By Kimberly R. Griffin
CHALLENGE: Incorporate zoned audio and video in a spacious venue where the new AV can't detract from the real attraction.
SOLUTION: A blend of controlled, directional speakers, digital signal processing, and digital signage.
Poised along the banks of the Hillsborough River, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is a commanding presence. It attracts all forms of entertainment, from Broadway tours to stand-up comedians. But at 11-years old, it wasn't as state-of-the-art as its competition. "We didn't have the amenities that are commonplace at top resorts or attractions," says Michael Kilgore, vice president of marketing and customer experiences for the center.
The center put out a request for proposals to overhaul the venue. Several integrators responded, but the arts center decided Professional Communications Systems (PCS) was the best fit.
"They also seemed the most excited about the potential in the project," says Kilgore. So in spring 2007, PCS began what was intended to be a simple AV installation–but which grew into a spectacular face-lift that would take more than a year to finish.
In the beginning, there were just two specific goals: music zones outside the facility and new hold monitors that late-comers could view before being seated.
The original plan entailed six or seven zones of background audio and a few LCD screens mounted outside the orchestra doors at two of the center's theaters. But the PCS design team piqued Kilgore's interest when it demonstrated the Tannoy i7Y yoke-mount loudspeakers it wanted to specify.
"We really wanted them to get the idea of how these new speaker systems worked," says Drew Kerr, design and project manager for PCS. "That was a big turning point." The demo inspired Kilgore and his staff to rethink their initial small-scale plans and request additional funding for a larger vision.
"It's a nonprofit organization, so we knew they didn't have an endless supply of money," says Jack Taylor, account manager for PCS. "We knew that value engineering would be a central element."
Kilgore did his part by contacting Sharp directly after PCS specified its Aquos line of flat-panel LCD displays for the hold monitors. As part of a marketing agreement, Sharp provided 23 Aquos monitors of various sizes to place outside the five theaters and at ticket booths throughout the 300,000-square-foot facility. Sony EVI-HD1 PTZ video cameras hanging from Vaddio wall brackets record performances in HD for stragglers to watch on the monitors.
For its part, PCS specified high-quality systems with relatively low price tags. "We knew we couldn't afford a $42,000 line-array. It was the wrong product to recommend," says Taylor. "These were real-world performance criteria with real-world financial conditions, but we got the biggest bang for their buck and that was our primary goal."
All Around Sound
