A New Ohio Wellness Center Is A Multimedia Extravaganza
There are 16 Community R.5-99T coaxial speakers installed on beams more than 30 feet above the soccer field.
NILES, OH—The Mayor Ralph A. Infante Wellness Center really has something for everyone, from an indoor soccer field, basketball court, and batting cages to an indoor track, aerobics and weight rooms, and conference facilities.
The facility also holds plenty of technology, with 20 LCD screens, eight separate audio systems, and WiFi connectivity throughout. As Al Gallo of Canfield, OH-based The Sound Shop explained, the Center’s vastness presented some interesting challenges. “Some parts of the facility are, by their nature, very large, open spaces, and their acoustics are less than ideal. The larger spaces in particular called for audio systems that could deliver the right combination of power and intelligibility.”
The Center’s main area comprises an indoor soccer field, along with a basketball court and batting cages. 16 Community R.5-99T coaxial speakers are installed on beams more than 30 feet above the soccer field, with four more covering the basketball court and four on the batting cages. Crown CTS-2000 amps power the system. “The R.5 delivers the SPL needed for this large indoor area, with a tight enough pattern control to keep reflections to a minimum,” Gallo said. A 16-channel Allen & Heath mixer connects the dual Audio Technica wireless systems and Numark dual CD unit. DBX compression and EQ complete the system.
The weight/training room is outfitted with five 42-inch Sharp HD LCD screens, along with five Broadcast Vision receivers and transmitters. A Middle Atlantic locking rack houses a Mackie 1402VLZ mixer, Rolls FM tuner Numark dual CD and dbx EQ. 16 in-ceiling Community Cloud6 speakers and four Cloud1266 subwoofers are powered by a Crown CTS2000 amplifier.
The Center’s two aerobics rooms each called for a pair of wall-mounted Community MVP15 full-range systems driven by Crown XTi2000 amps, and each room’s locking Middle Atlantic rack contains a Mackie 1402VLZ, AT3000 wireless system, Numark dual CD, dbx EQ, and rack-mounted iPod dock. Each room is outfitted with two 42-inch Sharp HD LCD screens.
A multi-purpose lobby area offers seating, office space, restrooms, and a snack bar. Two 50-inch Sharp HD screens cover the lobby, with a third in the seating area. Two more 37-inch Sharp screens reside over the snack bar, and another in the office.
The large conference room can be divided into two smaller rooms, each with its own Soundcraft 12-channel mixer and eight Cloud6 speakers driven by Crown CTS600 amps. Both rooms’ locking racks house AT3000 wireless systems, Numark dual CD and dbx EQ, and 65-inch Sharp HD LCDs adorn the walls.
“When choosing the audio/video for the facility we took into account that the Wellness Center would be our Satellite City Building/Emergency Operations Center,” noted Tom Telego, City of Niles’ emergency services coordinator. “When required each room can be transformed into an independently functional operations center, to be used as a mass shelter, Volunteer Reception Center, or for Homeland Security training.”
Outside, eight of Community’s Veris 28 speakers are mounted along the length of the building, covering the parking lot for outdoor events. Two Crown Xti2000 amps power the outdoor system. And just to leave no area unserved, Gallo designed a portable rolling rack with Soundcraft 16-channel mixer, Numark CD and dbx EQ, accompanied by another pair of MVP15 speakers on Ultimate Support stands.
Rounding out the video setup are a 32x32 FSR Pathfinder HD video matrix and MAS 6200 video scaler. 10 DirecTV HD receivers pull in the signal, topped off with a Sony Bluray HD DVD player. Looking ahead toward movie nights, the facility has been pre-wired for a large-screen 30- foot DLP projection system.
