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Surround Sound Helps Tell The Story of Noah at Branson’s Sight and Sound Theater
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| Stage signals are sent via fiber optic cable to an Innovason SY80 digital console. The Innovason has 80 channels for use as inputs, outputs, auxiliary sends etc. |
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| With such an expansive stage, actors would have a difficult time hearing themselves and the other actors without a massive, and sophisticated monitoring system. The Acoustic Dimension’s design includes 10 Bag End TA6000-I loudspeakers in the trough at the front of the stage. |
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| Hanging 42 feet above the 100-foot-wide front stage are four QSC line arrays (left, left center, right center and right) consisting of seven WL-2102w tri-amped speaker cabinets each. There are two more line arrays centered above the two 100 foot wide side stages. |
Surround sound defines the sound system goals at Sight and Sound’s Theater in Branson, MO. With large portions of the audience nearly surrounded with a 270-degree stage set up, only a surround sound experience could possibly reinforce the story taking place on the stage.
The Branson Sight and Sound Theater is a branch of the nearly identical original location located near Lancaster, PA. Both Sight and Sound Theaters present only Christian-based dramas, the most successful and long running of which is “Noah, The Musical”, which runs in Branson from March through September. In late October the theater reopens and operates through the Holiday Season with a production called “The Miracle of Christmas”.
With visuals nearly surrounding, the audience, sound comes not only from the front, but from the sides, behind and above the audience. To accomplish this, the system designers at Acoustic Dimensions in Dallas, Texas created a custom sound system. The sound system installation was handled by SG Integration from Springfield, Missouri.
Hanging 42 feet above the 100-foot-wide front stage are four QSC line arrays (left, left center, right center and right) consisting of seven WL-2102w tri-amped speaker cabinets each. There are two more line arrays centered above the two 100 foot wide side stages. To supplement the low bass there are four QSC MD-S218 subwoofers under the front of the main stage. Each subwoofer has two 18-inch drivers and go down to 24 Hz.
The 18 rear surround speakers are a combination of EAW MK2394s and UB 52s, and the 19 overhead effects speakers are EAW FR153z.
For audience members sitting close to the front or side stages there are 28 Bag End TA6000-I loudspeakers hidden in the walls to supplement the sound from the line arrays. These fill or rim speakers help bring the image of the sound down to the level of the stage. Without them the sound would seem to come from 40 feet above them, instead of from the actors in front of them.
One of the primary design goals was to have uniform sound coverage for every seat in the house. Many guests consider the front rows to be “the best seats in the house”. However, from an audio design standpoint they can be the most difficult seats for the speakers to cover since the sound from the main line arrays don’t start to hit the audience until about the sixth row. Also, with a 100-foot-wide stage, it is difficult for the person sitting on the extreme left, for example, to hear sound coming from the extreme right speakers. To solve this problem, EAW MQ1364e and MQTD412 loudspeakers were used as “crossfire” speakers to cover where the main arrays couldn’t. The result is that no matter where sit in the theater the sound seems to come from the correct location.
With such an expansive stage, actors would have a difficult time hearing themselves and the other actors without a massive, and sophisticated monitoring system. The Acoustic Dimension’s design includes 10 Bag End TA6000-I loudspeakers in the trough at the front of the stage. To cover the center and rear of the stage there are four EAW MK2364 hanging 42 feet above the stage. We also have over 20 small JBL Control 23 and Control 25 speakers hidden in the set pieces, since the tops of the sets often block the sound from the main monitors.
The actors are wearing Countryman E6 headset microphones and Shure UR1 body pack wireless transmitters. There are 34 mics used in the show, with one back up body pack. The principal characters also wear a Countryman B6 lavalier mic in their costumes as a back up.
The signals from the mics are sent via fiber optic cable to an Innovason SY80 digital console. The Innovason has 80 channels for use as inputs, outputs, auxiliary sends etc. The signal then goes to the Meyer electronic acoustics system. The electronic acoustic system controls the playback from computer hard disc of the music, sound FX, and prerecorded voices such as the narrator or God. It then takes the mix and routes it via CobraNet to the various surround zones in the speaker system. Loudspeaker processing such and equalization, crossover, and delay is handled by the Media Matrix Nion N3. It is then sent to 68 QSC power amplifiers and finally through thousands of feet of speaker cable to drive the loudspeakers.
