Champagne Sunday Brunch in the Eden Courtyard at the Best Western Eden Resort & Suites has become a local area tradition.
But while the Courtyard is known for its dining and social events, the room’s acoustics have long made it a challenge to attract speaking engagements. With its 40-foot-high glass ceiling, hard stone floor and hard walls, the room’s reverberation made intelligibility nearly non-existent.
In addition to a massive water fountain at one end of the room, there is a rather large vaulted skylight running across the middle of the room that creates some very “strange” reflections.
To address the room’s acoustical challenges, Manheim, PA-based Clair Brothers Audio Systems selected the Renkus-Heinz Iconyx IC24-R-II digitally controlled column loudspeaker system, installing the arrays in the two front corners of the courtyard.
The ability to precisely steer the Iconyx array’s multiple sonic beams had an immediate impact on the intelligibility factor.
“Being able to direct the sound downward and away from the walls was huge,” explains Bob Bickelman, senior audio designer with Clair Brothers.
Bickelman selected the Iconyx system based on both on price and performance.
“We had previous experience with the Iconyx,” he explains. “Not long ago I did a synagogue down in Cherry Hill, NJ, and liked the way they performed and their ease of use. And they certainly cost less than some alternatives.”
Using Renkus-Heinz’s RHAON CobraNet-based DSP software, individual Iconyx elements can be shaped and aimed with programmable precision, lowering or raising the acoustic center as desired.
The newly installed system at Eden Resort & Suites also includes several Shure wireless microphones and is managed by a Symetrix DSP automixing and processing system with ARC (Adaptive Remote Control) programmable wall panels.
“Iconyx has been a wonderful addition to our courtyard,” comments Stephen Sikking, managing partner, Eden Resort & Suites.. “Now we can take a 400- to 500-person room and actually use it for an event that includes speaking engagements.
“Because of the Iconyx system we are now able to be on individual company lists, social lists, and so forth for speaking events. These speakers have made a dramatic difference.”
