EASE Sound System Design Project Report Evaluation Group Members Time Spent* Initials Score** Schuyler Putt 28 SP Schyler Curtice 29 SC Adam Walt 26.5 AW Rob St. Claire 12 RS *documented in Activity Log Sheet for each team member, included as Appendix A **may be different for each team member, based on amount of effort proportionally invested CRITERION SCORE WGT. PTS. Engineering design process 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 System design constraint analysis 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 Design constraint satisfaction 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 Component selection 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2 Technical content / creativity 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Writing style / professionalism 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 TOTAL Instructor comments:
TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii 1.0 Engineering Design Process 1 2.0 Design Constraint Analysis 4 3.0 Design Constraint Satisfaction 7 4.0 Equipment Selection 10 4.1 Power Amplifier Requirements and Selection 10 4.2 Signal Processing Requirements and Selection 12 4.3 Mixing Console Requirements and Selection 13 4.4 Microphone Requirements and Selection 15 4.5 Rack Requirements and Design 17 4.6 Cabling and Wiring Requirements 18 5.0 Summary and Recommendations 19 6.0 References 20 Appendix A: Activity Logs 21 Appendix B: Venue Illustrations 26 Appendix C: Loudspeaker Placement and EASE Simulation Results 29 Appendix D: Signal Path Wiring Diagram 43 Appendix E: Rack Design and Power Sequencing/Distribution 45 Appendix F: System Component List and Street Price Cost Estimate 47 Appendix G: Manufacturer Data Sheets 49 -i-
Abstract This report documents the design of a complete sound reinforcement system tailored for a generic, 5000-seat fan-shaped multi-purpose auditorium, with (approximately) 3500 seats on the main floor and 1500 seats on the first (and only) balcony. Room dimensions and configuration should be chosen based on the specified seating capacity. The primary system design constraints are as follows: minimum SPL of 105 db at back row of seating minimum 48-channel mixing console minimum of 4 separate monitor mixes (and corresponding monitor loudspeaker systems may choose an in-ear monitoring system as an alternative) support for a minimum of 20 compatible wireless microphone channels (include transmitters/receivers for at least 20 channels) good assortment of general-purpose wired and wireless microphone systems for speaking, individual vocalists, a variety of musical instruments, choral performances digital media recording/playback capability all equipment mounted in rack cabinet(s) budget of $500,000 -ii-
1.0 Engineering Design Process We were tasked with acoustically and physically modelling the following theater design: The proposed theater is a tremendous, single-balconied room that fans out as you get farther from the stage. The max dimensions are about 80 meters front to back and about 70 meters from side to side. This sizing allows for a maximum occupancy of around 5,000 (with consideration of aisle-ways and the stage). These 5,000 seats are split roughly between around 3,500 on the main level and about 1,500 on the balcony level. The overall room volume was 3,501,149.73 cubic feet. The fan shape was chosen (as it is for many theatres) due to its acoustic viability. The benefits of this general room orientation are three-fold. First, it maximizes the number of individuals who can properly view the stage. In a theatre that was wide at the stage and narrower as the room continued, everyone would be able to see the stage. However, in that scenario there would be a large waste of space that is not wasted with a fan-shaped theatre. Secondly, this shape minimizes interference due to reverb, and standing waves. A sound coming from the stage or nearby loudspeakers necessarily deflects off of a fan-shaped wall at a large angle, which is not conducive to an echo. Furthermore, there is no single frequency that can reverberate back and forth from wall to wall in this theatre like there would be if it was rectangular. Thirdly, the shape of the theatre allows for desirable orientations of speakers. It was presented in class that coupled and uncoupled point source arrays are the optimal arrangements due to the fact that they can be made to spatially cross at proper crossover points with minimal ripple effects -1-
due to overlap. A fan shaped room allows our loudspeakers to take on an arrangement of uncoupled point source. This means that not only does the architecture of our theatre fan outward from the stage, so do the loudspeakers. This is beneficial to their interaction, as they can point more effectively into different sections, overlapping only at their proper crossover points. Most of the floor areas will be filled with seating, which is a quite absorptive material, and the general structure of the building would be made of wood and or concrete. Beyond these reasonable initial starting points, we were free tweak materials throughout the room to attain desirable acoustic characteristics (including ALCONS and Reverb Time). Our final design is required to acoustically accommodate both speaking and music performances, and includes a slew of choices including but not limited to loudspeakers, mixing console, amplifiers, wall materials, racks, wiring methods, microphones, and signal processors. Once the actual design of the theatre was underway, many significant challenges arose. EASE is a powerful, but at times non-intuitive, software package. Several hours were spent getting acquainted with the software and learning to navigate all of the particular windows that were vital to the required tasks. Unfortunately, basic competency is something that cannot be taught, and each team member was privileged with battling EASE to some degree. In general, Schyler and Schuyler did the most work within the program, with their work supplemented by