HASTINGS, MN – Intermedia Systems Group (ISG) recently gave the sound system at 700-seat auditorium at Hastings Middle School (HMS) a much-needed upgrade, including Ashly PE-Series amplifiers.
"There were a number of things that caused the undoing of the old sound system, not the least of which was a broken sprinkler pipe that deposited some ‘moisture' on top of the old rack," said Joel Evermann, ISG project consultant.
"The school held the system together for a while with a lot of service calls," Evermann added. "To make matters worse, the speakers were inappropriate for the space even when they were new – overlapping coverage patterns led to hot and cold spots all over the seating area. Something needed to be done."
The new system need to be reliable, flexible and sound better than the one it replaced. But given the numerous service calls generated by the previously-installed system, reliability was a top concern – and a key reason why Evermann turned to Ashly gear.
"We had used Ashly PE- and NE-Series amps in many previous installations, and they have been trouble-free," Evermann said. He chose two Ashly PE 1800 (two-channel, 900W per channel @ 4 ohms) and one Ashly PE 3000 (two-channel, 1500W per channel @ 4 ohms) to power a complement of speakers that have been matched to the space. Yamaha Installation Series IS 2112 loudspeakers cover most of the seating, backed up from below by IS 1215 subwoofers. A delay ring of RCF loudspeakers covers the back third of the seats, complementing the Yamaha units.
A Biamp Nexia DSP provides a modest amount of processing downstream from a 32-channel Yamaha LS9 console. "The LS9 provides auditorium manager Anne Blessing with some peace of mind," said Evermann. "Since the space gets used by so many entities, some of them directly connected to the school and some not, the fact that it's digital with complete scene recall makes transitions between users vastly simpler than it used to be. In addition, the new console has access management, so Anne can give users an appropriate level of access, but no more."
In conjunction with the audio overhaul, Intermedia, in a cooperative effort with SECOA, a theatrical lighting design contractor, revamped the auditorium's lighting system, which had also been at the cusp of crashing for a different set of reasons. They gutted the dimmer rack, rewired everything and installed a modern complement of ETC theatrical controls and Source Four lighting fixtures.
After a few months to tool-up their version of Schoolhouse Rock Live, HMS recently hosted its inaugural event in their new auditorium. "Everyone was thrilled! It was the sort of improvement that even folks with no A/V interest at all find obvious," said Evermann. "I attended and received unabashed compliments from Anne, the school's musical director, Kathy Warren, and the Hastings Middle School principal, Mark Zuzek. For my part, I was impressed by the overall sound and how well they managed their new technology."
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