Long the key component of the Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) music and fine arts program, the Covenant Fine Arts Center has been the nexus of campus cultural life, its unique heptagonal shape a local landmark since its opening in 1966.
But in recent years, students, faculty, and even community members had noticed that this once proud building had begun to lose much of its prior luster.
Although well-maintained, the equipment was showing definite signs of age, and students were having difficulty finding decent rehearsal space, sometimes literally spilling into the hallways to rehearse for recitals and projects.
That situation has now been addressed, with Grand Rapids-based Acoustics by Design overseeing a comprehensive audio system renovation dedicated to making the Fine Arts Center great again. The project also included the addition of new classrooms, acoustical treatments, a new 300-seat recital hall for smaller events, and an entirely new video and sound system built around Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers.
“The staff at the CFAC wanted to be able to host outside events – everything from the symphony to rock concerts,” says Tim Hamilton, senior A/V designer for Acoustics by Design, “and while we knew that some of those would bring their own equipment, we still wanted a system that was powerful enough to handle most shows on its own.”
Hamilton’s design centered around a left-center-right array of 10 PN102-LAR RHAON-empowered line array loudspeakers. The smaller recital hall, designed for rehearsals and music playback, is outfitted with left and right Iconyx IC16-R steerable column arrays, with two PNX212-SUB dual 12-inch subwoofers handling bottom end.
“The Renkus-Heinz systems are exceptionally smooth, and coverage is consistent to every seat,” says Hamilton. “I know exactly what I’m going to get with Renkus-Heinz speakers, and the company is very supportive and great to work with. We’ve used their products for over 15 years, and performance and reliability are the main reasons we keep coming back to them.”