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The Harsh Reality of a Multipurpose Venue
The Recreation and Convocation Center at the University at Albany was built for everything but simple sound reinforcement. A multipurpose facility used for a wide range of events, it presented SimplexGrinnell's New York region pro sound market manager, Dominick Campana, with some serious obstacles to overcome when designing a new sound system.
"Dilemmas posed by the sheer size of the structure were compounded by the facility's harsh reflective walls made from concrete block and an open-shell grid deck," he points out. "If that weren't bad enough, when a large crowd is present, the noise floor hovers around 80 dB without even turning the sound system on."
"And that's not where it ends" he continues, "the building is used for everything from basketball games to commencements, so the room configuration constantly changes. Previously, the only thing you could do to accommodate these changes was turn all the components on or off. Nothing in between."
The Perfect Fit for Every Occasion
Familiar with QSC's ModularDesign loudspeakers and their unmatched flexibility, Dominick chose 24 for the main floor. Featuring matching enclosures, they could be combined to cover a horizontal space ranging from 60 to 360 degrees with both full-range and low-frequency cabinets in the same cluster.
"These are my loudspeakers of choice when I have a choice," he maintains. "I needed high output and control and they gave me both – plus a lot more. Available in white, they matched the interior décor perfectly. And they were highly affordable, which was a big help with a tight budget."
Thirty-six QSC AD-S52T loudspeakers were added to extend the sound field into the upper balconies and 17 CX series amplifiers provided ample power for a system that now featured pre-sets to accommodate the various crowd sizes and activities.
"Before, some events required a separate touring-style system," Dominick relates. Now, there's not much this system can't handle. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."
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ModularDesign Series Cluster |
ModularDesign Series |
AcousticDesign AD-S52/AD-S52T |
CX Series 2-channel Amplifiers |
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