research and documentation by Rob and Adam. The first step to developing the theatre proved to be among the most challenging. We strove to edit a basic EASE auditorium model into a customized 5,000 seat venue. The very first thing to be done was re-dimension the model. However, it became quickly clear that the actual first step was to figure out how much larger to make it. Taking the lead on this introductory process, Schuyler filled the theatre with seats. It was found that the beginning model had on the order of 600 seats. The size increase of the theatre s dimensions needed to be calculated to increase the capacity of the venue by almost an order of magnitude. Employing the square-cube law, Schuyler approximated the dimensional increase with an equation. It is clear that seating capacity is not related to floor length or width, but seating area itself. Therefore, the amount by which each given dimension in the theatre should be increased is equivalent to the root of the new-to-old seat quantity ration. 5000 600, 5000 2.9 600 With this philosophy and a few tweaks, the seating capacity of about 5,000 was achieved. However, not every single dimension was increased by the same amount. We found the ceiling height should be increased, but the factor by which the floor dimensions were growing was unnecessarily large. Once the room was properly sized, the most important task had to be approached. Rob was at the helm as the placement of loudspeakers began. The very first design included speakers at the front, though it was quickly realized that under and over-balcony fills were a must. Ultimately, Rob placed two loudspeakers high above the stage facing the audience, three front fills, three under-balcs, and three over-balcs. -2-
However, as soon as testing and mapping began, there was another major problem. A ubiquitous Check data first! error continually appeared despite tremendous efforts to alleviate the problem. Initial assumptions by Schuyler and Rob involved the presence of issues within the speaker data, as that s when the error appeared. However, as Rob eventually found, the error was actually related to overlapping ceiling planes that made EASE think that the room was not sealed. Once this problem was identified and (with some difficulty) addressed, the SPL simulation could begin. Tweaking the speakers types, alignment, and positioning was a task largely handled by Schyler. It was quickly realized that the first speakers chosen were not nearly powerful enough, as the maximum db in the theater was no louder than a spirited conversation (high 70s). The solution to this was clear: track down more powerful speakers. The eventual choice was to make the two high-up speakers Meyer Sound (no relation) line arrays, and to select another, smaller Meyer speaker for the fills. These speakers simply blew the previous Renkus-Heinz models out of the water in sheer sensitivity, and allowed Schyler to begin to tweak positions and alignments. As you can see to the right, the result of the tedious process of speaker tweaking was a quite successful and balanced sound pressure level throughout the theatre. This particular graphic depicts the loudness at 1000Hz, a central frequency for music and hearing. Apart from back corners where aisles would be, there is less than a 5dB variation throughout the venue at this frequency. A final design consideration for the project was the budget and a variety of choices for products to use in our hypothetical venue. Adam was in charge of this component of the project, and was forced to overcome challenges in his choices and make sacrifices for the greater good of staying within the budget. -3-
2.0 Design Constraint Analysis Reliability Reliability is obviously an important tenet in designing a commercial space. There is one major example of how we ve taken reliability into consideration. Since the mixing console is one of the more important pieces of equipment in the theatre, we wanted to make sure it would be very reliable. Our Yamaha CL3, which utilizes the Dante digital network, has both primary and secondary connections. While CAT5 cabling is very reliable and does not often malfunction, in the off chance a cable goes bad somewhere in the line, we can switch to the secondary network and continue running the show without a hitch. Safety There is no other factor as paramount in importance in a public/commercial space as safety. As an engineer, any time design is being done on a massive public entity that accepts many thousands of patrons, safety should be the top priority. In a large theatre such as the one being designed and discussed, electrical safety is the first concern. On a large scale, isolation transformers should be utilized to separate the theatre from the external grid. These devices will be a fundamental division between outside power and the power of the venue. Isolation transformers prevent electric shock, suppress surges, and mitigate electrical noise. Beyond this initial step, additional preparation can be made to ensure an electrically safe venue. Firstly, all non-audio-related wiring should be done by the utmost professionals and up to the most rigorous public codes. Wires should be concealed behind walls and ceilings, even when the actual wiring paths must be far longer or more inconvenient. Secondly, all audio cabling and wiring should similarly be out of sight and harm s way. This is even true for wiring between the mixing console location (front of house) and on and back stage. This particular stretch can be accomplished with a tunnel of sorts. Many venues possess some sort of tube between front of house and some place on the stage, and this one will be no different. This passage allows any sort of cabling to stretch from the stage to front of house (in the middle of the audience) without problems. Finally, other safety factors are similarly included and emphasized. The blueprint of the theatre should call for more than the required number of exits for fire and emergency safety. Also, these exits should be clearly marked. The aisles are sufficiently wide (8ft) and the rows are spacious to allow both for comfort and safety in the case of an evacuation. Mechanical When making decisions for a large venue like this one, mechanical factors and physical safety must be strongly considered. This is especially true when a venue has hundreds of pounds of equipment (speakers) hanging directly above the heads of audience members. It goes without saying that the cables supporting the line array speakers should have high factors of safety. We recommend a factor of safety of at least 3 on the main supports with additional failsafe features. These failsafes could take the form of nearly-taught cables that would support the equipment in the case of a failure of the primary members. -4-
