Home to the Stetson University Hatters baseball team, Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida is also used by DeLand High School and numerous recreation teams. Opened in 1999, the facility recently underwent an US$8m renovation that saw A/V integration and production company Entertainment Arts Inc (EAI) design a new A/V system from the ground up.
‘In recent years, several MLB players have come out of Stetson University, so the stadium has had a lot of attention,’ says EAI owner Byron Conerly, who led the project. ‘It was time to turn attention to the audience.’
The aim was to transform Melching Field at Conrad Park into a modern facility. EAI chose Fulcrum Acoustic because of their weather-resistant product offering, domestic availability, and legacy of installs at high-profile sports venues.
‘We wanted to offer them something where they could say we have the same system as a notable NFL practice field or MLB stadium,’ Conerly says. ‘I showed them other sports stadium projects that Fulcrum had done and told them that this is the calibre of what we bought.’
For the loudspeakers, EAI focused on high-quality coverage with an emphasis on the audio and control on the field. CX826-WR compact coaxial loudspeakers were used on the smaller poles, GX1226-WR coaxial loudspeakers for the main press box, and FH1596-WR full-range coaxial horn loudspeakers for field coverage. The field never had audio coverage, so it was important to Conerly that it have outstanding sound.
‘The new video system has audio tied to it, the lighting system has audio, so the field system needed to kick,’ he says. ‘With its pattern control and projection, the FH is just an amazing cabinet. They really push.’
The new system also required an expansion of the distribution system powered by three new Apex amplifiers – two CloudPower1504s four 1.5kW and one CloudPower354 four 350W.
‘It was our first-time using Apex amps,’ Conerly says. ‘We liked everything about it so far. The interface will do a lot. No matter what you need to connect to it, it will work.’
EAI installed wireless control over the audio console so it can be controlled on the field using an iPad. The system was set up with various zones, so that they do not spill audio indiscriminately. There are also custom presets for special events.
‘It sounds amazing,’ Conerly reports. ‘The Director of the City of Deland Parks and Recreation was delighted. At the first practice, everyone was ecstatic with the install and how it’s working’.
After renovation, Melching Field at Conrad Park is now one of the premier baseball stadiums in the State of Florida and one of the elite college baseball facilities in the US.
More: www.fulcrum-acoustic.com
