Auburn Arena, a 9,121-seat multi-purpose venue on the campus of Auburn University in Alabama, was recnetly outfitted by Daktronics with a new sound reinforcement system incorporating a range of loudspeakers from Fulcrum Acoustic.
Specifically, Daktronics deployed AH high-output coaxial horns in vertically arrayed pairs to cover both the lower seating area and the middle section. In addition, 26 CCX 12-inch coaxial cardioid loudspeakers with Fulcrum’s proprietary Passive Cardioid Technology are distributed around the upper seating areas to provide supplemental coverage.
“Without Passive Cardioid, the sound coming off the back of the speaker will cover a greater area than what goes out the front, thereby degrading clarity and intelligibility,” says system designer Dave Sturzenbecher. “Fulcrum’s cardioid products avoided leakage for the upper delays.”
Further, Prophile P 8-inch coaxial loudspeakers deliver coverage to the last rows in the back of the main section. These rows are shadowed from the main loudspeaker arrays by the upper level of seating so supplemental coverage is required.
Finally, US221-4 direct radiating subwoofers are flown in two closely coupled vertical arrays to provide wide low-frequency dispersion. Each box has a slight delay added for steering low frequency energy away from the ceiling.
“It’s an incredibly articulate and intelligible system overall,” Sturzenbecher concludes. “What’s really remarkable is how good it sounds without a crowd to dampen any reflections. It provides impressive fidelity that is much beyond what they had before.”