Considerations should be made to the rack-rooms as well. These rooms (separate from the venue design itself) should not be mere closets but spacious and well-ventilated locations for the storage of amplifiers, signal processors, and other equipment. Racks should not exceed 6 feet (such that a typical employee can access the highest point without a ladder) and the distance between the rows of racks (if any rows) should be generous (5+ feet). The racks were chosen with stability as the main concern. Economic When it came to purchasing equipment, we had to take cost into consideration whenever possible. We think we got the best bang for our buck and came in at a grand total of $493,845.57. We gave priority to our speakers and immediately dedicated roughly sixty percent of the half million for the speaker system. Our next big concern was the console selection. We narrowed the choices down to the Yamaha CL series, and then judged the cost v. features for each model. In the end we decided that the CL3 was our best buy and that the extra eight mixes was not worth the several thousand dollars. In the end we were able to get everything we wanted and even some extra equipment like microphone stands and some backup equipment. For many years now, hearing assistive technologies have been required in performance venues. This was not something we felt we could overlook. Based on prior work, we knew a induction loop/t-coil hearing system would be cost too much money and not be nearly effective enough. We decided on a Sennheiser system which includes modulators, transmitters, and receivers. We purchased one hundred receivers which we believe would be plenty for a venue of our size and in the end almost ten percent of our budget went to accommodating the hearing impaired. Social When accommodating handicapped or impaired patrons, care was taken to ensure that all individuals can enjoy a musical event in the theatre we designed. Firstly, ramps, entrances, and aisles in line with OSHA regulations would be added to the architecture external to our EASE theatre design. Handicapped-conscious seats and seating space would be present in the design in several carefully chosen locations throughout the audience space. Another impairment to accommodate is that of persons with hearing issues. Depending on the severity and exact nature of their handicap, they would be offered select seats in our theatre close or far from the stage, or a seat containing a headphone output, if listening to a mix from the console in headphones would provide them with a more satisfying viewing experience. Architectural/Aesthetic When placing loudspeakers in EASE, it is easy to forget that it is much more difficult to orient them in space in real life. Entering the position of each source as three values in the three dimensional Cartesian plane is a longshot from being responsible for hoisting, aligning, and mounting the loudspeakers in the actual theatre. For this reason, we placed particular emphasis throughout the design on the level of practicality of where we were placing the speakers. Apart from the high-mounted mains, each of our loudspeaker locations is quite close to an existing structure, i.e. a ceiling or wall. In addition to this being important mechanically and practically, it is important aesthetically, as a speaker mounted awkwardly far out from a wall is not only an eyesore, it may actually block the view of an audience member. When choosing microphones, it must be noted that image and on-stage pizazz is an overwhelming component of any kind of show at a large theatre. Because of this fact, sometimes -5-
a typical XLR mic on a stand just will not cut it. For maximum visual impact, we ensured that a fleet of wireless mics was at the disposal of whatever act or artist was performing in our theatre. See the microphones section for more details on this Locating the mixing console in the theatre is a common debacle faced by architects and acoustical engineers alike. If it s put out of the way, tucked in a corner that will not disturb the audience, the perceived sound at the console will not be representative of the actual sound in the room. This is not a desirable situation, as the engineers will be mixing based off of bad, nonrepresentative sound. The alternative is to place the mixing console in a central location on the main floor of the theatre and sacrifice a few seats in the name of quality sound. This path is the more well-traveled by venue designers, and is also the one that we chose. Our mixing console would be located in the center of the theatre, about two thirds of the way from the stage to the vertical plane of the balcony overhang (about 30m). This position (if you take a look at our ALCONS graphic and our SPL maps) is among the most consistent and intelligible sound regions in the entire venue. These factors will allow the mixing engineers to have the best possible vantage point for perfecting the audio of any given show. -6-
