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QSC Ceiling Speakers Pass the Health Check in Herts
The recent upgrade of Hatfield Swim Centre in in the London suburb of Hertfordshire included a new communication system designed and installed by Stuart Graham’s company Clarity in Sound, Light and Vision. Under the direction of health and fitness manager, Amanda Morris, Graham designed a four-zone system, selecting 26 QSC AD-CI52T ceiling speakers to be distributed across the two floors, powered by a QSC CX 204V, 4 x 200W 100V line amp, and fed by two 5-play CD players. He also provided mood enhancement in the swimming pool with some inspired LED effects and a 26in LCD screen in the gym.
Managed for Welwyn Hatfield Council by Finesse Leisure Partnership under a trust, the new communication system sits well with the overall structural upgrade of the Swim Centre. The expanded fitness room with over 40 cardiovascular machines, moved upstairs into the expanded space previously occupied by the coffee bar, while the ground floor space it vacated was converted to the Swim Centre’s sauna, steam room and spa pool area.
Stuart Graham thought long and hard about the multi-zoned design solution before coming down in favour of the white, easy-fit AD-CI52T’s in this arduous environment. The AD-CI52T’s feature an unusually wide frequency range and the ability to deliver higher SPLs. Coupled with wide and even dispersion, they provide outstanding coverage from a 5.25in weather-resistant LF transducer and 1in titanium dome tweeter. With its larger, ported model (AD-CI52ST), it creates greater low frequency extension from a smaller footprint (with shallow install depth) while this fully-sealed weather-resistant speaker system makes it ideal in high-humidity environments such as spa pools, steam rooms and workout suites.
“I have used the Acoustic Design range in a few venues now and am really impressed by their performance whatever the application,” commented Graham. “They are very clear, give a good all round performance at low or high levels and are very robust. Besides that, I was concerned about the health spa environment so wanted to use a high quality product that could handle the adverse environment.”
Amanda Morris also gave an unqualified thumbs-up. “The difference this has made has been incredible. The old sound system sounded tinny whereas this is transparent and offers a much wider dispersion.
“This is important as the system has to handle a wide range of signal sources — from ambient, tranquillity music in the spa and sauna areas, to more mainstream music in the gym which increases in volume during the course of the day as the clientele becomes younger.”
At the same time, Clarity also provided the facility with FreeView boxes, enabling up to 16 channels to be selected from the touch pads on the fitness apparatus, each of which has its own personal monitor.
As Hatfield Swim Centre applies for IFI (Inclusive Fitness Initiative) accreditation so the Council will now turn to its sister venue, the nearby Hatfield Leisure Centre, where the paging, evacuation and public address will similarly be enhanced.
7th July 2006
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