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10 News Church “Gymnatorium” Equipped with Danley Loudspeakers, Ashly DSP The Hollowel Brethren in Christ Church “Gymnatorium” JANUARY 2011 WAYNESBORO, PA — Steve Christiano of G.A.D.G.e.T. Media saw some red flags when Hollowell Brethren in Christ Church opted to scrap plans for a new facility in favor of converting the gymnasium into a multipurpose facility. “To me, the word ‘gymnatorium’ screams compromise, as in, ‘does nei- www.fohonline.com ther one well,’” said Christiano, who ended up designing and installing all of the project’s sound, lighting, and projection, as well as much of the acoustics. “It makes me nervous.” Adding to Christiano’s anxiety was the “absolutely amazing ear” of the person who would judge the project a success or failure: Paul Beard, maker of top-quality resonator guitars, who is the senior sound reinforcement tech at Hollowell. “People like Jerry Douglas use Paul’s guitars,” said Christiano. “The system had to deliver superlative midrange clarity and a transparent, balanced response from top to bottom. Paul would be sure to hear any shortcomings, however minor.” But careful planning, abundant acoustical treatment, and top-rate gear, including Danley Sound Labs loudspeakers and Ashly DSP, helped the project win Beard’s approval, and also an award recognizing successful renovations among churches with 800 seats or fewer. Christiano and acoustician Neil Thompson Shade of akustx developed a plan to knock the gym’s five-second, 500Hz-centered reverb down to an even one second. They built “clouds” of perforated aluminum filled with twelve-inches of unfaced fiberglass, which, in addition to damping reflections, served to protect the lighting and projection equipment from errant basketballs. In addition, Shade had the idea of repurposing an overhang that ran all the way around the room. The team filled it with four feet of fiberglass and replaced the sheetrock of the soffit with perforated aluminum, effectively building a huge bass trap. The choice of loudspeakers for Christiano was an easy one. “I’ve been doing live sound now for 26 years,” he said. “Danley Sound Labs builds the very finest sound reinforcement loudspeakers that I have ever heard. The midrange clarity, three-dimensional depth, and separation are fantastic.” Because of their efficiency, Christiano only needed two full-range cabinets with fill from a center cluster of three Fulcrum eightinch loudspeakers. On either end of the stage, a flown Danley SH-96 delivers full program content with stereo imaging. Powersoft K3 and K10 amplifiers provide power. To provide the system with the modest conditioning required of the Danley speakers and, perhaps more importantly, flexibility, Christiano installed a modular Ashly ne24.24M DSP with four inputs and eight outputs. Together with a Crestron touch-panel interface, the Ashly ne24.24M affords Hollowell tremendous flexibility to deploy the technology to match the scale of a particular event. “The Ashly programming interface is remarkably easy,” Christiano said, also crediting the ne24.24M’s reliability and audio quality. Because the Ashly ne24.24M is network ready, Christiano was able to attach the sound system to the church’s local wireless network and adjust settings from a netbook. Consistent with its “gymnatorium” functionality, Christiano installed a Roland M 400 digital mixer, which is capable of being disconnected and rolled away in a matter of moments. The church also opted for Roland’s on-stage monitoring system, affording each band member his or her own mix with integrated ambient mics to facilitate band banter. “The whole point of doing this was certainly not to have the technology be an end unto itself,” said Christiano. “Rather, the church wanted to be able to communicate in the most effective way, and they wanted to be a resource for the community. Perhaps the coolest testament to their content-centered vision is the fact that by going with a ‘gymnatorium,’ they ensured that money would be left over to fund the programming in that space. “I think that other churches can learn from Hollowell’s example,” Christiano continued. “Often, church leaders are afraid that the older members will be turned off by technology. At Hollowell, the exact opposite is true. The older members enjoy seeing and hearing clearly, and, perhaps more importantly, they enjoy seeing the younger members of the church fully engaged.”
SDI Controls Rooftop Noise Levels Using SymNet at Gansevoort Beach Hotel MIAMI BEACH, FL — Amenities at the Gansevoort Miami Beach hotel, spa and resort included a 55,000 square-foot beach club, an infinity pool, and an 18th-floor rooftop oasis and lounge. But it’s not an island unto itself, and some rooftop parties have resulted in noise ordinance violations. “There were two overarching goals in the original installation at Gansevoort Miami Beach,” said David Lynn, principal at Systems Design & Integration, which had built a sound system based on Symetrix’s SymNet DSP three years ago and was called back to deal with the rooftop noise issues after the system they had originally installed had gotten surreptitiously circumvented. “First,” Lynn noted, “the management wanted a way to seamlessly deliver multiple customized music playlists to different zones in the hotel in full fidelity, with control over content and volume available from their business PCs at a host of locations throughout the hotel. Second, the system had to be fully code-compliant, meaning both that it coordinated appropriately with the emergency management systems and that it regulated output so as not to violate local noise laws.” The initial integration three years ago proved especially challenging, as the building provided very little in the way of infrastructure. Lynn, working together with Michael Chafee of Michael Chafee Enterprises, selected SymNet Express Cobra DSP hardware to facilitate audio distribution using only CAT-5 cable. “Symetrix and the SymNet brand build seamless products that are straightforward to program and backed by reliable manufacturing practices and faultless technical support,” said Lynn. “The technology is easy and fast for me, and building customized wall panels for the end users is simple. At Gansevoort Miami Beach, we use a combination of SymNet ARC push-button wall panels and Crestron touch-screen displays.” Four equipment racks, with five SymNet Express 8x8 Cobra DSPs and one Express 12x4 Cobra DSP between them, form the sonic heart of Gansevoort Miami Beach. One rack covers the ballrooms and the mezzanine. A second rack located in the security area delivers music to the main lobby, the common areas, and the entrance. The third rack feeds the pool deck and mezzanine-level deck. Finally, a fourth rack covers the roof deck, the roof lobby, and the elevators. EV, ADA, and Bi-Amp amplifiers provide power to JBL, Bogen-Near and EV loudspeakers. Crestron touch-panels at the main lobby desk, elevator control room, outdoor pool deck, and general managers’ area provide redundant control over every aspect of the entire system. Strategically located SymNet ARC push-button wall panels allow users to select program material and adjust volume within specific zones. Lynn had integrated the monitor for the rooftop portable DJ booth so as to remain on the right side of the law. The SymNet hardware put a reliable ceiling on how loud the DJ could push the monitor. All was well until someone (who was more concerned with the vibe of the rooftop parties than with the ordinances the hotel must abide by) replaced the rooftop system to circumvent the controls that Lynn and Chafee had so carefully engineered. Not surprisingly, Gansevoort Miami Beach received complaints and citations. Credit Suisse, the hotel’s current owner, brought in new management and called Lynn back to undo the damage. Lynn, in turn, called back Chafee along with Don Washburn of The Audio Bug (Hollywood, Florida). He reinstalled SymNet components so that the entire hotel would come back under unified control — again from any of the hotel’s business PCs. The team then undertook measurements, limiting and conditioning the outdoor output so as to minimize the impact on neighbors while still delivering as much perceived volume as possible to the hotel’s hard-partying guests. News Gansevoort Miami Beach’s rooftop lounge.
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