NSCA Expo Day Four: Networking with the networkers, Nexo’s Geo up close, and a multifaceted wireless system provides the capper By Keith Clark Editorial Director ProSoundWeb

Well, it’s a wrap. But the final day of NSCA Expo 2002 presented a flurry of activity as we all sought to get every last bit of biz out of the time left.

The view from the Peak Audio hospitality room, close enough for a few of us to hit up the millionaire right fielder for a loan…

Our last day’s report actually begins the night before, when we were invited to attend a reception at Coors Field during a Colorado Rockies game. Peak Audio threw the bash as a “networking” event among CobraNet “networking” licensees and key contractors/consultants. Our field-level view in the ballpark party room just beyond the right field fence was spectacular and certainly provides a different perspective on the game.

In particular, it was fun catching up with WJHW’s Ron Baker regarding several new stadium systems to be commissioned in the coming months, and doubly fun catching up with Jay Foster and Peak’s Rich Zweibel, both of whom I had collaborated with on an article about the sound design and install at then-new Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Has it really been 10 years?

PSW’s Julie Clark in pose with Ron Baker of WJHW.

A man in full: Peak’s Jimmy K enjoying the champion’s diet of beer and cookies.

First on the last-day agenda came a stop at the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Denver, a few blocks from the convention center – or “streets ahead!” as some in the Nexo camp (that’s you, Mr. Doering) like to say. The beautiful old room was entirely occupied for a “full-metal demo” of Nexo’s line of loudspeakers and companion processor.

The Paramount from the street; lucky people got to go inside.

Perspective of the theatre interior, where Nexo offered demos of PS, Alpha and the new Geo.

Nexo’s Jim Sides and Joe Rimstidt gave us a tech explanation and a listen to the much-anticipated Geo system. A single flown vertical line array, largely made up of longer-throw, narrower dispersion model 805 cabinets (with wider dispersion model 830’s at the bottom) easily covered the double-level theater, which has seating for more than 800. (The 830’s, with a 30-degrees coupling plane, can also be used to make effective horizontal arrays.)

Looking up at the Geo array.

Joe Rimstidt (left) and Jim Sides, tour guides.

Not only did it cover all but the shadowed balcony seats, but full-bandwidth sound quality was pleasant and smooth while offering appropriate dynamics. I kept staring at the slender footprint – the boxes are about half the size, if not smaller, than most of the new line array devices that have proliferated the market over the past 18 months or so. Impressive… and I was equally impressed by a quick demo of the PS line of two-way loudspeakers, available with 8-, 10-, and 15-in woofers. These supply tremendous output for their size, and the signature is identical across the three models.

On the way back to the floor, ran into NSCA Executive Director Chuck Wilson, who noted that things had gone well. Attendance in his estimation was off about 10 percent in comparison to last year, and for that he expressed gratitude in light of the rough economic seas and the drop in attendance at NAB a couple of weeks prior. (For more from Chuck on the show, see our “Five Minutes With…” report in WebExpo.)

Demo of the Project System package.

Even in the mad dash to wring every last appointment out of the show, I felt compelled to stop by a display I’d passed several times. The Project System looks like a pretty slick package to help simplify the business side for harried contracting firm owners. It’s software offering automatic job estimating, automatic purchase order generation, project tracing, inventory tracking, billing and job cost, and a whole lot more, tailored to the unique needs of systems contractors.

Looks like, at least from what I saw, that the integrated package will take you from one end of the job to the other in one constant process. There’s a free demo offered on-line at http://www.theprojectsystem.com.

Final stop of the show came at the Sennheiser demo room to see the new Guideport system, which I’d heard a lot of buzz about from several folks, including Jeff Mele of North American Theatrix of Connecticut.

Jeff Mele and one of his “hit picks” – the new Sennheiser Guideport system.

Guideport’s a wireless multi-lingual info system intended for museums, theme parks and like venues. It delivers pre-recorded or real-time audio programs through a receiver/headphone system tailored to meet each visitor’s language and level of expertise.

The receiver works in tandem with transmitters that are strategically located. As a visitor enters a zone, an identifier device initiates the receiver to download and store, internally, all appropriate audio clips for the zone. And, at a live event, an identifier can trigger the receiver to switch to conventional radio receiver mode. Programming is achieved with accompanying Guideport software.

Very slick, very flexible, and what looks like an improved solution for a demanding application. An appropriate kicker to a great show.