A newly converted sports complex at the Carver Elementary School, Neosho, Missouri, US, has been outfitted with a sound reinforcement system driven by Ashly Audio.
The new Carver Sports Complex, which used to be an open field sitting adjacent to the school, features two baseball/softball diamonds and a soccer field.
Lance Brummett at Warren Smith & Associates, Consulting Engineer P.C. (Tulsa, Oklahoma) designed the electrical infrastructure, while Nate Pugh, project supervisor and Vince Hightower, installation foreman – both of integration company Total Electronics Contracting – oversaw the system’s installation. In order to provide the district with reliable, affordable sound reinforcement for the sports complex, Ashly Audio processing, amplification, and user control forms its core.
“Although they only have the first softball field completed, we have already installed the audio systems that will cover both ball fields,” said Pugh. A pair of Community R.5 loudspeakers covers each field (four loudspeakers total) from atop a concessions stand that resides between the two fields. A single Ashly KLR-2000, rated at 1000W on each of two channels, powers the system, one channel per field. An Ashly ne24.24M processor handles all of the input management, signal processing and routing logic for both fields. Because it has a modular I/O design, the ne24.24M is perfectly tailored to the complex’s needs. Twelve inputs collect six identical sources from each field, and four outputs feed the amplifier with two spares.
“This was my first experience using the Ashly ne24.24M processor,” said Hightower. “After just an hour with it at the shop, I felt completely comfortable and ready to take it to the field. It went in easily and without a hiccup. The fact that it’s modular is nice; we were able to give them what they needed without wasting a lot of untapped potential. The Ashly KLR-2000 is a great sounding amp. It’s nice and clean and promises to deliver reliable sound for a long time to come.”
A pair of Ashly FR-8 Network 8-Channel Remote Faders provide simple, intuitive user control of source volume and muting, as well as output volume for each field. The FR-8 connects to the ne24.24M via Ethernet jack, simplifying the installation process. Input sources are identical for each field and include: a tuner, a Marantz CD/iPod player, an ElectroVoice wireless microphone, a Shure wired announcer microphone, and an additional microphone jack. Furman sequencing provides power to the system in a Middle Atlantic rack.
