Originally built in 1949, San Antonio’s Freeman Coliseum –located in the US – has hosted everything from rodeos, boxing and hockey to expositions, circuses and concerts over the years. As part of multi-year initiative to update the Coliseum, a new L-Acoustics ARCS Focus arena loudspeaker system has been installed.
Bexar County – stakeholders in the venue – and the facility’s management team opted to undertake the support of Houston-based LD Systems (an L-Acoustics certified provider) to design and install the new sound reinforcement system.
Following an evaluation of the 11,700-capacity arena’s needs, the LD Systems team worked closely with Andrew Nagel, L-Acoustics’ head of application for install, to specify a system comprising 40 ARCS Focus enclosures paired with 16 SB18i subs.
The new system features eight arrays each featuring five ARCS Focus enclosures flown beneath two SB18i subs. The solution is powered and processed by eight amplified controllers, two LA4 drive the bottom ARCS Focus enclosures on each array – used as downfills to address the floor area when necessary – while six LA8 power both the subs and upper four ARCS Focus cabinets grouped in pairs to cover the main seating.
The project was installed and commissioned by mid-May 2013, just prior to a string of nearly 20 high school and collegiate graduation services that the arena hosts each year.
“We walked the entire venue and measured an incredibly consistent 108dB of coverage throughout the seating with almost no fluctuation,” commented Garth Hemphill, sales engineer for LD Systems.
Although the new system will frequently be called upon to provide speech reinforcement for graduation ceremonies, corporate functions and other similar events, Derrick Howard, executive director at the Freeman Coliseum adds that the L-Acoustics name and reputation for exemplary sound will certainly appeal to musical acts coming into the venue. He finished: “We feel that this system really helps gives us an advantage in attracting top musical artists passing through San Antonio to perform here.”
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