SOUND SYSTEM FOR PRESTIGIOUS LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 2009: With over 2,000 enrolled students, Meredith College, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the largest female liberal arts college in the Southeas

It has strong theater and dance programs and succeeds in bringing engaging lecturers to campus as part of a curated series. Jones Auditorium is home to both the lecture series and most of the theater and dance productions. Built in 1949, it seats 400 on the main floor and 220 in the balcony, and until dB Audio and Video came through this summer, its sound system was substantially older than most of Meredith's students!

In addition to poor fidelity and inadequate coverage, the old system had no capacity for surround sound and thus made movie presentations much less than they could have been. Frank Locklear, AV specialist for dB Audio &Video, Gainesville, Georgia, gutted the old system and replaced it with one that is centered on Danley loudspeakers. His tripartite attack included substantial acoustical treatment, modern digital electronics, and a simple, clean Danley speaker arrangement that delivers fidelity, power, and arresting surround sound imaging.

"The old sound system was probably the best that they could afford at the time," said Locklear. "But with today's technology, you get a lot more value for money. We were able to exceed the client's expectations while keeping this project within budget for several reasons. First, we build all of our own acoustical panels - that's a big cost savings. Second, even relatively inexpensive digital consoles and digital processing possess fidelity that far exceeds the inexpensive analog technology of yesterday, and they combine that fidelity with shear processing power and recall ability that was simply unimaginable with older technology. Finally, Danley's cutting edge loudspeaker designs overcome the tradeoffs of conventional designs, and they do so without requiring bi or even tri-amplification. That cuts down on expensive amplifier channels."

To reduce undesirable reflections and standing waves, dB installed a large number of two-inch, pressed-fiberglass acoustic panels on the side walls and on the back wall under the balcony. Because the thirty 4x8, thirty-five 2x3, and four 4x4 panels were built right at dB A&V's facilities, they were able to match the décor of Jones Auditorium so as not to detract from its visual aesthetic.

Meredith College wanted to be able to use the system in two complementary, but distinct, modes. For stage productions and lectures, they wanted a Left-Center-Right system. For movie presentations, they wanted to add surround channels. dB flew three Danley SH-100Bs for the primary LCR channels. The SH-100B features a 110 x 110-degree beam width and the inclusion of a tapped-horn subwoofer for extended low-frequency response. A handful of Community CPL23s provide stage and side fills.

Two SH-100s - identical to the SH-100Bs but without the integrated subwoofer - provide surround channels below the balcony, and two SH-100s provide surround channels above the balcony. Three additional SH-100s flown from the ceiling mid-way back in the hall deliver a delayed LCR signal to the balcony. Two Danley TH-115 subwoofers dutifully shake Jones Auditorium with rich lows when needed. QSC RMX-Series amplifiers power all of the loudspeakers and subwoofers.

"The challenge was getting the surround sound right," said Locklear. "The room is fairly large and the balcony had a lot of potential to mess things up. Nevertheless, our chief engineer, Ivan Beaver, said that Jones Auditorium is now the best surround sound venue of its size that he's ever heard - and he's heard a lot of them! The clean 110-degree coverage from the Danleys keeps the energy where it is needed and makes for excellent spatial imaging."

dB did more than just improve the acoustics and upgrade the speakers, however. Performers on stage now enjoy the clarity of new Yamaha floor monitors and eighteen new Shure ULX-series wireless microphones. The entire room is rewired for reliable, modern connectivity. A four-channel Clear-Com intercom system makes the goings on back stage pleasant and dependable.

From the sound engineer's perspective, the biggest change is the new digital Yamaha M7CL48 console and the system's Audio Nexia processing. At the touch of a button, the system shifts modes to accommodate musical performances, theatrical performances, lectures or movies. With instant recall on the console, the room can be used for multiple productions with a minimum of hassle.

Reports back from Jones Auditorium production supervisor Cailen Waddell are glowing. "This is one of the fastest install we've ever done," remarked Locklear. "It was a little over four months from the initial meeting to the completed system. They knew what they wanted and were ready to move!"

Danley Sound Labs is the exclusive home of Tom Danley, one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the industry today and recognized worldwide as a pioneer for "outside the box" thinking in professional audio technology.

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