorium PA consists of twin 13-box X2-212 arrays, each with 11 X2-212 90° boxes above two 120° models to ensure full coverage across the front. The low end is amply supplied by a center hang of ten X12-125F dual-15” flying subwoofers, notable for their tightly-controlled cardioid output. To ensure full coverage to the back of the capacious auditorium, three delay arrays of seven X2-212/120 enclosures are evenly spaced to cover the back of the room.
Audio for the two side rooms is provided by independent 10-box line arrays, utilizing the 90° dispersion X2-212 to achieve full coverage in those narrower spaces. These side room hangs were optimized via SONICUE to deliver sufficient low end without requiring additional subwoofers.
The entire PA system is powered by 16 Dynacord IPX20:4 amplifiers. With 20,000 watts in just two RU of space, these Dante-enabled smart amplifiers house significant DSP power and are part of the SONICUE ecosystem. SONICUE was thus used to implement key system design elements, including loudspeaker optimization, room EQ, time delay and subwoofer directionality. Additionally, IPX amps employ Eco-Rail technology to reduce power consumption by up to 50%, which was a big selling point for the school district.
Another unique function of IPX’s energy-efficient feature set is Ghost Power – a problem-solving technology that ensures the amplifer and processing will instantaneosly recover from mains power glitches. It eliminates reboot issues that might occur during a short-term outage or a transition to a secondary power source by ensuring the amplifiers have sufficient power in reserve to maintain DSP through generator startup. IPX achieves this without the need for an expensive uninterruptable power supply (UPS) system or non-network components.
“The Dynacord IPX amps were important to ensure the reliability of the system,” explains Mason Brooks. “The arts center is in a location that’s known for having occasional power outages, and the facility is used as a reunification point for Mansfield schools in case of emergency. The Dynacord amps solve that problem beautifully. The Ghost Power technology acts as a power backup until the building’s backup generators kick in. So as soon as the power returns, sound is happening without waiting for the amps to reboot. It’s a huge upgrade that addresses the critical needs of mass notification and evacuation.”
In replacing dated system infrastructure with a modern Dante network, finding an appropriate location for the new amplifiers presented a minor challenge. Fortunately, with only 16 amps needed to accommodate 320,000 watts of power, the existing catwalk in the main auditorium could handle the equipment racks without additional structural support.
“In upgrading the facility, our flexibility was limited in terms of conduit runs,” explains Ryan Walker, Senior Account Manager at Electro Acoustics. “Fortunately, the catwalk made a pretty good midway point. We have about 300 feet of CAT cable to bring the Dante network up to the amps. From there, we had manageable runs of about 300 to 400 feet of copper out to the various speaker positions. So really, the Dynacord product design was a big part of the solution.” Walker also notes that installation of the line arrays was remarkably easy. “We were fortunate that the auditorium had a motorized hoist system in place for the massive self-powered system we were replacing,” notes Walker. “The positive pin-locking system on the EV arrays made it easy to stack the speakers and build the arrays in place. EV’s hardware design is outstanding, so the reinstallation was ten times faster than most typical line array systems.”
The system design for the Mansfield ISD’s Center for the Performing Arts represents a strong success story during the pandemic, with Bosch’s global resources serving to enable a fast-tracked project from concept to completion in under six months. “While there are several companies that can provide the technology this project demanded, the Bosch ecosystem of Electro-Voice line arrays and Dynacord electronics provides a synergy of technology, sound quality and value that does a tremendous job of meeting all the customer’s needs,” says Mason Brooks of CRUX. “Everyone involved is thrilled with the result.”
ApexPro is the leading distributor of Electro-Voice products and services in Africa. Contact us to find out more about Electro-Voice products.
The LG Arts Center SEOUL is the new landmark of contemporary performing art which was recently relocated to Gangseo-gu of Seoul, the western part of the capital of Korea. The Center is the first venue in Asia to install the signature Eos Apex console. The venue also includes additional ETC products to provide best-in-class lighting solutions for the modern art centre. Products include Source Four LED Series 3 with XDLT lens tubes, Paradigm control and touchscreen stations, BluesSystem, and more.
With a total floor area of 40,000 m2, the leading cultural hub was designed by the world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando and successfully achieves the architectural philosophy of blending nature into architecture. There are two performance venues in the Center; one of them is the LG SIGNATURE Hall, which has a capacity of 1,335 seats, and U+ Stage, which is a transformable black box theatre capable of accommodating up to 365.
