International. The Electro-Voice (EV) line was the audio system chosen to be installed at the AMSOIL Arena, home of the Minnesotta Duluth University hockey team, part of the Duluth Convention and Entertainment Center and one of the first LEED-certified stadiums in the world, to offer the best possible audio coverage with the lowest total cost of purchase and installation.
This was explained by the company that designed and installed the sound system, TSI Technology Solutions LLC, "the budget for this work was less than what is normally used in a stadium or coliseum, so we had to be creative. We wanted to install the fewest speakers at a limited number of points, but still achieve good, level coverage. In that sense the EV Line Arrays were fabulous," said Scott Durham of TSI.
The key to the design's success, Durham adds, was the way the equipment was placed. "We hung them at steep angles just above the seats. In fact, the speakers are pretty close, at about 55 to 65 feet, but we have very smooth coverage. Also, the sound is exactly the same from the bottom seat to the top, there is no loss of quality at any point, and that was our goal."
Each line is composed of four or six Electro-Voice EVA-2082S full-range dual-element, for a total of 64 used in the installation. The system also includes eight EVH-1152S speakers and a pair of Fri-2082s. The control and processing system consists of four Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 Digital Matrix Controllers, operated through three Electro-Voice IRIS-Net touch panels. Finally, the system is powered by 24 amplifiers of the Contractor Precision series.
The most important factor in choosing EV amplifiers was their low failure rate and little need for replacement, which in a stadium, could become very expensive. "With EV amplifiers, we usually don't have any glitches or problems of any kind. And CPS amplifiers have a very low power consumption which also helps with the LEED certification of the building," durham said.
