Ligra DS | Important new Fulcrum Acoustic installations

Crusader Stadium in Belton, Texas, is the home of the NCAA Cru Football team at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Last summer, Daktronics upgraded not only the video system, but also the entire sound system, for which an additional structure above the LED wall was required. Due to wind load problems, the height of this structure was limited to just over 1.8 m, thus reducing the space available for the loudspeakers. In addition, strict directivity control was necessary to keep the sound emitted within the area occupied by the seats, to avoid excessive sound levels on the field and to minimise the contribution of reflected sound in certain areas behind the grandstands.

The solution was to adopt 6 Fulcrum Acoustic AHS modules, positioned above the display that serves as the scoreboard due to their compact size, as long throw systems. The space available within the structure provides 3 columns of 2 modules each to provide sufficient output level to reach all seats, preserving the high frequency energy content that becomes problematic over the long distances of a stadium. Two columns of AHS440 modules have been arranged to the left and right to cover the furthest seats along the sides of the stadium; the 45° horizontal dispersion of the AHS440 maintains lateral uniformity within the area. Coverage for the seating areas closest to the scoreboard is provided by two AH463 coaxial horns positioned at the outer edges of the scoreboard. A single FH1596 full-range coaxial horn diffuser serves as down fill for the turf and the area near the end zone, and two FH1565s are arranged in separate niches to provide side fill coverage. There is also a pair of stacks of three 18″ double Sub218L subwoofers that extend the system's low frequency response; the low profile of the Sub218L helps it fit into the available space.

First Baptist Church of Texarkana

In 2020, renovations began to restore the First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas, after a major fire in 2019, and with the occasion a new sound system was commissioned, a system suitable for the various events taking place in the 2400-seat space. The request, specifically, was for a system capable of delivering high power without sacrificing sound output, clarity and speech intelligibility.

It was thus decided to install 10 Fulcrum Acoustic AH4 coaxial horn loudspeakers in a semi-circle above the altar, in order to provide the main coverage. The AH4s were deployed in five arrays of two units arranged vertically. Each array consists of an AH443 on top of an AH463, with the AH443 providing long throw coverage and the AH463 oriented downwards to serve the lower level seats. The wide polar coverage and extremely high sound pressure level of the AH4 met the design requirements, even exceeding the performance of a conventional line array.

In addition, 8 Fulcrum US221 21″ subwoofers were installed on two columns of four at the centre array. Completing the system are 9 AH96 high-efficiency coaxial horn loudspeakers, mounted on the ceiling halfway between the altar and the back of the church as delay rings, and no less than 22 8″ CX826s, installed under the balcony and on the altar for additional coverage and front fill, respectively.

Blue Cross Arena

The Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York, has been the home of the Rochesters AHL hockey team and hosts many sporting and entertainment events each year.

The loudspeaker design for this sports stadium had to satisfy a number of constraints, the first of which was the limitation for mounting the loudspeakers due to the relatively low roof structure. In addition, there was the need to install them close to the ceiling to avoid interfering with the view of the display. Fixed hanging points minimised the available positions for the loudspeakers and the large roof trusses acoustically masked some seating areas within the stadium. The solution was to adopt a distributed Fulcrum loudspeaker system.

The AH4, AH and FH series models were thus selected as main speakers. The combination of high SPL output level, reproduction fidelity, control and high efficiency are particularly suited to the needs of large-scale entertainment venues such as this. Their smooth off-axis response allows for a smooth transition where many audience members are in between adjacent loudspeaker zones.

9 primary loudspeaker arrays provide coverage for most of the seats and the arena floor, with additional loudspeakers used as delay lines providing coverage for the shaded seats. Each of the arrays consists of an AH65 above an AH96, with an FH1596 pointing towards the arena floor. Four of them include CS121 cardioid subwoofers to provide low frequency support for music reproduction. At the north end, three arrays provide long-range coverage for the seating sections extending upwards. Each array consists of an AH463 (long throw) above an AH65 (medium throw). The centre array includes four CS121 cardioid subwoofers. Complementing the main systems, 5 x FH1565 are mounted along the large north roof truss to cover the highest rows that would otherwise remain in the shade. On the south side of the arena, 4 x FH1565s spread the sound to the corners and lower level seating, and an equal number of 12-inch GX1277 coaxial loudspeakers provide coverage for a smaller seating section at the south end of the arena.

Stormont Vail Event Centre

The Landon Arena at the Stormont Vailm Event Centre in Topeka, Kansas, hosts major events and live music in addition to basketball and hockey games. Avant Acoustics, the installer, chose Fulcrum Acoustic loudspeakers to upgrade the sound system during the latest renovation.

The problems to be solved concerned reverberations and the presence of reflective surfaces that could interfere with speech intelligibility. For aesthetic and weight reasons arising from the installation of a new LED scoreboard, a distributed sound system was necessary.

Avant Acoustics chose 18 Fulcrum FH15 full-range coaxial loudspeakers to avoid interference caused by reflections from the arena walls. A distributed line array system was initially considered, but the cost - plus the cost of acoustic treatment - would have been prohibitive. The installation of the central video system precluded placing the loudspeakers in the centre for aesthetic and weight reasons. To overcome this problem, the FH15s were separated into 6 groups of 3 loudspeakers each around the arena to cover the stands and the floor.

For the upper balcony, 15 CX15 compact coaxial loudspeakers of the same brand were chosen, which offer the same sound performance as the FH when such a long throw is not required.