During the show, the audio system is at the heart of most of the technical cues. When the operator hits the “Go” button, he not only plays the audio, but also sends out SMPTE time code to lighting, media and animation. This special time-stamped signal tells the lighting console when to trigger light cues, the media computer when to play video, and lets the animatronic animals know that it’s time to start moving.
This very complex audio system came together with the help audio teams from both Sight and Sound locations. |
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STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ...
GC Pro Throws BBQ Thank You Bash
 Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center for professional users, holds gala barbecue events at five GC Pro locations throughout the southeast. The events, a way for GC Pro to give back to its loyal customer base, offered free catered barbecue, live entertainment, a selection of prizes, and giveaways/exclusive deals on pro audio gear for recording, live sound and more.
The events were held in August at Guitar Center Professional locations in New Orleans, La.; Hallandale, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga.; Towson, Md. and Nashville, Tenn.
GC Pro Account Managers and store employees were joined by a wide sampling of the music and audio communities of the regions, including studio owners, musicians, engineers, producers, students and other local industry figures.
Richard Ash, head of GC Pro’s Eastern Region, business development, having recently relocated to Nashville, had a key role in planning and overseeing the Nashville event, and took the opportunity to interact with prominent members of the Nashville pro audio community.
"These events were all an enormous success," says GC Pro Director Rick Plushner. "We are always looking for ways to say 'thank you' to our loyal customers, and the pro audio communities from each region turned out in large numbers to partake in great food, great entertainment and great company. More than a few took advantage of our special one-day-only deals to pick up some gear they'd had their eyes on for some time. The response was great, and we look forward to holding similar events in the future."
For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.
Springfield’s Sacred Heart Simplifies Audio System
 Worshippers at the Sacred Heart, a 125-year-old church in Springfield, Mass., can at last understand the words delivered from the pulpit, thanks to the replacement of an old distributed audio system. The visually stunning, beautifully renovated, interior is highly acoustically reverberant, and the basic problem that parishioners in the 1,200-seat space found eulogies and sermons hard to follow was compounded by the occasional intrusion of a local radio station through the church’s sound system.
The old sound system included ten loudspeakers --- two flown over the congregation, eight more arranged along the walls --- serving a cross-shaped seating area that stretches 102 feet from the altar and measuring 80 feet high. The old equipment rack was full of gear that produced, “Thermal noise, hum, buzz, along with the occasional RFI blast, that were audible throughout the church when the system was powered on,” says Richard G. O’Connell, principal of integrators with Massachusetts-based AV DesignBuild,
O’Connell proposed a radical solution, the central elements being replacement of the loudspeakers with custom-painted Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Digitally Steerable Array loudspeakers. Iconyx IC24 units, an Audix microphone specifically matched to the altar position, close to one of the Iconyx locations, a new mixer and simplified rack, and updated wiring.
“Simplicity,” he adds, “or, put another way, design elegance, is the new model. My approach is to use the fewest number of parts to accomplish the client’s goal. Our clients want to hear audio content – and see video content – and not press buttons. They don’t want to see machines, which only detract from content and the beauty of timeless architectural spaces. At Sacred Heart Church, the system delivers clear, intelligible sound to 1,200 parishioners, and the technology is nearly invisible.”
Following a demonstration of a single Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC24 to the parish’s leaders by Scott Pizzo, of Renkus-Heinz, Inc. and Bob Strauss, of Cardone Solomon Associates, AV DesignBuild secured the contract and installed a single left and right pair of IC24 loudspeakers, flush-mounted to the columns that flank the church’s altar. “All of the decision-makers were present at the demo, and they concurred that a single speaker could replace five loudspeakers, delivering greater clarity and much better sound coverage,” says O’Connell, giving us a full replacement system with two IC24s. “They are unique, with a very wide horizontal dispersion and a very even throw to 100 feet.”
