QSC Helps Maintain Historical Aesthetic at University of Virginia Rotunda

Jul 28, 2005 8:00 AM

QSC's CX404 amplifier solves the historical University of Viriginia Rotunda's sound obstacles.

As the founder of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson brought an architectural vision to college life built around what he called an "Academical Village." Centrally located within this micro-city at the head of a wide expanse of lawn, the university's Rotunda is a stately domed structure used to host speaking events and boardroom-style meetings. Sound reinforcement plays a vital role in giving voice to ideas and opinions heard within the space, but given the building's landmark status and historical significance, its implementation required great care and mindful direction.

"When it comes to sound, the project was acoustically challenging," says David Morris, senior engineer for The Whitlock Group, the Richmond, Va.-based systems integration firm hired to solve the Rotunda’s tricky obstacles. "There are numerous reflective surfaces, and you certainly can't avoid the huge dome overhead. While these features did indeed present difficulties, the real obstacle to completing the job was that there could be no components permanently installed in the space whatsoever. The historical setting had to be preserved at all costs, and that meant no cutting, drilling, or conduit anywhere."

By necessity, all input had to be wireless, and the system's loudspeakers able to be deployed as needed on portable stands. The university initially wanted all necessary rackmount equipment to be kept out of the room as well, but ultimately allowed a small amount of space for portable racks that could be rolled in and hidden under tables, then rolled back out when not in use.

"Even with three racks, space was really at a premium," Morris says. "The wireless microphone receivers alone ate up two of them completely, leaving us with only one for everything else. To make it all work, we had to get creative, and one of the places we gained the most savings was in amplifier selection."

Lightweight and only two rack spaces high, a single CX404 amplifier from QSC's CX Series was chosen for the task. A 4-channel device capable of powering the portable system's four power-hungry loudspeakers at 250W per channel at 8Ω, the CX404 brought both performance and reliability to the Rotunda, and aided considerably in reaching the goal of building a system that could easily be moved by one person.

"Over the years, we've tried every amp under the sun," Morris says, "and we settled on QSC. The products are bulletproof, and the service and shipping are awesome. At the Rotunda, we would have never been able to compress all of our gear into such a small form factor if the CX404 wasn't on the equipment manifest. It met the challenge, and because it vents through the front and not the top or sides, it keeps its cool even in the cramped, heat-stroke-prone environment of the portable racks."

University administrators were pleased with the Rotunda sound system, especially its sonic quality and kind impact upon the structure's interior decor. Restored in 1973 to the exacting specifications of Jefferson's original design at a cost of $2.3 million, the Rotunda appears today essentially as it did when first built.

For more information about QSC, visit www.qscaudio.com or email info@qscaudio.com.