3.0 Design Constraint Satisfaction When work on loudspeaker placement began, the team was more concerned with learning EASE and actually figuring out how to place a source in the venue than what the source actually was. The first speakers that were chosen (name unknown) strangely did not possess all of the necessary data for proper simulation (leading to infuriating errors). The whole reason to choose speakers and load them into EASE is so that the software may model how they fill the room based on their particular properties. Without these particular properties, these first speakers were useless, and we were not going to proceed by editing the properties ourselves, so we were forced to choose new loudspeakers. Luckily, by this point we were more apt at adding, aligning, and tweaking speakers, so adding more was not tremendously difficult. The first models we chose and arranged were Renkus- Heinz STX4s. Much time was spent arranging these models throughout the theatre for relatively even coverage, and eventually nearly a dozen were arranged. Unfortunately, despite the progress in terms of positioning and competency with the software, we ran into an unfixable problem with the Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers. They were just nowhere near powerful enough. Despite maxing the electrical power to the speakers for maximum SPL at every frequency, the Renkus-Heinz products were not adequate for our large venue. To the left you can see the effect of the center speaker, at its absolute maximum level. It fails to get the seats closest to it even to 70dB, and it was clear that the venue would require a completely new speaker selection in order to fulfil the sound level requirements. The solution was switching over to some Meyer Sound (no relation) speakers. For our two highmounted mains, we knew we were looking for line arrays. For these speakers, which are high in the air (17m) and equally far from many parts of the audience, we knew we needed power and precision. We opted for Meyer Milo Collinear Line Arrays, a single element of which can be seen above and to the right. This particular model is compact, has a flat phase response, a long throw, and, most importantly, can operate up to 140 db SPL. This extreme sound level is important when the speakers need to cover a large area and are far from the audience. These line arrays will be hung with the QuickFly system, including the MG-3D/M Multipurpose Grid and AlignaLink Connectors that allow for precise tweaking of positioning and cabinet splay. See the image to the right for a graphic of how the Milo Line Arrays would be mounted. Safety measures would be taken in the form -7-
of failsafes included in these hanging components. The remainder of the speakers, for example the under and over-balcony speakers and front fills, did not need to be quite as large, and certainly did not need to be line arrays. For these smaller, more ubiquitous speakers, we opted to continue with the Meyer brand. The model we chose was the Meyer Sound CQ2 Narrow Coverage Main Loudspeaker, shown to the right. The CQ2 boasts an extremely smooth horizontal pattern, which aided in getting coverage just right in our venue. You may notice that no subwoofers were selected for the entire venue. We originally planned to install them on the floor near the stage, but then realized there would be no chance of proper coverage for the whole theatre. This was a major factor in why we chose the Meyer CQ2s. These massive speakers have a very respectable and powerful response down to 35 Hz, and the fact that they have been installed everywhere throughout the theatre as fills means that the entire audience experiences consistent, strong bass. The mounting of the Meyer CQ2s was not as tricky as that of the line arrays, as in all cases they are positioned close to existing architecture. The under and over balcony fills are located close to the ceilings, and the front fills are mounted in the vicinity of the stage front. The combination of the line arrays and these standalone fills yielded positive results in terms of sound pressure levels and, to an even greater extent, clearness and intelligibility in our theatre simulations. Following are our basic SPL over frequency plots. From left to right and then from top to bottom, they depict SPL at 500, 1k, 2k, 4k, and 8k. -8-
Because we designed and optimized around 1,000 Hz, it is apparent that 1k is our best frequency. This frequency is shown in the top-middle. Excluding rear corners, aisles, and the empty space in front of the stage (all places where there would be no audience seating), there is well below a 5dB variation throughout the venue, no combing, and a very adequate sound level of over 100dB everywhere in the venue. This is due extensive work placing and aligning the loudspeakers. However, as can be seen in the other plots, we were only moderately successful at fulfilling the requirements as frequency increased, with moderate-to-serious combing and pinkshift losses occurring in the 4k and 8k simulations. It is interesting to note that most of the combing losses were not due to the fills (Meyer CQ2) overlapping horizontally, but rather the fills and the line arrays overlapping vertically about halfway back on the main level. The team was completely successful in regards to another important design consideration. The ALCONS diagram for our venue may be seen to the right. The design requirement was no greater that 10% attenuation loss of consonants was permissible at any point in the theatre, and we achieved a venue with no more than 5%. Note the approximate location of the mixing console, the light colored center circle, where there is virtually no ALCONS. This is a major motivator in the placement of the front of house position, as the sound at the mixing engineers position should be immaculate. Overall, the team was moderately successful in satisfying the project design constraints. If the project were to move forward, closer to the actual construction of this venue, more investigation could be done into types of speakers, and more could be placed. By simply adding and properly aligning more speakers, coverage could be more complete at every frequency. However, we attempted to design a venue with good coverage and a minimal budget and equipment quantity. -9-
