In 2012 Cardinal O'Hara added outdoor lighting for night games and, recently, they replaced an outdated paging horn system with a new audio system using Community R-Series Loudspeakers.
Designed and installed by Tony Albano of Naamans Creek AV in Avondale, PA, the system uses three Community R.5 loudspeakers and one Community R.25 loudspeaker. Two of the R.5s are installed at the outside corners of the press box to cover the left and right sections of the home bleachers and a third is installed on a lighting pole behind the press box to cover the visitors' bleachers. The single R.25 covers the centre section of the home bleachers from the front of the press box. Albano says he could have installed all three of the R.5s on the lighting pole but he wanted to avoid high SPL levels on top of the press box where the videographers stand. His design covers all of the audience areas well including a standing area in front of the home bleachers.
For electronics, Albano chose a Rolls mixer and a CTS 4-channel amplifier. He installed a push-to-talk mic in the press box, provided a wireless mic for field announcements and installed a 3.5mm input for portable music players. A Community dSPEC DSP provides loudspeaker management and system equalization. Albano added a switch that reprograms the DSP to turn off the R.5 covering the visitor's bleachers. This minimizes feedback and delay issues during field announcing. The entire electronics system was installed in a portable electronics rack which can be removed between events for security.
Albano says Cardinal O'Hara's Lions fans love the new audio system. The sound level is very even throughout the audience areas, announcements are clear and music sounds great.
(Jim Evans)
