The aptly named city of Niagara Falls stands adjacent to its famous group of three waterfalls that span the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York. The city is home to 50,000 residents and venues like including Niagara Community Church, Sēvā Kitchen and Bar, and Niagara Falls High School. It is also home to AV integrator 5 Day Productions which often recommends LEA Professional’s Connect Series amplifiers to meet various AV requirements in various environments.
“Most amplifiers nowadays, you're looking at almost the same exact price,” said Nathan Gambino, CEO, 5 Day Productions. “But then LEA adds in DSP capabilities, a control system [WebUI], and remote connectivity [LEA Cloud], essentially all for free. Those are a huge benefit and a lot of the reason LEA is pretty much the only amplifier I'm installing these days.”
Niagara Community Church
Minutes away from the iconic Niagara Falls lies Niagara Community Church. The church was established in 1981 and is home to a small but thriving congregation of approximately 100 members. The high-peaked sanctuary ceiling and other hard surfaces resulted in low speech intelligibility, making it difficult for churchgoers to understand the worship service as the congregation grew. As part of a new audio system, amplifiers from LEA Professional were installed in the church to improve intelligibility and enhance worship experiences for the congregation.
[Singing the Praises of High-End Audio]
The audio system comprised two DAS Audio Quantum Series Q-43-T mains with two accompanying delay speakers. A compact Q-8 subwoofer rounded out the sanctuary system, while a series of 70-volt ceiling speakers were installed in the lobby and other rooms.
Gambino installed Connect Series 354 amplifiers to power the system. The IoT-enabled 4-channel 354 provides 350 watts per channel into 2, 4, and 8 ohms, and 70Vrms and 100Vrms. It also supports Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel and features Smart Power Bridge technology. One amplifier powered the mains and delay speakers, while Gambino doubled the output on one channel on a second amplifier to power the subwoofer. He used the remaining channels to power the 70-volt ceiling speakers.
Sēvā Kitchen and Bar
The Cadence is a stylish and modern hotel in Niagara Falls. Situated close to the famous Niagara Falls, it provides easy access to the natural wonder and various attractions in the area, making it a convenient base for tourists. Sēvā Kitchen and Bar is the culinary heart of the hotel. The previously installed amplifier wasn’t meeting the restaurant’s needs, so they turned to amplifiers from LEA Professional to fulfill the performance requirements for the upscale dining experience.
Gambino installed the Connect Series 354 to power the system. Two channels drive the low-impedance main speakers, while a third channel powers a subwoofer. The fourth channel powers 70-volt outdoor speakers covering the patio dining area. A Connect Series Touch handles the source selection, volume adjustments, and mute status for the indoor and outdoor areas. The controller is PoE-powered for easy installation and allows for group control of source, volume, and mute.
Niagara Falls High School
Niagara Falls High School is the sole high school within city limits. It has over 2,000 students in grades 9-12. The school's main gym, affectionately nicknamed the Wolvarena after the school’s wolverine mascot, was still using the AV system that was initially installed when the school first opened in 2000. The high school was looking to replace the system due to degrading performance and wanted to improve ease of use, so they turned to LEA Professional.
The challenge of the project was meeting the expectations of a simple-to-use, intuitive system that would integrate with the existing speakers. The amplifier needed a powerful DSP to ensure the speakers wouldn’t be overdriven. Gambino successfully installed the Connect Series 354 to power the system and provide the necessary DSP. Each channel drives a low-impedance speaker hung from the high ceiling. The integrated DSP effectively eliminated the need for unnecessary equipment in the rack, ensuring the overall job cost was kept to a minimum.
The school staff was very happy with the end result because it was exactly what they wanted: set it and forget it. The levels are set so anyone can come in and use microphones and music without any adjustments, so AV technicians are not required for most events in the Wolvarena.
[Not All Clouds Are Created Equal]
Additionally, features like WebUI and LEA Cloud made the installations even more favorable. WebUI allows users to check the status of every amplifier connected to the network and the status of every channel on any given amplifier to monitor channel performance. With LEA Cloud, Gambino can remotely control and monitor any LEA amplifier regardless of his location or time of day, reducing travel and saving time and money.
