Tag: vernal

Technomad Delivers Big Sound in Compact Package for Illinois Zoo

Vernal and Vienna models deliver news, exhibit information and background music across seven acres in durable, weatherproof package

BOSTON, September 14, 2011 — The bird calls, primate howls and other noises coming from the Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora, Illinois, are balanced with a new, high-quality audio system that delivers news, exhibit information, and background music to some 200,000 visitors each year.

A cluster of Vernals in a general thorofare

Chicago-based systems integration firm AST (Advanced Systems & Technologies) installed a 70-volt system with eight weatherproof Technomad advanced audio loudspeakers to provide intelligible voice and high-quality musical reproduction throughout all seven acres of the zoo.  Seven Technomad Vernal loudspeakers discreetly cover the grounds, providing audio to visitors nearby the animal exhibits.  One Technomad Vienna loudspeaker provides long-distance audio projection to patrons at the main entrance gate and visitor center.

The compact Vernal and Vienna loudspeakers, mounted on various building eves, light poles, and fences, are part of a custom turnkey installation that replaced an outdated system scarred by time and weather.  Both models are powerful, IP56 weatherproof, two-way, full-range loudspeakers built to withstand tumultuous weather conditions, including the extreme summer heat and heavy rains often experienced while the zoo is open for business.

“We needed a more efficient way to communicate with our visitors, especially in the event of a storm or if an animal were to escape,” said Randy Johnson, manager of Phillips Park Zoo.  “The weatherproof aspect drew me to Technomad, and the sound quality of the loudspeakers has exceeded our expectations.  I recorded some WAV files and have short zoo ads randomly playing in between the music segments, and everything sounds great,” Johnson said.

Johnson enlisted the help of AST for a professional installation, and AST quickly determined that Technomad was the best choice for the project.

“The Vernal and Vienna loudspeakers were chosen for their weatherproof construction, and their throw distances perfectly matched our needs,” said Terry McCarthy, partner and design engineer at AST.

McCarthy strategically placed the loudspeakers outside the animal enclosures and above the reach of visitors.  He also took advantage of Technomad’s flexible mounting options, utilizing the company’s sophisticated yoke mount anchoring system.  McCarthy installed four runs of high-quality, 12-gauge audio cable to provide the 70-volt power distribution to all the loudspeaker locations.

“We hid the cables at Randy’s request so they weren’t visible to the public,” he said.  “This took extra time but it resulted in a great payoff for the zoo.  The loudspeakers blend perfectly into the surrounding environment, and the audio sounds great.  Once you install them, you never have to worry about them.”

ABOUT AST

AST is a national audio, video and lighting systems design and installation company celebrating 30 years of industry experience.  For help in your area, e-mail info@ast-av.com or call 214.243.7652, or visit http://www.ast-av.com for more information.

Technomad Delivers Outdoor Audio Solution for Tornado Recovery Project

Union University in Jackson, Tennessee is approaching the final stages of a widespread rebuilding project following a devastating storm that saw a tornado tear through the heart of campus.  The campus most recently opened the doors of its large new student commons building, in time for the Fall 2010 semester.

Technomad, a leader in advanced loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, supplied the outdoor background music systems for two patio areas connected to the new Bowld Student Commons Building.  Here, students can gather to socialize and listen to music of their choosing.  Technomad PowerChiton amplifiers provide stereo inputs for iPods, mp3 players and CD players, with four Technomad Vernal weatherproof loudspeakers on each patio to playback high-quality audio with pristine musical reproduction.

The Bowld Student Commons Building was just one part of a lengthy rebuilding process.  The F-4 tornado struck the bulk of the residence complexes, academic halls and the previous student commons building, leaving $40 million in damages in its wake.

“It was as if a bomb had detonated in the middle of our campus,” said Josh Simmons, Media Support Specialist at Union University.  “No one was killed and classes resumed two weeks later in local churches and businesses, but the damage was very severe.  Housing for 1200 students in 17 residence halls was destroyed, and four academic buildings suffered extensive damage.

Two competing contractors worked around the clock to rebuild, with new residence halls and repaired academic buildings up and running six months later.  The new buildings have been built to Hurricane Strength standards and include “Safe Rooms” built to tornado shelter standards.

The new Student Commons Building was completed at the beginning of the Fall 2010 semester.  Technomad Vernal weatherproof loudspeakers are mounted in the open air rafters, providing high-quality background music to students as they lounge and socialize beneath natural gas grills and Pergolas.  The PowerChiton amplifiers juice the entire system.

“Technomad offered a comprehensive weatherproof audio system with great audio quality, which is exactly what we needed to withstand the outdoor environment,” said Simmons.  “Our staff desired to keep the operation of the patio systems simple.  We looked a lot of options, but ultimately, the PowerChiton amplifiers together with the Technomad Vernal speakers were the perfect choice.  Our system has turned out better than I could have ever expected.”

The indoor areas feature a wide variety of AV equipment in multiple rooms.  Simmons and his team installed four 37-inch LCD TVs in a video gaming room, along with four gaming consoles.  Five other TVs ranging from 37-to-47 inches are divided between a Billiards room, private viewing rooms equipped with BluRay players, and a common TV Lounge.  Two classrooms in the building have been equipped with Panasonic projectors, Document cameras and DVD playback systems, and Interwrite panels and computers.  A main gathering room has also been outfitted with a 6500 lumens Panasonic HD projector, a Yamaha mixer, Shure wireless microphones and a Tascam CD player and iPod dock.

