Staff communications for Lehigh University’s Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has become one of its first US applications for Riedel Communications’ Bolero wireless intercom – an expandable, DECT-based wireless intercom system in the licence-free 1.9GHz frequency range.
Cost-effective but maintaining coverage and quality over many spaces, the system serves the extensive facility using proprietary Advanced DECT Receiver (ADR) technology to ensure robust RF performance by reducing sensitivity to multipath RF reflections, while the range and beltpack density require fewer antenne.
Home to Lehigh University’s music and theatre departments, the Zoellner Arts Center houses the 1,000-seat Baker Hall, the 300-seat Diamond Theater and the 125-seat Fowler Black box informal theatre, in addition to a two-storey art gallery, recording studio and several large classrooms.
‘With all of our venues and spaces sharing the same technical infrastructure and equipment, we needed a crew communications system that could provide high-quality, wide coverage both inside and outside the arts centre,’ says Zoellner Arts Center Production Manager, Joshua Kovar. ‘We also needed a solution that would be easy to use, while providing seamless integration with our existing third-party partyline gear. Not only does Bolero meet these requirements, but now the communications in the theatres can be separated for concurrent performances as well as combined for large events that use all of the spaces.’
Fully integrated into Riedel’s Artist digital matrix intercom platform, Bolero offers a features and connectivity that can be applied in three ways – as a wireless beltpack, a wireless keypanel, and a walkie-talkie radio. The Zoellner Arts Center has taken the first approach, providing the production team with 12 Bolero beltpacks. Bolero’s ADR technology enables full roaming for crew members across all three performance halls while a Riedel RiFace radio interface allows front-of-house staff, who use walkie-talkies, to easily communicate with Bolero users via the Artist.
‘The Zoellner Arts Center is a showcase facility for the arts,’ says Riedel North America Business Development Manager for the Eastern US, David Caulwell. ‘As one of our early adopters, the centre is also an outstanding example of the power of ADR for enabling bulletproof crew communications across a large and spread-out facility.’
More: www.riedel.net
