Indian Wells upgrades with RTS and E-V
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Constantly evolving under the ownership of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, the facility recently rebuilt and refurbished Stadium 1, including a complete audio makeover that features premium products from two Bosch brands: RTS and Electro-Voice. Technicomm Industries, an area firm that has handled previous Indian Wells expansions and upgrades, was contracted to handle the upgrade.
“They decided to totally refurbish the main stadium last year. One goal of that change was to modernize the intercom system,” says Steve Burgess, project manager for Technicomm. “We wanted a system that could become part of our site-wide Dante audio network, and RTS was one of the few brands with that capability.”
Burgess contacted his regional RTS rep, Jeff Shorsher, to arrange a demo. Upon experiencing the system’s capabilities, Indian Wells and Technicomm agreed it was the smart choice. Operating as part of Indian Wells’ existing Dante matrix system would create great flexibility, enabling both in-house and external communications. In addition, it would enable Technicomm to address another need by eliminating equipment clutter in the broadcast booths.
“Over the years, the booths, which are quite small, had built up a variety of equipment to meet communication needs, including multiple radios, cell phones, and a computer,” notes Burgess. “By integrating everything together in a Dante network, the RTS system met every need and eliminated a ton of gear from that booth. That made a lot of people happy.”
The intercom system is based on an RTS ADAM-M digital matrix and utilizes OMNEO IP technology as its networking backbone. A total of 15 RTS DKP-4016 desktop keypanels and one rack-mount RTS KP-5032 keypanel are spread throughout the sprawling Indian Wells facility, each fitted with a gooseneck microphone.
“The programmability of the RTS intercom system put us miles ahead of our previous capabilities,” says Burgess. “We were able to route several Dante audio streams into the system and tailored each keypanel to what that operator needs on it. We were even able to incorporate the audio stream for the Hawk-Eye line judging system, which was a huge advantage for the broadcast team.”
Another major aspect of the Indian Wells upgrade was the public address system. When Technicomm learned that the Bosch family of brands included Electro-Voice, they were invited to be part of a multi-brand comparison. Quantum’s EV rep, Dave Brown, came in to consult on product selection and provide evaluation samples.
“We had a loudspeaker demo shootout; six companies, no loyalties, and the EV products flat-out won on sound quality and aesthetics,” explains Burgess. “The EVID ceiling speakers were the clear choice based on superior sound quality.”
A total of 60 EVID PC 6.2 premium ceiling speakers were installed in the facility’s premium areas, including the owner Larry Ellison’s private suite, along with other viewing suites, the champions’ lobby, and fitness centre. For wall-mount indoor/outdoor applications, the facility chose the EVID 4.2, a weather-resistant design that combines attractive styling and flexible mounting with high fidelity and exceptional intelligibility.
(Jim Evans)