The choice of microphone was also crucial, says O’Connell. Dave Fuchs of Chris Ross Associates brought in eight Audix microphones for testing, while AV DesignBuild supplied an Aphex 1788 eight-channel microphone preamplifier with headphone output, comparing the microphones at every position with Direct Sound EX-20 extreme isolation headphones, including each model’s off-axis rejection, as this was critical for loudspeaker placement.
“The Audix M1255 capsule won the microphone derby,” adds O’Connell. “We deployed it as a microboom for the chorus, a gooseneck for the pulpit, just 24 inches from one of the Iconyx columns, conference-style for the altar, and a custom configuration for the kneeler.” Again, parish representatives approved the choice. “A speaker can be up to three feet from the microphone, and still be heard throughout the church,” he adds, “a testament to the pattern control of both the loudspeaker and the microphone.”
Berini Electric assisted with speaker installation, cable pathways, removal of the existing speaker system, and specified the correct Surgex NEMA enclosure to provide not only surge suppression and power conditioning, but also remote power up from the equipment rack.
The remainder of the new system comprises an APB DynaSonics H10290 mixer, a Tascam CD700 CD player/recorder with foot pedal operation from the altar by the celebrant, a Raxxess iPod docking station, a Biamp 412e stereo preamp/mixer as stereo program source selector and level control, and a Biamp Audio Solo programmable automixer with sophisticated EQ filters and a matrix router delivering all sound sources to seven destinations and providing automatic functioning and lowered thermal noise. All existing audio cable was replaced with double-shielded Gepco cable within conduit, which again reduced noise and EMI/RFI interference.
O’Connell says the resulting system is performing well, even under stress conditions such as when the church suffered a power outage during a funeral service and the system was completely restored when power returned with no loss of settings or processor function. O’Connell adds, “From the moment the new system was deployed, parishioners have been approaching me and expressing great appreciation.” The reason, he says, is simple: “The message is now pre-eminent.”
For more information please visit www.renkus-heinz.com.
Langley, British Columbia, Christian Life Assembly Adds Touring-Class P.A.
 The Christian Life Assembly (CLA) church in Langley, British Columbia, is a tech-savvy multi-campus congregation that offers both media streaming and podcast downloads of services from its website. When the church began an extensive upgrade of its facilities last year, a state-of-the-art sound system for the 1,500-seat sanctuary was high on its list of priorities. "This is a very contemporary, technologically-aware church, so we knew we had to bring in the most advanced sound system equipment available for it," explains Harold Wiens, president and head designer of Vancouver-based audio, video, lighting and multimedia systems design and integration firm Sapphire Sound.
The stage thrusts out into the sanctuary, with seating in a 180-degree arc around it. Church Technical Director Kurtis Witt, together with Sapphire Sound decided on three EAW KF730 small line arrays in an "exploded cluster" configuration, with the KF730 enclosures loosely spaced to take full advantage of the KF730's Phase Aligned LF design that extends its horizontal pattern. A center array consists of four KF730 enclosures with an SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofer designed to fly above the KF730. This array is flanked on either side by an array of six KF730 boxes topped with an SB730 subwoofer. These are buttressed by eight EAW JFX88 Compact Full-Range Loudspeakers installed as under-balcony fills and five EAW UB52 compact full-range loudspeakers for front fill, controlled by a UX8800 Digital Signal Processor with proprietary Gunness Focusing technology.
"The dispersion pattern of the KF730 is fantastic," says Wiens, noting that when the room was analyzed for tuning purposes after the system was installed, every one of the 1,500 seats was within 1.0 dB of the others at any selected frequencies. "The consistency and the quality of the sound throughout the room was all you could have asked for. It's excellent for speech intelligibility and it's just as great for music," which Wiens says typically exceeds 100 dB during Sunday services. To add an even bigger bottom to the sound, four SB1000z Large Format Subwoofers were installed in poured-concrete bunkers underneath the front of the stage, to eliminate low-frequency vibrations to the stage. With the addition of a Digidesign Venue console at FOH, the system would be at home on any major tour. In fact, says Wiens, "Several of the top live sound mixers in the greater Vancouver area have told us it's one of the best-sounding P.A. systems they're ever heard. It's really a fantastic sound."
For more information, please visit www.eaw.com.
