JD Sound & Video has installed sound systems for both the outdoor stadium and indoor gymnasium at the Winslow Township High School (WTHS) in Camden County, New Jersey, using Biamp’s Community R Series loudspeakers. WTHS is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades as the secondary school of the Winslow Township School District.
‘We’ve been using Biamp’s Community loudspeakers almost exclusively for all athletic venue projects for 13 years,’ says Joe DiSabatino of JD Sound & Video. ‘Both spaces needed high SPL and good low-end and the Community R Series with subs met those requirements.
‘We were referred to Winslow High School by Eastern High School in Voorhees, New Jersey. Several years ago, we outfitted their gyms and stadium with various R Series products. After Winslow heard those systems we were brought in for the gym, and then the stadium this year. We designed and installed the systems using a combination of our experience with the loudspeakers, and Ease Focus acoustic modelling.’
The gymnasium is named after a former pupil, world-famous wrestler Jordan Burroughs, who went on to become an Olympic gold medalist. Gym activities include basketball, volleyball and cheerleading, as well as daily physical education classes, with some activities – such as line dancing – requiring music. Its substantial size can hold the entire school population, so it is also used for assemblies and pep rallies. The gym system uses eight Community R.5-94Z 12-inch two-way full-range horn loaded loudspeakers for the bleachers, flown four per side. Eight R.35-3896 8-inch ultra-compact tri-axial three-way horn-loaded loudspeakers cover the floor area. The system is supplemented by two flown IS6-215 dual 15-inch subwoofers, which extend the bass and add low frequency.
‘The gym system was installed in time for the school’s dedication ceremony and has been well received since,’ said DiSabatino. ‘They had only two loudspeakers prior to our install, so it’s a night and day difference. They can have 1,200 plus students in there, and the music and voice are crisp and clear.’
The school’s stadium is used predominantly for football, with an athletics track running round the playing field perimeter. The audio system comprises two Community R.5Max 12-inch high output coaxial two-way loudspeakers and an R.35-3896 covering the home stands and track, while a single R.5Max covers the field. An all-weather IS6-215WR subwoofer is mounted under the bleachers.
‘They had their opening night at the stadium a few weeks ago with a DJ and full house,’ DiSabatino says. ‘The ref wore a mic and everything was clear and the coverage was great. The big issue previously was being able to hear above the crowd noise and on the field, but that’s no longer a problem with the new system.’
