Enhanced Audio Clarity Transformed Gym Experience at a New York Elementary School with SoundTube Installation.
In the picturesque Riverhead Central School District in New York, Pulaski Road Elementary has undergone a significant transformation, with a focus on improving the auditory experience for students, staff, and visitors. The district, aiming to create a highly intelligible environment suitable for announcements, presentations, and assemblies, turned to Advance Sound to engineer a more targeted solution.
Advance Sound selected SoundTube's LA880i line array speakers in white for the installation, prioritizing speakers with tight, controlled dispersion. These speakers offer the capability to provide precise coverage, minimizing sound bouncing around in the reverberant auditorium, which is crucial for intelligibility in spaces with shallow depths and reflective surfaces.
The LA880i speakers were mounted at a six-foot height from the stage floor to meet ADA clearance, and were tilted out to minimize reflections and ensure even coverage throughout the room. The speakers' controlled directivity and vertical dispersion were critical in keeping the audio focused, while their white laquer finish blended seamlessly with the auditorium's intricate woodwork.
The system design ensured consistent coverage from front rows to back, including balconies or under-balcony areas. This involved tuning the number and angle of array elements to avoid hot spots and dead zones, ensuring consistent sound pressure level (SPL) and spectral response across the venue.
To manage equalization, delay, and feedback suppression, digital signal processors (DSPs) were incorporated. The system also included a Symetrix DSP controller for fine-tuning, ensuring the system was specifically tailored to the acoustic character of the historic space.
A set of Shure SLX-D wireless microphones is part of the upgraded system, providing crystal-clear sound throughout the auditorium. The success at Pulaski Road Elementary indicates a potential for more AV upgrades throughout the district. In fact, DePace, the district's technology director, mentioned that Advance Sound is now being called back to survey other buildings.
The upgraded system enhances events and ensures accessibility, making Pulaski Road Elementary's auditorium a prime venue for presentations and performances. The audio upgrades were prioritized as a critical first step, demonstrating the district's commitment to quality and a repeatable, scalable system.
The success at Pulaski Road Elementary aligns with best practices evidenced in other historic venues, such as Oakland’s Fox Theater, where careful system configuration and DSP tuning ensured even distribution and clarity while respecting the venue’s character. This approach, which balances technical performance with venue preservation concerns, is key to enhancing auditory experiences in historic spaces.
- The technology director of Riverhead Central School District, DePace, recognizes the success of the audio upgrades at Pulaski Road Elementary and plans to incorporate similar features, like precision speakers and digital signal processors (DSPs), in other school buildings to enhance the education-and-self-development events across the district.
- As more schools in Riverhead Central School District undergo AV system upgrades, the integration of technology, such as the LA880i speakers and Symetrix DSP controllers, aims to improve not only lifestyle events but also enhances the auditorium's energy and resonance, maintaining a balance between technical performance and venue preservation - like the approach seen in renovated venues such as Oakland’s Fox Theater.