Technomad’s PowerChiton range of compact, durable and weatherproof NEMA power amplifier modules unite a high-performance, passively-cooled amplifier with an IP66 rated, low-profile enclosure.  The powerful combination offers system designers and installers a flexible solution for the many challenges of distributed outdoor audio system design.  The PowerChiton also offers standard line in connections, or optional wireless, Ethernet Audio over IP, or analog twisted-pair/Cat5 modules to integrate into any infrastructure.

Technomad’s Vernal ultra-compact (9.1″ x 6.1″ x 6.1″), all-environment loudspeakers are ideal for fixed installations, distributed audio systems and compact sound reinforcement applications.

 

Union University Patio PowerChiton outdoor amplifier

Technomad Celebrates 10 Years at DevonWood

This article initially appeared on the Lighting & Sound International website.

Technomad reports that DevonWood Equestrian Centre, among the premier horse show facilities in the United States, has reached 10-years of trouble-free, continuous outdoor event audio with Technomad loudspeakers.

With one indoor and three outdoor competition rings, four warm-up rings, a boarding stable and several commons areas, the specialised, international-level equestrian sports facility continues to expand its zoned audio system with Technomad at the core. The privately-owned, 42-acre facility recently added multiple Technomad Vernal and Vienna loudspeakers in the VIP seating and other outdoor areas including a beer garden, picnic area and several lengthy walkways; and converted its zoned audio distribution system to an all-digital infrastructure.

DevonWood Equestrian Centre has used Technomad Paris loudspeakers since first opening its gates, installing four in each competition ring, three more in each warm-up ring, and eight in the 250-capacity horseshow stables. Although the Paris provides clear speech and high-quality musical reproduction over very long distances, DevonWood added two dozen Viennas and Vernals to provide unquestionably good sound to localized audiences and enable a more efficient zoned audio system.

Announcers can target specific announcements or background music to each loudspeaker zone, sub-groups or every loudspeaker in the facility. Digital audio is transmitted wirelessly to each zone where local mixers and amplifiers directly drive the loudspeakers.

According to Justin Rattner, principal at DevonWood Equestrian Centre, intense studies of outdoor loudspeakers were completed before standardising on Technomad. Rattner brought in Glenn Micallef, a well-known professional sound consultant and motion picture/television sound engineer, who recommended Technomad after considerable research.

“Most horse competition facilities use traditional metal horns, which are adequate for voice but a terrible choice for music, and top-quality music is absolutely critical for our musical freestyle events,” said Rattner. “The initial tests with Technomad were very reassuring and we were blown away by how well they covered and how crisp and clear they sounded over very large open areas. I didn’t have any expectations about service life, but ten years on everybody still raves about the sound – including the professional announcers, who rarely use systems of this quality. The outdoor Technomads are in the elements 365 days a year and are hit with blistering heat in the summer, year-round rain and occasional snow and sleet in the winter.”

Technomad Celebrates Decade at DevonWood Equestrian Centre

 Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that DevonWood Equestrian Centre, among the premier horse show facilities in the United States, has surpassed the ten-year mark of trouble-free, continuous outdoor event audio with Technomad loudspeakers.

 

Technomad Paris in the trees delivers clear audio overl ong distances to the Devonwood Equestrian Centre horse arena

 

 

 

With one indoor and three outdoor competition rings, four warm-up rings, a boarding stable and several commons areas, the specialized, international-level equestrian sports facility continues to expand its zoned audio system with Technomad at the core.  The privately-owned, 42-acre facility recently added multiple Technomad Vernal and Vienna loudspeakers in the VIP seating and other outdoor areas including a beer garden, picnic area and several lengthy walkways; and converted its zoned audio distribution system to an all-digital infrastructure.

 DevonWood Equestrian Centre has used Technomad Paris loudspeakers since first opening its gates, installing four in each competition ring, three more in each warm-up ring, and eight in the 250-capacity horseshow stables.  Although the Paris provides clear speech and high-quality musical reproduction over very long distances, DevonWood added two dozen Viennas and Vernals to provide unquestionably good sound to localized audiences and enable a more efficient zoned audio system.

Announcers can target specific announcements or background music to each loudspeaker zone, sub-groups or every loudspeaker in the facility.  Digital audio is transmitted wirelessly to each zone where local mixers and amplifiers directly drive the Technomad loudspeakers.

 According to Justin Rattner, principal at DevonWood Equestrian Centre, intense studies of outdoor loudspeakers were completed before standardizing on Technomad.  Rattner brought in Glenn Micallef, a well-known professional sound consultant and motion picture/television sound engineer, who recommended Technomad after considerable research.

“Most horse competition facilities use traditional metal horns, which are adequate for voice but a terrible choice for music, and top-quality music is absolutely critical for our musical freestyle events,” said Rattner.  “The initial tests with Technomad were very reassuring and we were blown away by how well they covered and how crisp and clear they sounded over very large open areas.  I didn’t have any expectations about service life, but ten years on everybody still raves about the sound — including the professional announcers, who rarely use systems of this quality.  The outdoor Technomads are in the elements 365 days a year and are hit with blistering heat in the summer, year-round rain and occasional snow and sleet in the winter.”

Rattner added that one competition arena is completely surrounded by 100-foot fir trees on two sides and faces Mount Hood to the east, an 11,000-foot mountain that dominates the Portland, OR skyline.  The Technomads in this arena are located in the fir trees, mounted at a height of 50 feet using cherry pickers.

“People often ask me where the sound comes from, because it seems like the audio is coming from everywhere,” said Rattner.  “It is very impressive.”

 

 

 

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.

shoreline-vernal

 

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.