After several fruitful conversations and product demonstrations organized by ETC dealer C&C Lightway, the Center selected two Eos Apex 10 consoles with 24K outputs and an Eos Apex Processor for the LG SIGNATURE Hall, working as the main and backup control system of the performance. “Eos Apex is perfect for a full control system; it is powerful and reliable enabling my team to work confidently for every show,” the representative of LG Arts Center SEOUL commented.
Ten sets of Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures are installed for front lighting. The top-of-the-line Lustr X8 array brings nuanced color without sacrificing brightness which generates a perfect skin tone for full orchestra, operas, musicals, concerts, theatre, and ballet performances. “We paired XDLT lens tubes with Series 3 – they are perfect for our large performance hall making lighting up the stage from the farthest distances a piece of cake!” the lighting director of LG Arts Center SEOUL added. The crisp gobo projection and reduced light leak also impressed the client.
The Center not only emphasizes professional and high-quality lighting at the front stage but also backstage. TP (Theatre Projects) recommended BluesSystem which provides a set of dimmable blue running lights for the dark area in the halls. The award-winning line of low-voltage LEDs provides safe illumination during live productions. Besides, Irideon with Zoom lens and framing shutter features are installed in a technical gallery of the stage side area, a follow-spot room, and a control room, they can enhance the ambiance in the rooms with a theatre feel.
The client was looking for a comprehensive control system that would manage not only general lighting fixtures but also the house lighting in the audience seating area. C&C Lightway understood the challenge and proposed ETC’s Paradigm architectural control system with 7” Touchscreen stations installed on the sides of the stage. Users can set up “preset modes” with different combinations of lighting fixtures to accommodate various situations in the theatre. The Touchscreen station brings elegant and compact control in a customizable, intuitive interface.
Sensor3 Dimming is the sophisticated power control system proposed by C&C Lightway. Paired with the ThruPower Module, it powers up all of the lighting in the Center from conventional Source Four fixtures, and LED luminaires, to automated fixtures that generate stunning lighting effects for this world-class stage.
With the use of Response Mk2 DMX Gateways and the Response Opto-Splitters, all products in the ETC lighting ecosystem are connected in a single Ethernet network which enables seamless and reliable communication when managing all of the equipment from an integrated data distribution network.
The LG Arts Center SEOUL is operated by the LG Yonam Cultural Foundation with financial support from the LG Group. The Center is the pioneer in promoting art and culture by presenting world-class performances, ranging from classical and traditional music to popular music, ballet, musicals, and plays.
Suzhou Bay Cultural Center is located at the shore of Lake Tai in Suzhou of China, and adjacent to the Taihu New Town CBD. It is one of the signature development projects initiated by the city through the Wujiang Lakefront Masterplan. The 215,000 square-meter center consists of two wings, the Suzhou Opera House on the north side, and Wujiang Exhibition Center on the south.
The two magnificent buildings are connected by a long rooftop ribbon-like arch. This huge ribbon waves and intertwines from the north wing to the south, forming a giant figure eight. With patterns of rotating geometry, this architectural feature is visible from afar. The ribbon represents the silk and water sleeves of the Kunqu Opera, and evokes the cultural richness of the city. It also serves as a bridge for pedestrians to enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Tai and the heart of Suzhou CBD. Suzhou Bay Cultural Center has symbolized successful economic and cultural development, marking a milestone for the city.
The north wing features an Opera House, a black-box theatre hall, rehearsal rooms, art space, cinemas, and restaurants. The Opera House is an international opera theatre which has a 1600-seat capacity. Different from the neatly arranged auditoriums of a traditional theatre, this Opera House adopts an asymmetrical design. The seating area on the upper deck is designed like several small petals stacked on top of each other. The petal-like auditorium is a unique and poetic design that brings the audiences a natural immersive and enjoyable experience. The theatre hall serves as a multi-function black-box theatre which has a capacity of 600 seats. The stage setting and auditorium will be specially arranged based on the requirement of each performance.
