[ATTACH=CONFIG]201259.vB5-legacyid=13821[/ATTACH]SAINT-ROCH-DE-L’ACHIGAN, Quebec, Canada – January 2016 — Using the terms “hockey arena” and “exceptional audio” in the same sentence will likely elicit a storm of protests from system designers and audio engineers who have long had to stretch the boundaries of basic physics to combat the lengthy reverb times built into sporting arenas as an intentional tool—not a flaw—to help pump up crowds. However, thanks to Solotech’s recent installation of L-Acoustics Kara and ARCS Wide loudspeakers at the new Complexe JC Perreault in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Quebec, the Montreal-based audio provider has proved that high-energy sports and high-quality sound can, indeed, both thrive in the same facility.
Although Complexe JC Perreault is every bit a hockey arena, boasting two separate NHL-sized rinks, the multipurpose facility was designed from the start more like a theatre than a sporting venue. “The room was acoustically treated to obtain an RT60 of about 2.6 seconds, which greatly contributed to increased intelligibility,” notes Solotech’s Pierre-Paul Gignac, who adds that it is not at all unusual for sports arenas to have a reverb time of more than double that figure.
Seeing that shows and sports have dramatically different requirements when it comes to audio, Solotech designed and installed two separate sound systems—a fixed playback and PA setup comprised of four coaxial 12XTi enclosures covering the ice plus six hangs of two ARCS Wide addressing the bleachers, and a second main system that is lowered from the ceiling for shows. Designed to deliver full-range sonic reinforcement for a packed house of 3,000 people for concerts and other productions, this second system features two arrays of five Kara enclosures for mains, two hangs of two ARCS Wide for out fill, two more ARCS Wide for front fill and four SB28 subwoofers, all powered by six LA8 amplified controllers plus one LA4X.
In “show mode,” the Complexe hosts everything from fashion shows to concerts to poker tournaments, so the audio system had to hit a number of points. It had to sound good, look good, reconfigure easily, and—given that the facility is also home to the non-profit it is named for, which has a mission of minimizing the dropout rate among area high-school students—had to be budget-friendly.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]201260.vB5-legacyid=13822[/ATTACH]“It is important to note that L-Acoustics is one of the preferred brands used regularly by Solotech, both on tours and permanent installations,” Gignac shares. “L-Acoustics products have proven to be reliable and respond well to the architectural and environmental challenges presented by our customers. For this project, sound quality and ease of use were the qualities that most influenced us, along with the system being able to be deployed at a reasonable cost.”
Complexe JC Perreault can actually be set up in a number of different seating arrangements depending on the nature of events—a challenge that made system flexibility and ease of deployment even more important.
“When not lowered for non-hockey events, the concert system is mounted on chain engines and rigged as high as possible in order to avoid the arrays being struck by a puck during a game,” Gignac describes. “When switching over for a show, they lower the motorized equipment, install four subwoofers on the floor with front fills placed on top, connect the amps, and that’s it. The changeover is fast, simple, and requires no additional motors or rigging, which is great. Thanks to extensive modeling and audio simulations done in L-Acoustics’ Soundvision software beforehand, we determined that Kara and ARCS Wide were the ideal solutions for this venue, and they truly are.”
For additional details on Complexe JC Perreault, visit [url]www.complexejcperreault.com[/url]. Solotech can likewise be found online at [url]www.solotech.com[/url].
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About L-Acoustics
Founded in 1984 near Paris, France, L-Acoustics is a leading manufacturer of turnkey solutions for the professional sound industry. With 250 team members, 20 percent of whom are dedicated to R&D, L-Acoustics is present in over 75 countries either through subsidiaries or via a network of certified distributors or providers.
Recognized throughout the industry for pioneering the modern line array, L-Acoustics offers a total system approach for both the touring and fixed installation markets, and a product line responding to the needs of venues from the most intimate club to the grandest arena. L-Acoustics sound systems can be heard in places like the Hollywood Bowl, the NBA Houston Rockets Toyota Center, or the Philharmonie de Paris. L-Acoustics solutions have been used at five of the world’s ten top-grossing festivals*, the London and Sochi Olympics, and on the Justin Timberlake 20/20 Experience World Tour, among others.