4.0 Equipment Selection 4.1 Power Amplifier Requirements and Selection Amplifier selection begins with required power. Required power begins with how loud a given speaker needs to be. For the purposes of generating a liberal estimate, we will analyze the furthest distance a given loudspeaker would need to reach in our venue. In our theatre, this is the distance from the front fills to the plane of the balcony-front. This distance is about 30 meters, and a total sound pressure level of 105 db is desired at this point in the theatre. However, because these seats are hit by the line array (mostly) and likely more than one front fill (the front fills aren t even intended to be filling this far, but it is good for the exercise), we need only say that the contribution from a given front fill loudspeaker is 99 db (a good value 6 db down). With a sensitivity of 107 db from 1 watt at 1 meter, the calculation of required amplifier power may be approached. First, the equations must be understood. The db difference created in a speaker based on the ratio of two power levels follows this equation: 10log We can rearrange this equation to tell us the power needed for a new db value when given a baseline power and db value (the sensitivity rating). 10 But first, we must find the required SPL at 1 meter from the Meyer CQ2 in order to have 99 db at a distance of 30 meters. For this, we employ the distance/attenuation equation. 20log 99 20log 1 128.54 30 In order to produce 99 db that far away, it is necessary to produce 128.54 db at 1 meter from the CQ2. In our case, we can run an example calculation on the fills. Because they output at 107 db with 1 W (as per their data sheet), and our needed SPL is only 128.54 db at a distance of 1 meter, they require around 150 W of power. See the calculation: 10. 1 142.64 However, we failed to account for any headroom in this calculation. Adding in a safe 6 db, the equation becomes: 10. 1 567.54 We utilized an online calculator by Crown Audio to confirm these results, see the confirmation to the right. -10-
With this rough estimate of the power needed by a typical one of our loudspeakers, it was clear that we were looking for amplifiers with around a kilowatt of power. After searching and consideration, we decided upon a model within the Crown cdi series: the Crown CDi 4000. This amp, shown below, is two channel, and 1200W at 4 Ω. Despite the fact that the CDi 4000 is two-channel, we opted to get a very liberal 12 units, enough for each speaker in our current configuration to have its own. Additionally, this could allow for speaker upgrades or addition without amp room renovation. See the rack section for more information about the housing and usage of the team s amplifier selection. -11-
4.2 Signal Processing Requirements and Selection Choosing a signal processor was one of the more open ended parts of this project. There were few explicit, concrete requirements, and much of the decision criteria came down to personal choice and compatibility with other equipment choices. For example, the DSP must be compatible with the chosen mixing console, both in terms of number of inputs and outputs and in terms of types of signals being transferred. Along the signal path in the other direction, the DSP needs to interact well with the particular amplifiers chosen. While the description of the DSP rationale and choice comes second in this section of the report, it was actually among the last of the decisions we made. This is because it is found in the center of a very interdependent section of the venue signal path. One additional factor to be considered when deciding upon a digital signal processor is ease of use, and industry standard-ness. There is no reason to be unique when making the selection. A DSP with a big learning curve helps no one, and will only cause minor problems throughout the use of the venue being designed. For all of the above reasons, we selected the Soundweb London BLU-806 Digital Signal Processor (shown below). The BLU-806 offers configurable I/O, signal processing, Dante audio and a high bandwidth, fault tolerant digital audio bus, and 16 inputs and outputs of any type, making it ideal for our venue. The BLU-806 is compatible with our mixing console choice (described in the next section) as well as our Crown power amplifier choice. Most importantly, however, may be that this DSP is well respected and well known throughout the live sound community, and mixing engineers and technicians alike will feel comfortable and confident using it. -12-
4.3 Mixing Console Requirements and Selection The mixing console had two required specifications, it needs at least 48 mixing channels and four separate monitor mixes. Additionally, the monitor mixes need to have outputs to onstage speakers or in-ear headsets. Taking other features into account as described below, we have chosen the Yamaha CL3 as our mixing console. One of the first choices we made was to go for a digital console. With a theatre that holds roughly 5000 people, there will be a variety of performances all with different acoustic needs, we believe that the versatility and extensive capabilities of a digital mixing console will be better than an analog console in this manner. While digital consoles may be harder to use, they offer the ability to back up data and save scenes allowing for quick recalls and scene changes at the touch of a button. With consoles like the CL series that use the Dante network or other similar digital networks, it reduced the need for large cable snakes as everything can be transmitted over Ethernet. There are three models of the CL series, the CL1 which offers 48 channels, the CL3 which offers 64 channels, and the CL5 which offers 72 channels, additionally each model offers 24 mixes which is a lot more than is required. We felt that we should go beyond the minimum specifications so we ruled the CL1 out. To decide between the CL3 and CL5 we agreed that while the extra eight channels would be nice, we would rather save the money and put it towards better equipment so we chose the CL3. The CL series, which uses the Dante network, supports up to eight I/O racks which can be placed wherever they are needed and can be linked by Ethernet cable back to the main console. The console has a primary and secondary line so the racks can be set up in a star pattern which would prevent a failure in case of a cable malfunction. As mentioned before, a benefit of a digital console is its ability to conform to the acoustic needs of many performances. The CL consoles includes three virtual racks, a GEQ rack, an effects rack, and a premium rack. The premium rack provides extra EQ and dynamics. The effect rack offers eight insertion effects and 46 ambience effects. -13-
