Salvation Army Kroc Center Covered by Community
McDonald's founders Ray and Joan Kroc were known for supporting a variety of charitable causes, and their legacy continues with a multi-billion dollar donation to the Salvation Army for the construction of several community centers in cities across America. The latest Kroc Center, recently opened in North Philadelphia, is one of the largest venues of its kind on the East Coast. Its 130,000 square feet includes a world-class aquatics center, state-of-the-art fitness center, worship and performing arts facilities, cafe and culinary education center, as well as a wide range of programs for kids, adults and senior citizens.
Powerful sound was a big part of the plan and a selection of Community R-Series, and WET Series loudspeakers were chosen to cover the pool areas, fitness center and gymnasium. The R-Series fit the bill on multiple levels particularly in the pool areas, which combined a tremendously reverberant environment with an exceptional amount of humidity. The WET Series were used in a separate system to cover the stands, which are tucked away in their alcove, making use of their tight, focused coverage pattern and high degree of intelligibility.
Click HERE for a video clip of the Salvation Army Kroc Center installation.
Community Greets the Fighting Irish Faithful
At any given home game, more than 80,000 fans stream through the entry gates of the famed Notre Dame Stadium to cheer for their Fighting Irish. It's a tradition that dates back to the 1930s Knute Rockne era, when the stadium was built on the campus of Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, Indiana. While the stadium has undergone a number of renovations over the years, parts of the venue ha d suffered from poor sound coverage. Fans in the main seating areas were covered, but the upper and lower concourses had no loudspeakers at all. When folks got up to visit the concession stands, there was no way to hear the announcements over the noise of the crowd.
The solution was a multi-zone distributed system comprised of more than 100 Community R.5 and R.25 loudspeakers covering both concourse levels. The entryway loudspeakers to the stadium were also replaced with additional R.5's. Of course, while missing general announcements can be an inconvenience, it can become even more critical where safety announcements are concerned. The system underwent its first critical test almost immediately during the very first game of the season. Two severe storms came through the area, it was the first time the university actually had to implement the evacuation plan and the system performed flawlessly. Aside from intelligibility, weather resistance was another factor in the selection of the R-Series loudspeakers. The upper concourse system is exposed to the elements, plenty of humidity, lots of wind, rain, snow, and temperature extremes ranging from 100 degrees in August to sub-zero teens in winter.
Community Provides for World Heritage Centennial Hall, Poland
The recent design and installation of a Community based audio and voice evacuation system was provided for the prestigious Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall) in Wroclaw, Poland. Constructed in 1913, Centennial Hall is undergoing a comprehensive program of renovation and new development that transforms it into a state-of-the-art venue for its centenary. Centennial Hall was built to commemorate the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, which ended Napoleon's occupation of the region. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 and chosen as one of the most important achievements in 20th century architecture as the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world (at its time) and featured the biggest dome to have been constructed since the Pantheon in Rome eighteen centuries earlier.
The audio system's prime function is to provide voice evacuation, while meeting strict Polish Fire Department standards. It also has to perform a dual function as a professional audio system for voice paging and entertainment for the main hall, where the audience capacity has been increased from 7,000 to 10,000. The contractor faced an acoustically challenging building, complicated by its UNESCO Status which restricted the placement of loudspeakers. This required loudspeakers with precise coverage patterns, excellent voice reproduction and very high SPL.
The system was based on fifty-two, high-output, dual 12-inch Community R2 loudspeakers. A combination of 50x20, 70x70 and 90x40 degree devices were used to provide complete, consistent coverage and the loudspeakers met the intelligibility and SPL requirements for the Fire Department tests. In addition, eight wide-angle, dual 8-inch W2-2W8s were used for fill areas. The client is very happy with the system's performance and their installation, having been very sympathetic to the aesthetic needs of this historic building.
Educational Training and Workshops
 Don't miss an opportunity to attend SynAudCon's three-day Sound Reinforcement for Technician's Seminar.
Atlanta GA - March 19-21, 2012 Dallas TX - April 2-4, 2012
  Check the schedule for How-To-Sound Ministry workshops coming to a city near you and use coupon code "CPL20" to receive 20% off registration.
HOW-TO Sound Workshops Announce New ASSIST Seminars. Training & Certification Program for Sound System Technicians, Installers & Contractors. Visit howtosound.com/ASSISTto register for the seminar, or view a list of scheduled dates and cities in 2012.
Prolight & Sound March 21-24, 2012 Messe Frankfurt Frankfurt, Germany Hall 8.0, Stand # C86 www.prolight-sound.com
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