The need to accommodate a host of different activities tend to inform the audio design for most educational establishments. These factors were certainly in play when technology supplier and installer Lindbak AS Gjovik set about a recent audio project at Storhamar High School in Hamar, Norway.
Work focused on a newly-built atrium area that was conceived to host presentations, cultural and educational events, performances, open meetings and more. Therefore, as well as tackling the reinforcement challenges resulting from a high ceiling and reflective surfaces, Lindbak A/S Gjovik needed to provide a mixing and processing solution that was both flexible and easy to use.
The answer came in the form of a Symetrix Jupiter eight app-based digital signal processor – a product that project equipment supplier Norsk Lyddtecnik’s Bjorn Fjeld had deployed successfully on a number of other projects. “The Jupiter 8 is really the heart of the new system,” he reported. “Firstly, it acts as an auto-mixer for AV presentations, events and open meetings, handling line sources and two wireless mirophones. Secondly, it is also sufficient to accommodate cultural events, for which two inputs of the DSP mixer are set up for live/fader mixer inputting – allowing the device to act as a speaker processor.”
The EQ setting for the processor was derived from Community Professional’s TAG team recommendations, with slight adaptation to complement the specific requirements of the room. The speaker system is based around Community’s ENTASYS column line-array system, augmented by a single VLF212 sub, while power comes from Ecler DPA2000 amplifiers. Fjeld configured the Jupiter 8 DSP by selecting the most application-appropriate app from the Symetrix website, loading it onto the processor and tweaking the design’s parameters.
“It’s a compact and discreet yet powerful system that we have provided to Storhamar High School,” says Fjeld, “and the Jupiter 8 is absolutely at its heart. It will allow the school to easily manage audio for all of its current activities – such as presentations, award ceremonies and general meetings – as well as providing capabilities for some that will undoubtedly emerge in the future. The Symetrix DSP is a robust and powerfully designed bit of equipment that is ideal for educational establishments like Storhamar. We are sure they will have many years’ happy service from their new set-up.”