Another design specification for the theatre is its ability to record and playback audio. The CL consoles have two options for recording audio. It can record two-track audio directly to a USB in mp3 format, or it can be connected to a computer, Mac or PC, and record up to 64 inputs directly off the Dante network. Both of these methods also allow for playback through the console. As mentioned by Yamaha, you can use this feature to fill in for an absent band member, or use the mix for a sound check the following day. Originally we had considered the Yamaha QL5, as it has many of the same features as the CL series, however we realized that the QL was marketed to be a more compact and almost portable version of the CL series. Since there is no plan on having to move the sound board, we went for the CL series instead. This also allows for us to use a PW800W backup power supply in case of a power failure, something the QL series in not compatible with. While it seem unnecessary, past experience has proven that backup power is always helpful. Another benefit of the CL3 is that is has a very friendly and customizable user interface. There are sixteen keys and four knobs that are all user defined allowing for effects and other adjustments to be made at the touch of a button. Another feature allows the user to edit channel names and colors. While this may seem unnecessary, you can see which inputs are grouped by color, or which input is acting up by its name. The CL console also allows for users to remotely access the console via a tablet connected to Wi-Fi. This feature allows users to access and change some settings from various locations in the theatre itself. -14-
4.4 Microphone Requirements and Selection The requirements for microphones state that we need a good assortment of general-purpose wired and wireless microphone systems for speaking, individual vocalists, a variety of musical instruments, and choral performances. Additionally there must be a minimum of twenty wireless microphones. With a theatre of this size, we believed it could be used for large lectures or commencement speeches. For the purpose of speaking at a podium we decided to go with the Shure SM57VIP kit. It comes with two SM57 microphones, a shock mount, windscreens, cables and extension tubes. This is same set up has been used since the sixties for the presidents speeches and is a very high quality set of microphones. For other general speech purposes we have chosen the SM58, an industry standard vocal microphone. While both of these microphones are based on the same cartridge, they have different grill designs and have slightly different uses. From our own experience, we believe that good wireless microphones to have are Shure Beta 58A wireless mics. They provide a high quality of sound and are widely accepted as an industry standard. These are handheld mics and come with cases and clips, however not every application will allow for the use of handheld microphones, therefore we have chosen to purchase Shure UR1 body-pack transmitters and Shure MX153 headset microphones. These will allow performers to wear microphones rather than carry them. This will also help for theatrical performances since these can be blended hidden by costumes and makeup. Since we are sticking with a Shure line of wireless microphones, they should be paired with Shure receivers, based off of Shure s website, the microphones we chose are ideally paired with the UR4D+ receiver. These receivers have 2400 available frequencies, a 500 foot range, and support two transmitters per unit. In specific performances when they don t want personal microphones used, another viable option for using microphones are overhead microphones. We have chosen to get a few Shure MX202 microphones. These microphones have a 30 foot cable and very small, slim design allowing for unobtrusive use. -15-
For the drum sets, since we do not have a specific drum set in mind, we went for a versatile Shure 6-piece drum microphone set. It includes a microphone for a kick drum, three snare/tom mics, and two multi-purpose mics. Additionally it also includes cables, mounting hardware, and it all comes in a carrying case. In the case of dance shows or other performances where stage level sounds are important, we decided to purchase some floor microphones. We decided on three Crown PCC-160 microphones. These are viewed as the industry standard supercardioid stage microphone. These can also be used on conference tables or in meeting rooms. While many of these microphones can be used for orchestral or choral shows, we have decided to purchase two Shure KSM141 microphones. These dual-pattern instrument microphones have been identified by Shure to excel in performance settings. This microphone also features two variable controls, a switch that controls its polar pattern and a three-position switchable pad. -16-