ETC gear including consoles, luminaires, dimmers, and networking systems are installed in the Opera House and theatre hall. Two Gio consoles with 24K outputs are installed in the Opera House, and two Gio @5 consoles with 4K outputs are used to control the lighting of the theatre hall. The venue owner was impressed by the powerful magic sheet functionality which makes managing the fixture layout, and control and programming of buttons, faders, colors, and gobos, easier. The magic sheets also provide flexibility for the user to adjust the control to fit the needs of a variety of performances.
To enjoy world-class power and dimming control, ETC’s Sensor3 ThruPower Dimmer and Relay modules are installed in the venues. These modules popular in the theatrical industry as they are famous for their reliability and stability for smoothly controlling the intensity of all types of fixtures. Using the Sensor3 ThruPower module enables users to switch freely between constant circuits, on/off switching with true air-gap relays, and dimming of the lighting loads.
Luminaries from ETC have been recognized as the standard lighting fixtures in the industry and are widely used in theatres. This is the reason that Suzhou Bay Cultural Center selected Source Four LED Series 2 and ColorSource Spot fixture with CYC adapters as the stage lighting of the Opera House and theatre hall. The lighting designer found Source Four LED Series 2 favorable as it brings high brightness from a variety of positions while having a low power consumption, thanks to the LED light engine. The lighting designer was also amazed by the rich and smooth wash of color brought by ColorSource which can enhance the moods of every scene.
To have a reliable data distribution for all lighting technology in the venue, Response Mk2 DMX Gateways from ETC are installed to securely connect the sACN network to the DMX runs. They are also interoperable as it meets the industry-standard protocols such as ANSI E1.31 (sACN) and ANSI E1.20 (RDM) using standard Ethernet cabling and infrastructure. Response Mk2 DMX Gateways once again impressed the venue owner as they offer a powerful, fast, and stable data distribution by the use of ETC’s network technology.
ETC was honored to be selected to offer a comprehensive range of lighting technology to Suzhou Bay Cultural Center and be part of the city’s cultural and artistic development journey.
Photo credit: Suzhou Bay Cultural Center and Hangzhou YiDaShi Technology Development Co., Ltd.
Bielsko-Biała, Poland, July 2022 – An extensive public address system from Electro-Voice and Dynacord has been installed at Cavatina Hall. Located in the vibrant, historic city of Bielsko-Biała, amongst the Beskidy mountains in southern Poland, the six-story building counts over 9,000 square meters of top-tier office space, a cutting-edge recording studio, a chamber music room and a majestic 1,000 capacity concert hall. The venue itself is owned by leading Polish development company Cavatina and is the first privately owned and funded concert hall in Poland.
As a large, multi-use facility Cavatina Hall required an extensive solution to cover public address across its various areas. This needed to be flexible enough to meet the differing needs of office workers and theatregoers and led to Audio Plus, the company responsible for the coordination and co-designers of the solution, turning to the extensive Electro-Voice and Dynacord portfolio.
The heart of this solution is electronics from Dynacord, with an MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine alongside an IPX10:8 power amplifier. IPX multi-channel amplifiers are dedicated for fixed installations and offer sophisticated speaker processing. IPX also features Dynacord’s unique variable load drive (VLD) technology. For each channel, the user can determine whether Low-Z or High-Z 70V/100V loudspeakers are driven without the need for an output transformer via direct drive technology. The IPX10:8 was the perfect choice for this project due to its ability to harness this technology across eight channels.
“The IPX 10:8 is at the core of the sound system – we wanted something that was technically optimal in terms of control and this amp allows each channel to be individually operated, along with analog inputs from Dante and OCA via OMNEO network inputs – it’s a highly flexible solution for us,” explains Stanisław Mielczarek, Tech Support Engineer, Audio Plus. “MXE5 was chosen as it’s a universal processor that complements other systems in Cavatina Hall – through SONICUE Sound System Software. It integrates perfectly for this kind of project – allowing us to have full control of the entire system of signal routing and signal processing for public address speakers.” adds Tomasz Ibrom, Project and Installation Engineer, Audio Plus, who was responsible for the system integration at Cavatina Hall.
The Dynacord electronics are driving a large 100V Electro-Voice loudspeaker solution combining the strengths of the EVID ceiling and surface mount ranges. “EVID speakers offer a big spectrum of models in the series and were the ideal choice because of their mounting capabilities,” Ibrom explains. “Each piece is exactly fitted for its location.
