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Technomad Upgrades Chicago River Sightseeing Boats

Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that its Vernal weatherproof loudspeakers are providing audio for narrated tours by Shoreline Sightseeing of Chicago on the waters of the Chicago River.More than 80 Vernal loudspeakers are installed on 18 boats, broadcasting clear speech with supplemental background music on boats ranging from 15 to 50 feet in length.

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Shoreline Sightseeing is the premier boat touring fleet in Chicago, operating tours on the Chicago River and the Great Lakes that give visitors a historical overview of nearby architecture and other attractions.According to Chad Rice, Director of Fleet Management for Shoreline Sightseeing, the live and pre-recorded audio narrations are significant to the tours, and the audio is intelligible from the shoreline as boats pass through the center of the Chicago River.

“We take up to 300 people out at a time, and audio is the most dominant aspect of the experience,” said Rice.“Our customers pay to hear exactly what is happening, whether they are receiving live narration on the Chicago River tours or pre-recorded audio on the Great Lakes tours.The Vernals also provide great musical quality based on our special weekly tours with fireworks, which is the only time we use the loudspeakers for background music.”

According to Scott Voorhis at Tri-Electronics, a systems integrator for professional sound, video, communications and security systems, the owner of Shoreline Sightseeing wanted to replace their existing loudspeakers with systems that could withstand the harsh elements of the Chicago climate.

“This is a year-round operation, and they needed equipment that could survive the humidity, moisture and extreme hot and cold weather that comprises the Chicago climate,” said Voorhis.“The owner had installed ‘weather-resistant’ loudspeakers from another vendor prior to our involvement, and they were forced to repair components on a regular basis.The Technomad Vernals were implemented for their reliability to survive these conditions, in addition to their compact size and outstanding audio performance.We have had zero problems with the Vernals in this capacity: zero failures, zero replacements and zero complaints.”

Voorhis and his team designed the layout of the loudspeakers specifically for each boat, adding two Vernals to the smaller taxis and up to 15 on each of the larger boats.Mounting locations were carefully considered to ensure clear speech intelligibility, even pattern coverage, and to maintain exceptional audio quality.

Rice added that the weatherproofing aspect was a significant factor in Shoreline Sightseeing’s decision to upgrade to Technomad.They have slowly converted most of their fleet to Technomad for audio, with only one boat to go.

“We constantly had to replace the older loudspeakers, which simply couldn’t handle the rain or moisture even though they were touted as weather-resistant,” said Rice.“We operate tours from March through November, and can run the Vernals year-round.They can also withstand the direct UV rays, which say a lot about their durability.We don’t even remove them in the winter months.They sound great, and their durability is very impressive.”

Each boat has between one and 15 Vernals depending on its size, as well as a dedicated mixer, amplifier, microphone and processing equipment for live narration and PA announcements.The clear speech emanating from the loudspeakers is also ideal for life-safety related announcements in the case of emergency.

Technomad Seeks European Dealers as Company Expands Overseas Business

Technomad Associates, LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and Turnkey PA systems for the commercial pro audio market since 1995, is seeking to expand its network of dealers across Europe to complement international business growth across the continent and beyond.

Technomad began stocking equipment in the Netherlands one year ago to enable faster delivery times and minimize shipping costs for European customers.The company continues to manufacture its products at its U.S. factory in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, including its complete range of IP56-rated weatherproof loudspeakers; its PowerChiton range of networkable weatherproof outdoor amplifier modules; and its Schedulon mp3 player and recorder.

: A Technomad Berlin loudspeaker installed on a light pole outdoors and unprotected from the elements

Technomad’s expansion into Europe has also introduced changes into the company’s manufacturing process to ensure that all products are RoHS-compliant for equipment sales into Europe, per the standards set by the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances.In addition to superior audio quality and a highly durable, weatherproof construction, Technomad loudspeakers feature a green design that includes the use of 100% recycled plastic in its manufacturing process.

Resellers are carefully selected based on their ability to service a local market with pre-sale technical advice for customers, as well as installation capability. Technomad provides extensive web training and direct factory support is offered to new distributors, with continued support throughout the contract.Interested firms are invited to apply online at https://www.technomad.com/order/

International distributors and dealers are also invited to visit the Technomad website at http://www.technomad.com for more information on the company’s Online Quote and Order System, which brings the conveniences of online purchasing, parts replacement, quote generation and other benefits to the company’s network of authorized dealers and resellers.

Technomad Berlin Loudspeakers Project Voice and Music for Tennessee State Soccer Association

Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that Chattanooga Sound, a sound contractor based in Chattanooga, Tenn., has installed two Berlin weatherproof loudspeakers on a new soccer field for the Tennessee State Soccer Association in the nearby town of Cleveland.

The Berlin is the most powerful loudspeaker Technomad offers, offering unmatched projection, fidelity and power in an all-environment, IP56-compliant design.According to Charlie Rhodes, president of Chattanooga Sound, the soccer association approached him to procure and design the end-to-end system after discovering Technomad online.The Berlins are mounted on opposite sideline poles, one pointing in each direction toward the field to cover the entire venue.

Technomad Berlin loudspeakers are mounted on opposite poles at either side of the soccer field bleachers to project voice and music onto the field and to all spectators

“The Berlins offer a very high SPL and a two-inch driver that makes a world of difference when projecting spoken word over long distances,” said Rhodes.“These are full-range loudspeakers that reproduce lows, mids and highs very well, and the two-inch driver helps project the mids and highs for that extra distance.The musical reproduction is also outstanding, although voice is the most important aspect of this system.”