4.5 Rack Requirements and Design When it came to designing our equipment racks, the obvious choice was to go with Middle Atlantic racks. Middle Atlantic has been around since the late 1970 s and manufacture very strong, sturdy equipment racks. Middle Atlantic has racks available for almost every imaginable purpose and each rack is customizable to fit the user s needs be it cable management or heat regulation. Since most of the microphone set up and operation will take place from backstage sound, we chose the Middle Atlantic ERK1825LRD rack. This 18U rack will house our ten Shure UR4D+ wireless receiver units, the Yamaha Rio3224-D, and our two Sennheiser SI29-5 units, and it will all be powered through a Furman ASD-120 sequenced power distro. We have chosen to include a sequenced power distro in this rack since there are a lot of components, turning them all on at once could overload the system. We chose to include the 3224 unit since there are twenty microphones coming off of this rack, this leaves twelve for use in other various backstage sound operations such as a microphone for announcements. The Sennheiser SI29-5 is our modulator for our hearing aid system. This unit converts audio frequencies into radio frequencies and allows for up to ten channel transmission. We also have two DTRK-718 units. These are small seven unit sized racks that will each house a single Yamaha 1608-D and 2U drawer. We have chosen to split these two units up taking advantage of the CL3 s ability to link I/O units together through the Dante network. These portable sized racks can be brought to various locations within the theatre and offer sixteen inputs and eight outputs. Since these racks will be moved around, we decided to add a 2U drawer to each for easier transport of cables and microphones. -17-
4.6 Cabling and Wiring Requirements The Dante system communicates over a digital network and therefore most of its components require CAT5 cabling. Taking this into account, and given the size of our theatre, we determined it would be more cost effective to buy cable in bulk. Rather than purchasing cables of predetermined lengths, it would be better to buy the wire and connectors in large quantity and make the cables ourselves. We ended up getting 1000 feet of Cat5e cable and 100 connectors. Another benefit of the Dante networking is that it can transfer all 64 channels the CL3 has over a single Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for long analog cable snakes. This will save us money and if a cable goes bad, a new one can be replaced much quicker than finding the issue amongst many XLR cables. The CL3 also features a secondary network as a failsafe for the primary line. This requires running a second CAT5 line from the console to every I/O box. Overall a lot of our cabling needs are fulfilled through the use of CAT5. All of the microphones are based on standard three pin XLR cable. Given our variety or microphones and their respective uses, we have chosen to buy a total of eighty XLR cables in lengths ranging from ten to one hundred feet. This will allow us to use any microphone in essentially any location within the theatre. Additionally some of those cables will be used to connect the amplifiers to the MILO arrays and CQ2s. Power is taken care of in tandem with the speaker purchase. Our MILO arrays and CQ2 fills both use 250V AC NEMA L6-20 twistlock cables and they are supplied with the purchase of the speakers. If needed we could use the extra money available to purchase extensions form them but we believe that will be unnecessary. -18-
5.0 Summary and Recommendations We began by choosing the placement of speakers within our theater before focusing on models chosen. Having a basic layout of the equipment placement gave us more options when experimenting with different speaker models because we already knew where that model would go. After a rough placement of the speakers, we began to aim them both horizontally and vertically. When choosing the loudspeakers we would place certain models test and reiterate. Reiteration could include aiming the loudspeakers differently, adjusting the power of the speaker or completely moving the placement of the speaker. If the models were not providing us with the results we wanted, we chose a different brand or model. From the equipment point of view, we have a mixing console capable of 64 channels with as many as 24 monitor mixes. These features go well above and beyond the minimum requirements. The console also allows for recording up to 64 channels of audio by linking your computer with the corresponding software directly into the Dante network. Our system is equipped with a variety of microphones including the required twenty wireless microphones and a variety or wired microphones as well. The wireless microphones include an assortment of handheld microphones and lavalier microphones. The variety of wired microphones includes podium, hanging, handheld, boom, and floor microphones. With the variety of microphones and various lengths of cabling to go with, there should be a microphone for need ready to go in minutes notice. This is made possible with the Dante network and various I/O racks which can be placed wherever they are needed. -19-
6.0 References CL Series Mixers Products Yamaha. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2015, from http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/global/en/products/mixers/cl/ Meyer Sound Professional Sound Reinforcement and Recording Products. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.glacieraudio.com/new Glacier Audio Site/Products folder/mspricelist_feb2007.pdf Microphones. (n.d.). Retrieved May 4, 2015, from http://www.shure.com/americas/products/microphones System Design Tools: Amplifier Power Required. Retrieved May 5, 2015, from http://www.crownaudio.com/en/tools/calculators -20-
Appendix A: Activity Logs -21-
Activity Log for: Schuyler Putt Role: EASE Expert, Report Leader Activity Date Start Time End Time Time Spent Introductory EASE practice 4/14/15 6:00pm 8:00pm 2 hours Room dimensioning and adding seating 4/17/15 5:00pm 8:00pm 3 hours Loudspeaker investigation 4/20/15 7:00pm 8:00pm 1 hour Loudspeaker addition, power experimentation 4/23/15 6:00pm 9:00pm 3 hours Loudspeaker alignment and positioning 4/30/15 10:00am 12:00pm 2 hours Ease Simulation Work / system tweaking 5/1/15 8:00pm 10:00pm 2 hours Report drafting and consolidating 5/2/15 7:00pm 11:00pm 4 hours Report drafting and consolidating 5/3/15 1:00pm 3:00pm 2 hours Team meeting/powerpoint 5/6/15 5:00pm 7:00pm 2 hours Report Drafting and consolidation 5/6/15 10:00pm 2:00am 4 hours Report Drafting and Consolidation 5/8/15 11:30am 2:30pm 3 hours 28-22-
