Southwest Building Systems (SBS), specialists in outdoor sound systems and big-screen video systems, recently upgraded the audiovisual experience at Del Valle High School’s 4400-capacity Veterans Memorial Stadium in suburban Austin, TX.
The project’s timing gave SBS development manager Brent Thornhill the opportunity to use the new Dynacord MXE5 matrix mix engine to control all aspects of the system, which includes weather-resistant loudspeakers from Electro-Voice powered by Dynacord amplifiers. Dynacord’s intuitive SONICUE sound system software was used to set up and fine-tune the main P.A.
[Advancements in Portable P.A.s Support New Methods of Sound Reinforcement]
“This project was part of a big upgrade to the whole stadium,” said Thornhill, who oversaw the design and installation for Southwest Building Systems. “It also gave us the opportunity to undertake the first installation in North America to use the new MXE5, which was pretty exciting.”
Flanking the large video scoreboard beyond the end zone are two arrays of eight XLD291 line-array loudspeakers, each covering the bleachers along one sideline. In addition, a set of four Electro-Voice X12i-128 dual-18-inch subwoofers is mounted on a platform in cardioid configuration, focusing low-frequency coverage across the entire stadium. All the end-zone loudspeakers are fully weatherized, with an IP55 rating against dust and water. Three Dynacord IPX10:4 amps power the arrays and an IPX20:4 handles the subwoofer stack. The amplifiers are rack-mounted in the video control room with the network switches and the MXE5.
The MXE5 is a 24 x 24 matrix with 12 analog mic/line inputs, eight line outputs and 24 Dante audio channels. In addition to complete integration with SONICUE sound system software, the MXE5’s feature set provides professional audio mixing and routing capabilities, along with system-wide control and supervision for a wide range of applications.
The stadium announcer’s desk is equipped with an Electro-Voice PC Desktop-12 gooseneck microphone from the PolarChoice series. Two Electro-Voice RE3 wireless systems were deployed, one with a switch-enabled headworn referee system and the other a handheld mic with ND86 capsule for speeches and vocals.
Other products from the Bosch Communications Systems portfolio complete the remaining system needs. To meet ADA accessibility requirements, a Telex SoundMate assistive listening system was specified, equipped with rechargeable bodypacks and a choice of SCB-1 earbuds or the NLS4, an inductive neck loop for use with hearing aids. The stadium’s video control room sports an EVID-C6.2 ceiling speaker as a confidence monitor, and the production team uses an RTS BTR-800 intercom system.
“There are a lot of moving parts in creating a good stadium audio system,” concluded Thornhill, “but the SONICUE software with the new MXE5 digital matrix made it easier than ever to deliver a great-sounding, sophisticated solution. The folks at Del Valle High School and I are all very happy with it.”