”In the main auditorium, a pair of Electro-Voice FM6.2 speakers have been hidden behind the wooden sound panels either side of the stage. These are linked to the RTS intercom system and used for addressing the performers onstage. The stage manager or event director can use the system via an Electro-Voice wireless mic to communicate with the musicians during rehearsals. “This additional system works perfectly because the speech is super-intelligible and the speakers are completely invisible,” says Ibrtom. “The team at Cavatina Hall are really happy with it.”
Staying on stage, Electro-Voice microphones have also been selected to cover a wide range of vocal and instrumental needs. This includes everything from the RE97Tx micro-headworn condensers, to ND44, ND46 and ND66 instrument mics, as well as the iconic RE20 and RE320 Variable-D models.
The Hall now boasts superior efficiency in terms of connectivity, which fits in well to the innovative aesthetic of the multi-functional building. Marcin Smolik, Producer and Managing Director at Cavatina Hall concludes: “We are at the forefront of Europe among the few venues that have such a system. Our technology is a treat for artists and for the viewer, it means quality.”
Portugal’s stunning Teatro Garcia de Resende was recently renovated and selected ETC lighting solutions including ArcLamp luminaires, ArcMesh Drivers, and an Echo control system to upgrade the space.
The theatre, which is recognized for its interior ‘Italian-style’ architectural beauty, was built in the 19th century and is a part of the European Route of Historic Theatres: a route around Europe, which distinguishes the most beautiful, historic theatres that represent European cultural heritage.
The theatre’s technical director, António Rebocho, was in search of LED lighting to replace the existing tungsten lights in the building. He particularly wanted an LED solution, which would not compromise the quality of the light or increase maintenance costs. After researching various options, António decided to go with ETC’s ArcLamp luminaires commenting that he had ‘never seen the room so beautiful – the new lights enhanced all the colors, especially the red tones.’
ETC dealer, NAN Audiovisuals installed 108 ArcLamp lights with Fade to Warm feature technology into the Teatro Garcia de Resende. The LED luminaires provide quality light, smooth dimming, and up to 90% energy savings. António Rebocho – commented: “ArcLamp is a unique solution in the market which would accomplish everything needed for the project. It improved the quality of light in the theatre whist simultaneously reducing the maintenance costs related to lamp replacements and energy consumption. Being able to control the lighting from the installed button stations and lighting desks was also a great improvement.’”
“The Teatro Garcia de Resende is considered to be a building of great architectural beauty and a landmark in the city of Évora. We are very thankful and proud that our ArcLamp solution was chosen by the theatre. Despite some challenges due to the age of the venue and its electrical infrastructure, the highly experienced staff of NAN, our dealer in Portugal, did a fantastic job with the installation and commissioning of the system. Not only was the lighting result stunning but also highly energy efficient and nearly maintenance free.”
From ETC and High End Systems comes the Lonestar, the most affordable, versatile moving head fixture form the legendary lighting manufacturer yet! Let’s take a look at what you get…
Lonestar is a great lighting tool built for designers and programmers who want maximum performance from a mid-sized automated framing fixture. The budget friendly luminaire brings punchy output, a professional feature set, and ETC’s legendary quality at a new, more affordable price point.
THE RIGHT SIZE
Engineered to easily fit into any lighting design, Lonestar is the most compact High End Systems framing fixture yet, but doesn’t sacrifice any features or output.
THE RIGHT FEATURE SET
Output
Offering punchy 15,400 lumen output from its Bright White LED engine, Lonestar delivers high brightness and visual impact to any stage.
Color
With seamless CMY mixing, linear CTO plus fixed color wheel for the purest saturated colors available, all your needs are covered.
Shaping
Lonestar’s full curtain framing shutters allow precise, repeatable beam shaping; put the light where you want it, and never where you don’t.
Patterns
Shape your stage with Lonestar’s nine rotating patterns. Animation wheel, plus dual frosts and prisms produce limitless morphing and texture layering options.
Beams
Build structure in the air with Lonestar’s beams. The 3.5 – 55 degree zoom range creates powerful narrow beams to wide washes and everything in between.
WANT TO EXPERIENCE LONESTAR?
Contact anyone of our Re-sellers for more information and to organize a demo. Click the link below to see ETC dealers for Southern Africa.
