SEATTLE, WA – Cornish College of the Arts is using a wireless setup from Lectrosonics with Digital Hybrid Wireless technology for the sake of both its audiences and its students, according to Dave Tosti-Lane, chair of the college's Performance Production department and area head of sound design.
"Prior to our new system, we had been unable to effectively teach students how to work with wireless gear, and this was a major hole in our curriculum," Tosti-Lane said. In all, the college has about 800 students pursuing Bachelor degrees in dance, theater, performance production, design, fine art and music.
"Previously, we owned just three UHF systems which were located in the 700 MHz band. The combination of the recent FCC changes that made our previous wireless system unusable, together with an increasing demand for expanding our musical theater program, led the administration to authorize the funds to address wireless in a systematic way."
The initial order included two Lectrosonics Venue receivers – each stocked with Lectrosonics' VRS receiver modules for a total of 12 channels – plus a dozen SM Series bodypack transmitters, a pair of ALP500 "shark fin" antennas, passive splitters and antenna cable to assemble the system.
"The Venue system offers significant advantages," Tosti-Lane said, including the ability to fit 12 wireless microphone channels into just two rack spaces. He also cited built-in antenna routing, multiple options for diversity operation, and the LecNet2 VR panel configuration software as key features, "both as a working system, and as a system that can illustrate the fundamentals of RF (radio frequency) design to my students."
The Lectrosonics SM Series transmitters are designed to meet the theatrical need to conceal transmitters in costumes and access the settings remotely. "With our RM2 remote control transmitter, it's extremely easy to work with the system while avoiding the necessity of digging out the transmitter itself once it's positioned on the talent," Tosti-Lane said.
The Lectrosonics RM2 remote control can affect the SM transmitter's Sleep Mode On/Off, lock or unlock transmitter controls, and adjust the transmitter's audio input gain.
Tosti-Lane also credited the system for its sound quality and performance characteristics. "The Digital Hybrid system avoids companding, and eliminates the need for pre-emphasis in the analog stage, which means we get excellent signal to noise without artifacts and without worrying about distortion with high frequency signals." He also cited the circulator/isolator circuit, which is designed to reduce intermodulation problems when transmitters are in close proximity, as an important feature.
While Cornish College of the Arts only took delivery of their Lectrosonics system in January and hadn't fully assembled their roving equipment rack until February, the new equipment has already made an impact.
"The system's sound and performance has been terrific, said Tosti-Lane. "So far, I've used the system in class to show the difference between using ¼ wave antennas and LPDA antennas by running the scan and taking screenshots of the spectrum to compare. We also tried out the SmartTune frequency assignment feature with great success.
"While we're starting with 12 channels, our plan is expand the system to 24 or 36 channels," Tosti added. "We're just now getting ready for our first musical since assembling the system- Urinetown: The Musical– which opens in early April, and we're very excited about using the equipment for that project."
For more information, please visit www.lectrosonics.com .