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| NEW PRODUCTS |
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Eartec PCx-1000 Duplex Wireless Intercom |
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The Eartec Company introduces the PCx-1000, a double channel, multi station, full duplex wireless that allows up to six people to communicate simultaneously within a quarter mile range. These revolutionary radios are not voice-activated so there is no delay when transmitting. To operate just turn the units "On" and talk through the headsets just like on a regular telephone. The system is an invaluable tool for situation where personnel need to work with their hands and communicate at the same time. An unlimited number of push-to-talk stations may also be added.
PCx radios are engineered with a unique frequency hopping architecture known as Spread Spectrum. In a spread spectrum format all radios in a group occupy a specific frequency for a fraction of a second so that transmissions cannot be interrupted by any other wireless system. There is no base station or FCC license required.
www.eartec.com
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| 02. |
JBL Expands Vertec Line Array Series with New Subcompact System |
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The VT4886 passive line array element and VT4883 cardioid-arrayable subwoofer are specifically designed for standalone use or integration with other existing Vertec models.
Delivering a high output and predictable coverage capabilities in an extremely compact package, JBL Professional is introducing the smallest system enclosures in the Vertec product family, the VT4886 passive three-way, high-directivity line array element and its companion VT4883 cardioid-arrayable subwoofer. Incorporating innovative acoustical technologies and purpose-built drivers, they are specifically designed for standalone use or in conjunction with other existing Vertec models.
A Variety of Applications
The new VT4886 and VT4883 subcompact models are suitable for use in a broad range of suspended-array, ground-based and fill speaker applications, with a comprehensive range of array and suspension accessories planned for the new system. Application flexibility also ensures that the VT4886/VT4883 system will provide an effective sound design tool for performance audio facility system designers. Given its very compact dimensions, the VT4886 is ideal for distributed front fill or under-balcony use. VT4886 line array elements can also be suspended in large multi-box arrays or ground-stacked, either standalone or with its companion VT4883 low-frequency extension for FOH, offstage fill, stereo in-fill, center cluster or delay cluster use. Mixed VT4883/VT4886 arrays can be suspended and supplemented with additional, large-format ground-stacked VERTEC subwoofers for extended-range FOH use. U-bracket and pole mount fixtures also enable three to four VT4886 enclosures to be used with a tripod stand, or an extension rod in coordination with VT4883 subwoofers.
Integral suspension hardware enables the quick, secure assembly of variable-curvature vertical arrays with adjustable splay angles from 0 to 15 degrees, or modular, constant-curvature horizontal line arrays, following JBL’s patented, road-proven mechanical design established with larger models in the Vertec family.
VT4886 Subcompact Line Array Element
The VT4886 incorporates some of the latest electro-acoustical technologies developed by JBL Professional. Unique to the subcompact line array category, the VT4886 features eight transducers with 10 separate voice coils.
A proprietary mid/high-frequency waveguide assembly seamlessly integrates mid-frequency and high-frequency section output in a next-generation implementation of JBL’s patented R.B.I. (Radiation Boundary Integrator) technology, providing precise wavefront control and allowing for proper inter-enclosure vertical coupling. Twin one-inch-exit high-frequency compression drivers, equipped with neodymium magnets for the reliable reproduction of very high frequencies with precise, detailed fidelity, are mounted on a precision dual-aperture assembly that includes geometric path-length compensation to ensure optimal twin-driver exit summation.
Each VT4886 also includes a total of four new 2103G 2.5-inch midrange transducers with neodymium magnets, combined with the high-frequency drivers in the new proprietary, integrated mid/high waveguide assembly. The midrange transducers utilize JBL’s Thermomaster technology, paired in thermo-coupled back-cover heatsink structures for improved heat transfer, which results in reduced power compression.
A pair of new 2166H 6.5-inch low-frequency component transducers with dual neodymium magnets and dual voice coils, incorporating JBL’s patented Differential Drive technology, establishes a robust low-frequency foundation for the VT4886. Each 2166H low-frequency transducer is matched to a low-frequency diffraction absorber with a tuned resonant-chamber cavity. This unique proprietary technology ensures optimal performance even at extremely high output levels while reducing cabinet edge diffraction effects for improved horizontal coverage stability.
