The system consists of 17 RoomMatch loudspeakers divided into one five-speaker array (RM5505, RM7010, RM9010, RM9020, and RM12040 modules) that covers the main floor, and six separate two-module RM7040/RM9020 arrays covering the bleacher seating on both sides of the floor. The speaker arrays are all powered by five PowerMatch PM8500N amplifiers and were installed by the Pittsburgh office of Cleveland, Ohio-based SoundCom Systems.
The school's new Convocation Center is a hub of campus life, featuring a basketball court, fitness center, distance-learning classroom, dance studio and other amenities. The 2,500-seat basketball court also doubles as an event space, used for ceremonies such as graduations and other applications. The space is highly configurable - the bleachers can be rolled in and out and are divided into six different areas. Courts and gymnasiums are notoriously difficult spaces in terms of acoustics, so The Sextant Group wanted to go the extra mile in terms of the sound quality and versatility of the system - that's where the RoomMatch system came in.
"We wanted this space to be able to develop a lot of energy and keep it tightly focused on the seating areas," explains Mark Gillis, principal consultant at The Sextant Group. "We wanted the sound to really have an impact, to help events here really generate a high level of excitement."
"In addition to making the right decisions in terms of acoustical treatment, we wanted a system that would allow us to very precisely aim the sound and keep it over the seating areas, but at the same time we also wanted to give the school a full-range sound system that works well for music as well as speech," says Joe Hammett, systems designer at The Sextant Group. "Too often, good sound is value-engineered out of spaces like this, with the PA really just suitable for the narrow range of the voice. This system needed to also cover music, which adds to the experience, and keep the sound where we needed it. The RoomMatch system was definitely the right choice."
The result has been extremely satisfying. In fact, The Sextant Group is in the process of specifying a Bose RoomMatch system for another college multi-use centre, this one seating 5,000. "Mount Aloysius now has sound that matches what schools in the top-tier divisions and even major-league arenas have," says Gillis. "Music and speech both sound great, and the intensity of the sound makes a huge difference in the energy of the place. The RoomMatch system really was able to do it all."
(Jim Evans)
