‘The computer plays an important role in our work here. He explains. ‘Depending upon the nature of the sporting event, we use different sound effects and music libraries that reside on the hard drive.’
Formerly the San Jose Arena and Compaq Center, the HP Pavilion is the permanent home to two professional sports teams and a mecca for amateur sporting functions as varied as fencing, volleyball, and Sumo wrestling. Additionally, it plays host to countless entertainment events.
O’Brien was able to improve the laptop’s performance dramatically with the addition of a Type 10S Stereo DI from Countryman Associates. ‘Prior to the Type 10S, I was using an external USB sound card and it just wasn’t getting the job done,’ he says. ‘Once I patched in the Type 10S, everything that, sonically, I was previously missing was suddenly there – complete with really clear highs and a full-sounding low end. Most importantly, it provided a level of consistency to the overall sound that we simply weren’t getting before.’
After taking the laptop computer’s 3.5 mm TRS stereo output and connecting the left and right channels to the corresponding inputs on the Type 10S DI, O’Brien ran two cables terminated in XLR connectors into the house console. ‘Setup couldn’t have been easier,’ he notes. ‘The Type 10S DI was patched in and operational in a matter of a minute or so.
The HP Pavilion took delivery of their Countryman Type 10S DI in early December 2010 and, since that time, it’s been smooth sailing in terms of laptop computer audio quality. ‘From the moment I connected the Type 10S, all the highs and deep lows that I was missing were suddenly right there in my face,’ O’Brien reports. ‘With this direct box, everything sounds exactly as I had hoped for and it couldn’t be easier to use. I made my connections and it worked just as I had hoped for right away. That’s a beautiful thing!’
More: www.hppsj.com
More: www.countryman.com
