Sound & Communications - Applications

Fit For A ‘Queen’
Cunard’s Queen Victoria crests with a new theater.
You’re aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria cruise ship. Within the 90,000-ton vessel are all the amenities, from your accommodations to entertainment. In fact, it’s the second largest Cunarder ever built. And, if you enjoy elegant theatrical surroundings, you’ll find that facet on your voyage, as well, within the Royal Court Theater. We’ll explore the theater AV after some architectural background.
Published in June 2008
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Historic ‘Fox’ Trots Again
Intimate Woldson Theater’s sound system makes Spokane Symphony feel at home.
How do we make this work? It is both easy and expensive with a clean sheet of paper and no walls to create a modern multi-purpose theater. But to take a historic downtown icon with no idea of a budget and a fundraising/building timeline that extended for more than seven years—spanning two architectural firms, two executive directors and two conductors—and still end up with a world-class facility?
Published in June 2008
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Wide World of Nano
UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute magnifies its technology.
The University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) new CNSI (California NanoSystems Institute) theater/auditorium provides a wide range of AV technology with minimal technical support. This facility, based in Los Angeles CA, required an integrated AV environment that provides resources for high-level events in support of the work being done at the CNSI.
Published in May 2008
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Breaking Down the Walls
USC’s McKibben Hall’s AV extends education’s reach.
By now, most AV industry pros are familiar with the capabilities of, and technology behind, distance learning. For many integrators, the primary challenge behind projects in this field is educating the customer and the end user (who are not always the same person, incidentally) about the best ways to take advantage of this cutting-edge technology without losing the personal touch that is so important in a classroom environment
Published in May 2008
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From Office Supplies to Global Ministry
Av and architecture transform retail space for worship use.
The building that houses the T.L. Lowery Global Ministry Center in Cleveland TN is a converted Office-Max retail store, but you can’t tell by looking at it.
Published in April 2008
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Tasting Space at Kennedy Space Center
One-Dof = Zero Gravity at Shuttle Launch Experience.
Buzz Aldrin was among the three dozen astronauts who showed up at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to ride the new Shuttle Launch Experience (SLE) on opening day. The $60 million, 44,000-square-foot visitor attraction at Cape Canaveral FL blends showmanship with simulation to give visitors an authentic taste of what it is like to ride a NASA space shuttle. Over a period of about 25 minutes, they become passengers on the shuttle, passing through a sequence of experiential theaters that provide the sensations, sounds and sights of liftoff, acceleration and weightlessness, capped by a breathtaking view of planet Earth looking much as she does to genuine shuttle astronauts when they’re really up there.
Published in March 2008
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Mine-Blowing Experience
How Dollywood turned a roller coaster ride into
an AV adventure.
As the storm descends, thunder crashes and debris thrashes atop the open mine shaft. Suddenly, a spark ignites a stash of TNT and the whole mine explodes, sending mine cars careening out of control….
Published in March 2008
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Info on the Fast Track
Public address and digital signage keep VA passengers 'in the know'.
For an average daily ridership of 17,000, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provides train information for all passengers, including those with sight and hearing disabilities, in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Accordingly, International Displays Systems (IDS), Dayton OH, installed a new Variable Message Sign System (VMS) at the railway’s Operation Control Center in Alexandria VA, and at 18 commuter stations in Northern Virginia and Washington DC. The VMS provides current train status information and passenger information via synchronized video display and audio announcements.
Published in February 2008
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Challenge of Change
Cornell's Bailey Hall technology meets divergent needs.
A major renovation of Cornell University’s famous Bailey Hallin Ithaca NY, with more than 1300 seats, aisle lighting, movable acoustical panels, wireless audio technology, 3CCD PTZ cameras, two-way videoconferencing and internet video streaming has transformed the auditorium into the area’s premier location for lectures, distance learning, musical performances and other important events. The restoration of the interior and exterior of this historic facility cost an estimated $17.3 million.
Published in January 2008
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