Rhodes first came across Technomad about five years ago when he replaced an audio system at Rock City, a 15-acre tourist destination outside of Chattanooga that was forced to continually replace outdoor loudspeakers adversely affected by inclement weather, high heat and humidity.Rhodes installed more than 20 Technomad Vernal loudspeakers at Rock City that continue to operate after four-plus years of unprotected use.

“Like Rock City, the Berlins for this project will be sitting out in the open, and in this part of the state we get all kinds of weather with temperatures that range from near zero to more than 100 degrees,” said Rhodes.“The bonus is that the weatherproof design in no way compromises the sound quality.”

The Technomad Berlins offer very high SPL and a two-inch driver to enable clear projection of spoken word over long distances

The end-to-end system designed by Rhodes also features an Ashly line mixer, dbx processor, Shure wireless microphones and a Denon CD player.The system was installed by local volunteers with Rhodes on hand to consult and set audio and EQ levels.

Technomad Vernal Loudspeakers Play Instrumental Role in LEED-Certified Muzak System for Price Chopper Supermarket

<!–[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]–> 40 loudspeakers playback music, advertisements and other in-store messages at high quality for new 60,000 square foot supermarket

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Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that Functional Communications Corporation has installed 40 Technomad Vernal loudspeakers as part of a LEED-certified AV and intercom communications system at the new Price Chopper supermarket in Colonie, NY.The Technomad loudspeakers are installed throughout the store and at the entrance to provide high-quality audio reproduction for a Muzak Audio Architecture installation featuring music and in-store advertising; and outstanding voice intelligibility for live pages and other in-store communications.

Functional Communications Corp., headquartered in Syracuse, is an independent Muzak affiliate that managed the design and installation of the entire system.The company specified Technomad based on its compliance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide standard for environmentally sustainable construction.According to Scott Welton, Account Executive at Functional Communications Corp., the Technomad Vernal was specifically selected for its audio quality and projection, and its compact and durable design, in addition to LEED-compliant measures including the company’s use of recycled plastic in its manufacturing process.

“The U.S. Green Building Council stipulates that LEED project contractors are encouraged to specify equipment manufactured within 500 miles of the installation, so noting Technomad’s proximity I ordered one Vernal for evaluation.I liked the sound reproduction and the fact that it was a very tough loudspeaker,” said Welton.“The Vernal also comes in a 70-volt transformed version, which was necessary to accommodate the long cable runs to the digital amplifier and minimize infrastructure.The Technomads have proven versatile enough to legibly reproduce in-store marketing and music, message repeaters, and live pages from telephones and microphones with excellent audio quality.”

The Technomad Vernal is available in 14 custom colors to match the environment of your installation. The Price Chopper installation includes 40 white Vernals.

The Muzak Audio Architecture music and messaging stream is received externally via satellite through Muzak Audio Architecture network and passed through a mixer and four-channel digital amplifier before hitting the loudspeakers.The Vernals are positioned 30 feet apart from each other at a height of 18 feet, mounted to beams and directed straight down to reach customers at the point of purchase throughout the approximately 60,000 square-foot supermarket.

Functional Communications Corporation also installed two Vernals at the store entrance to broadcast the Muzak stream to shoppers as they enter and exit the store, projecting well out into the parking lot.Welton added the weatherproof design of Technomad loudspeakers meant the Vernals could be installed outdoors without obvious protection from the elements.Many of the loudspeakers are also exposed to direct sunlight in the store via skylights in the ceiling, which made durability a requirement.

The complete system as installed by Functional Communications also features a mini-recording station with a microphone and digital message repeater for recording unique messages in-house; ambient microphones for live pages throughout the store; and a broadcast television service featuring entertainment from the DiSH Network, another Functional Communications partner.

Technomad Reports High Customer Satisfaction

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BOSTON – Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces new survey results based on a recent poll of approximately 7400 customers worldwide. While the company’s trademark weatherproof construction and rugged design for harsh environments were cited as main reasons for buying Technomad by most customers, superior audio quality was cited by nearly as many customers as the chief benefit of Technomad loudspeakers.

“Many customers noted in the survey that Technomad loudspeakers are the only real weatherproof option on the market,” said Rodger von Kries, vice president of Technomad. “What we also noticed was that ‘increased sound quality over other brands’ was noted nearly as often. Most importantly, 94 percent of those surveyed said they would recommend Technomad to other professionals.”

A cluster of four Technomad Viennas installed at Kalama High School in Washington State. AVX Northwest provided the installation.

The survey was open to a variety of Technomad customers, from consultants, design engineers and systems integrators to equipment dealers and end users. Many customers that cited audio quality as a main reason for purchase were as drawn to the musical reproduction of the loudspeakers as voice intelligibility. Technomad loudspeakers are designed to ensure that low, mid and high frequencies are all reproduced in a superior manner for any kind of installation, both indoors and outdoors.

Sound contracting for permanent installations, sound rental, and end user applications for school sports, cruise ships, theme parks, churches and music venues were among the most popular applications cited in the survey.

Technomad offers eight IP56-rated loudspeaker brands, many of which are available in the company’s popular Turnkey PA systems that also include a signal processing rack with a six-channel mixer, amplifier, dynamic microphone, cables and connectors. The company also recently began shipping two game-changing products to its portfolio: The Schedulon automatic mp3 player and recording system, and the PowerChiton series of compact, networkable weatherproof outdoor amplifier modules.

Technomad has also been lauded recently for its green efforts, switching to 100 percent recycled plastic for its black loudspeakers, and altering its manufacturing process to enable RoHS compliance for all products now shipping into Europe.

Please contact Technomad at 617-275-8898 or visit http://www.technomad.com for more information.