A highly refined multi-band passive network is designed to minimize insertion loss and lower distortion while ensuring precise impedance matching between the low, midrange and high-frequency component sets. With a maximum SPL capability of 131 db continuous, 137 dB peak, the VT4886 has a nominal horizontal coverage of 110 degrees and a frequency range of 70 Hz – 20 kHz. It measures 577 mm x 197 mm x 260 mm (22.7" x 7.75" x 10.25"). The enclosure weighs 15.9 kg (35 lb).
VT4883 Cardioid-Arrayable Subwoofer
The VT4883 companion subwoofer is specifically optimized for use with the VT4886 line array element, both acoustically and mechanically, in addition to being a suitable complement for other loudspeaker systems in the Vertec family. This powerful, highly compact subwoofer is equipped with rigid internal bracing in a vented-bandpass enclosure topology to support the high-performance capabilities of its pair of new 2263H-1 12-inch long-excursion Differential Drive low-frequency components.
The VT4883 is equipped with reverse-arrayable suspension hardware and an auxiliary input connector on the front grille, making it easily reversible within a group of multiple suspended or ground-stacked cardioid subwoofer arrays.
The VT4883 has a frequency range of 35 Hz – 600 Hz (-10 dB) and a maximum SPL capability of 133 dB continuous, 139 dB peak (half space). Dimensions measure 577 mm x 397 mm x 641 mm (22.72" x 15.62" x 25.24"). The enclosure weighs 30.8 kg (68 lb).
“Since the VT4886 is a true three-way system with JBL’s new integrated mid/high waveguide providing optimized vertical and horizontal wavefront control, system users can expect better horizontal coverage stability and overall throw compared to other two-way designs on the market. And, with 10 voice coils instead of three as found in most other similar products, the VT4886 has the highest component density in its class and a healthy 3-6 dB maximum SPL advantage over the competition,” notes Paul Bauman, director of tour sound product and application engineering, JBL Professional. “Given the VT4886’s extremely compact size, flexible suspension accessories and application-specific DSP, I'm excited about the many sound design possibilities that will open up for touring, corporate AV and fixed installs. I'm also excited about the companion VT4883 sub/low enclosure, specifically designed for gradient cardioid arraying. This will allow Vertec system owners to apply the same cardioid and electronic delay steering techniques to small- and medium-scale configurations using the VT4883 that our customers have been successfully implementing in larger scale touring situations using full-size Vertec subwoofers.”
www.jblpro.com
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| 03. |
Sanyo PLC-XF71 10,000-Lumen, Dual-Lamp 3LCD Projector |
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Sanyo, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of 3LCD projectors unveils a two-lamp professional-grade projector, the PLC-XF71 today. The PLC-XF71 [1024 x 768] is 10,000 lumens with a contrast rating of 3000:1 contrast ratio, and is the brightest projector in its class, according to the company. It incorporated a three-mirror system to achieve uniform light output from two lamps, reduces color irregularities, and delivers incredibly high quality 4:3 images. Additionally, the PLC-XF71 features the exclusive Durable Inorganic Optical System (DIOS) with optical components that are heat and UV resistant.
The PLC-XF71 is also outfitted with Sanyo’s exclusive Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system, which automatically detects airflow and advances clean filter material as needed, resulting in less maintenance, and increased reliability.
“This two-lamp projector is bright enough to use in large auditoriums, staging events or any other venue that requires a projector that can emit a good deal of light,” says Mark Holt, the Vice President and General Manager for SANYO’s Presentation Technologies Division. “The addition with our AMF technology the PLC-XF71 can reliably meet the demands of our customers in the large event/conference and halls market as well as the digital signage and office-use markets.”
Installation is quick and simple with Sanyo’s proprietary Up/Down/Left/Right lens shift that ensures a perfect image even in the most challenging positions.
The projector is compatible with WUXGA, UXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, WXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA and MAC computers. The inputs provided are RGB (D-Sub-15), Pb/Cb, Pr/Cr (BNCx5) and S-Video. DVI-D and other input configurations are available with optional accessories. An USB service port is provided, along with a RS-232 communications port for use with external control systems.
www.sanyo.com |
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