Scott Hibbard Audio has completed the installation of a Biamp Community R SERIES sound system at the Frank R. Jost Field, home of the South Plainfield Tigers high school football team.
Located in South Plainfield in Middlesex County, New Jersey, the Frank R. Jost Field is the playing field of South Plainfield High School, a four-year, co-ed comprehensive community public high school serving over 1,000 students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating as the sole secondary school in the South Plainfield Public Schools. The school offers numerous clubs and activities, with sports and athletics playing a popular part. In addition to football, its playing fields host track and field competitions and high school graduation.
Principal Scott Hibbard described his company’s approach to designing the sound system, “I have installed countless Biamp Community loudspeakers in very similar situations and venues, so I knew I could count on them again. In this case, the school insisted on no mounting of loudspeakers or poles on the press box, so I needed a small format speaker system that was powerful enough to cover 2,500 people while fitting into the budget of a public school. This was a difficult task, but I’d previously used the Community R.5HP with great success. When they introduced the more powerful R.5-MAX in the same size format, I knew this would deliver. The mid-range and HF output of this compact loudspeaker completely belies its size. The R.5-MAX is acoustically very efficient and results in an incredibly powerful tool for speech reinforcement. It also sounds very good for music playback, even at the high SPL levels common in stadiums to motivate the team and fans. The speakers never strain, they just keep on delivering.”
The single-zone audio system consists of four Community R.5-MAX and two Community R.35-3896 loudspeakers mounted on two lighting poles. The R.5-MAX cover the main field and fire across the field to the visitor side, while the R.35-3896 cover the home side as in-fills. This configuration eliminated any time delays that would normally occur from placing loudspeakers 125 feet apart, and provided excellent sound quality, SPL and frequency response throughout the audience areas.
Timescale was another major challenge for Hibbard, as he explained, “I was given the green light to order, install and commission the system just 10 days before the grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony. With some very long days, cooperative school staff, good planning and Biamp’s ability to deliver in an incredibly short time, we completed the installation and tuning just 2 hours before the stadium filled with fans. The school administration was elated.”
Hibbard concluded, “The system was the talk of the town on opening night. As I walked around the stadium during the system’s maiden voyage game, I overheard fans raving about the new system. From the visitor side I heard comments like ‘Wow, I can finally hear what they are saying’ and home side fans raving about the power and clarity of the system, many caught by surprise during the initial announcements as they had been used to the old low-fidelity paging horns this system replaced. The system is also used for graduation night, where the combined student body and guests exceed 3,500 people. The school no longer needs to hire in sound for graduation, contributing immediately to its return on investment.”
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About Biamp
Biamp is a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems that power the world’s most sophisticated audiovisual installations. The company is recognized worldwide for delivering high-quality products and backing each one with a commitment to exceptional customer service.
Biamp is dedicated to creating products that drive the evolution of communication through sight and sound. The award-winning Biamp product suite includes: Tesira media system for digital audio and video networking, Devio collaboration tool for modern workplaces, Vocia networked public address and voice communication system, Cambridge Sound Management sound masking solutions, Crowd Mics audience engagement tools, Huddle Hub wireless presentation systems, and loudspeakers for installed sound applications from Community Professional Loudspeakers and Apart Audio. Each has its own specific feature set that can be customized and integrated in a wide range of applications, including corporate boardrooms, conference centers, huddle rooms, open floor environments, performing arts venues, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, campuses, retail, hospitality, military and government, and multi-building facilities.
Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional offices around the globe. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com.
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