Friendship Village retirement facility in Kalamazoo, MI, recently commissioned a complete overhaul of the AV infrastructure at its Kiva Auditorium, with Martin Audio’s O-Line speakers front and centre. Set on a 72-acre campus, the Auditorium is used for events, meetings, and community activities and is now also perfect to host smaller shows and concerts.
Design consultant Tim Heneveld (from HAV Design) specified Martin Audio’s award-winning O-Line micro-array solution for the sound reinforcement, installed by system integrators, Division 16 Technologies.
Heneveld noted that the old sound system had been prone to feedback, and thus the new system would need to demonstrate extremely high intelligibility/clarity, with the sound delivered evenly to a maximum capacity of 200 seats. “The venue is almost always filled to capacity and a high percentage of the attendees have hearing difficulties,” he said. “With it being an elderly facility gain before feedback and a high level of intelligibility in every seat from front to back and was paramount.”
The tech also needed to be visually discreet. “ The room couldn’t be about the technology,” he added, “the system needed to maintain a sleek and slim presence.”
O-Line was installed in two hangs of four elements each. It was designed in 2-box resolution, four amp channels per side, through Martin Audio’s dedicated DX4.0 processor.
Tim Heneveld is no stranger to Martin Audio technology, having mixed on one of the manufacturer’s rigs as far back as 30 years ago. “I have always experienced Martin Audio as very smooth, consistent, predictable and musical,” he said. However, this was his first design with O-Line as it was for the AV installation contractors, Division 16 Technologies.
Summing up, the consultant says the entire AV installation upgrade – including new 16in x 9in video wall – has been a complete success. “The new sound system has allowed a wider variety of events to be held in the space. O-Line provides transparent support for choirs and acoustical instruments (along with fully reinforced events) that were not previously possible.”