Activity Log for: Schyler Curtice Role: EASE Expert, Report and PowerPoint Consultant Activity Date Start Time End Time Time Spent Chose Theater, began adding loudspeakers 4/14/15 7 pm 9:30 pm 2.5 hours and experimenting with program Began EASE report 4/14/15 6:30 pm 7 pm.5 hour Worked on EASE report 4/15/15 6:15 pm 7:15 pm 1 hour Rescaled our theater to include correct number of seating, mapped loudspeakers we added, saw that our Power level was too low, decided we need to add more speakers 4/20/15 5 pm 8 pm 3 hours Loudspeaker addition, power experimentation 4/23/15 6:00pm 9:00pm 3 hours Tried to modify loudspeakers, error check data first occurred 4/27/15 5 pm 9 pm 4 hours Loudspeaker alignment and positioning 4/30/15 10:00am 12:00pm 2 hours Ease Simulation Work / system tweaking 5/1/15 8:00pm 10:00pm 2 hours Report drafting and consolidating 5/3/15 7:00pm 12:00am 5 hours Team meeting/powerpoint 5/6/15 5:00pm 7:00pm 2 hours Report Drafting and consolidation 5/7/15 10:00pm 2:00am 4 hours 29-23-
Activity Log for: Adam Walt Role: Console, Microphones, Cabling, Racks, Budget Activity Date Start Time End Time Time Spent Room dimensioning and adding seating 4/17/15 5:00pm 8:00pm 3 hours Console selection 5/1/2015 10:00am 4:00pm 6 hours Microphone Selection 5/4/2015 3:30pm 8pm 4.5 hours Rack Design and cable work 5/5/2015 5:00pm 10:00pm 5 hours Team meeting/powerpoint 5/6/2015 5:45pm 7:00pm 1.25 hours Powerpoint and report 5/6/2015 7:30pm 12:15am 4.75 hours Appendices and finishing report 5/7/2015 5:00pm 7:00pm 2 hours 26.5-24-
Activity Log for: Rob St. Claire Role: Presentation, EASE, and Report Consultant, Emotional Support of Other Team Members Activity Date Start Time End Time Time Spent Speaker layout research/brainstorming 4/14/15 10:00am 12:00pm 2 hours Room dimensioning and adding seating 4/17/15 5:00pm 8:00pm 3 hours Rack Design and cable work 5/5/2015 5:00pm 10:00pm 5 hours Team meeting for powerpoint work 5/6/15 5:00pm 7:00pm 2 hours 12-25-
Appendix B: Venue Illustrations -26-
Isometric View Plan View -27-
Side View Front View -28-
Appendix C: Loudspeaker Placement and EASE Simulation Results -29-
Illustrations depicting loudspeaker location and aiming, along with corresponding EASE simulation results, should be included here. Concentrate on the 500 Hz, 1 KHz, 2 KHz, 4 KHz, and 8 KHz frequency bands, showing SPL coverage plots as well as %ALCONS estimates. Main center top view Main center side view -30-
Main center front view -31-
1000 Hz 2000 Hz -32-
4000 Hz 8000 Hz -33-
no more than 5 db variation in SPL over the entire seating space for the 500 Hz, 1 KHz, 2 KHz, 4 KHz, and 8 KHz frequency bands frequency response of 40 16,000 Hz 5 db o BROADBAND: -34-
LOUDSPEAKERS o S1: Front fill speaker (middle) o -35-
o S2_R S2_L: Front fills (right and left) o -36-
o S4_R S4_L: Over balcony speakers (right and left) o -37-
o S5: Over Balcony (middle) o -38-
o S6_R S6_L: Under balcony (right and left) o -39-
o S7: Under balcony (middle) o -40-
o S8 S8*: Line arrays o %ALCONS no greater than 10% over entire seating space -41-
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Appendix D: Signal Path Wiring Diagram -43-
The signal path wiring diagram should be included here. -44-
Appendix E: Rack Design and Power Sequencing/Distribution -45-
Illustrations of the rack layout/design along with a diagram of the A.C. power distribution should be included here. -46-
Appendix F: System Component List and Street Price Estimate -47-
-48-
Appendix G: Manufacturer Data Sheets -49-
Yamaha CL3: http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file?language=en&site=countrysitemaster.prod.wsys.yamaha.com&asset_id=57145 Rio3224/1608: http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file/?language=en&site=ae.yamaha.com&asset_id=58397 PW800W: https://cvp.com/pdf/pw800w_en_om_c0.pdf BLU-806: http://rdn.harmanpro.com/product_documents/documents/2216_1427382035/bss_blu- 806_Data_Sheet_original.pdf ipad/macbook/usb: no specified datasheet SM57VIP: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/81/us_pro_sm57_specsheet.pdf KSM141: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/33/us_pro_ksm141_specsheet.pdf SM58: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/82/us_pro_sm58_specsheet.pdf UR2/Beta 87A: http://www.shure.eu/products/transmitters/ur2_beta_87a UR2/Beta58A: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/174/uhf-r_specification_sheet.pdf UR1: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/174/uhf-r_specification_sheet.pdf Countryman E6: http://www.countryman.com/downloads/dl/file/id/56/e6_earset_datasheet.pdf UR4D+: http://cdn.shure.com/brochure/upload/40/pdf_2010_uhf-r_brochure.pdf MX202: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/44/us_pro_mx202_specsheet.pdf PGDMK6-XLR: http://cdn.shure.com/specification_sheet/upload/130/us_pro_pgdmk4xlrpgdmk6xlr_spe.pdf PCC-160: http://alss1.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/pcc160.pdf Furman ASD-120: http://furmansound.com/pdf/datasheets/asd-120_datasheet.pdf Meyer CQ2: http://www.meyersound.com/sites/default/files/cq-2_ds.pdf Crown CDi 4000: http://rdn.harmanpro.com/product_documents/documents/1894_1424706307/cdi_datasheet_02101 5_Final_original.pdf Meyer Sound MILO: http://www.meyersound.com/sites/default/files/milo_ds.pdf -50-
Meyer Sound MJF-212A: http://www.meyersound.com/sites/default/files/mjf-212a_ds.pdf Sennheiser Set 830S: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/globaldownloads/file/977/specsheet_set_830_s_eng.pdf Sennheiser SZI 1015: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/globaldownloads/file/2861/szi1015_productsheet.pdf Sennheiser SI29-5: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/global-downloads/file/521/is_si_29-5 10_2012.pdf -51-