Metinteractive Upgrades Sound System At DCU Center Arena In Worcester, MA

Metinteractive, which provides audio, video, and IT design and integration for entertainment venues, has upgraded the sound system and rigging at the DCU Center Arena.

Located in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, the DCU Center is a 14,000-seat indoor arena with attached convention center hosting a variety of events, including concerts, sporting events, family shows, conventions, tradeshows and meetings for more than 40 years. It is managed by Legends Global, the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands.

Metinteractive collaborated with Worcester-based Ostrow Electric Company on the installation which replaced the previous system and positions the DCU Center to meet the demands of today’s top tours, sports and live performances. They completed the project on a very aggressive schedule of less than six months from the project’s start to finish. Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW), a premier audio manufacturer headquartered in Franklin, Massachusetts, and WJHW, a world-class leader in large-scale sports venue AV design, designed the new system, which significantly enhances sound quality, coverage and flexibility for the arena and now ensures consistent clarity throughout the upper bowl.

“We frequently navigate the intersection of production and construction schedules and know how to navigate that space,” says Metinteractive Project Manager Kyle Passaro. “The scale of the facility and scope of the renovation basically meant rewiring the entire building for audio, rigging and communications. We worked closely with EAW and the local IA crew; the Worcester stagehands did the prep and testing at EAW’s warehouse near the DCU Center so the logistics worked well for everyone.”

The new sound system features six clusters of EAW Adaptive Systems arrays mounted in a circle pointing from the center of the arena out to the seats. Custom fabricated rolling carts, codesigned by EAW and Metinteractive, hold the fully assembled arrays which can be dropped via chain hoist when not in use for quick, on-site storage. For example, if a tour arrives with its own speakers, it’s now simple to bring the arena’s speakers to the ground and roll them away until they’re needed for the next event. Motion Labs’ automated chain hoist rig delivers a high degree of automation.

“Each cluster holds six EAW Anna full-range speakers and three Otto subwoofers and uses the very cool technology of steerable arrays,” Passaro explains. “You model the space being used, plot in the speakers and they will fill the space on their own directing energy where it’s needed.”

The speakers, from EAW’s flagship line of Adaptive Systems, use advanced ADAPTive algorithms and digital signal processing (DSP) technology to ADAPT precise coverage from a single acoustic source to deliver clearer speech intelligibility and richer musical detail across all seating levels. The Anna Adaptive System offers all of the benefits of ADAPTive performance in a high-output, mid-sized enclosure. Otto is the world’s first Adaptive dual 18” subwoofer. Combined in arrays, Otto provides users with nearly endless possibilities in low-frequency pattern control. “The beauty of ADAPTive Systems is that you can put them in different positions and adapt them to the room, arenas and sporting venues are realizing the major benefits of this technology.” says John Mills, Technical Sales Manager, East for EAW. “You can preconfigure presents for NHL or NBA events or let’s say you don’t sell upper seating, you can create presets that ADAPT coverage, using all system components, to essentially re-aim the arrays for that specific geometry.  This allows the room to sound cleaner and fuller by only putting sound where patrons are sitting.”

In addition, the arrays “are not as big as other sound systems. Because of the number of components in a single enclosure, and that you don’t physically point drivers, we don’t need to bend the array.  We do that acoustically thru DSP. This allows equal SPL output from smaller/shorter arrays.” Mills explains.

Additional loudspeakers were installed for the mezzanine and catwalk levels on the east and west sides of the bowl while amp and network distribution racks were located at the catwalk level. EAW point source speakers were mounted under the balconies for fill and to provide maximum audio intelligibility for attendees seated beneath the balconies. EAW ‘ice’ speakers were also permanently installed high in the ceiling to cover the ice hockey floor and enhance sound for anyone on the arena floor.

Front-of-house (FOH) locations feature a Yamaha DM7-C console, eight Shure wireless microphone channels, a patch bay, and ALS RF distribution. Nine fiber tie-in locations in the bowl are Dante points; they provide “a major upgrade to the building, with anybody coming in having the ability to use them,” says Passaro. Two portable RIO 1608 racks serve as local tie-in

boxes.

Metinteractive Lead Technician Rhys Dawson provided in-depth training to the IA stagehands who work on big events at the DCU Center as well as facility staff.

“It was fun working with Metinteractive again,” notes Mills, who last teamed with the company on the University of Michigan . “Metinteractive staff was highly knowledgeable and eager to understand the capabilities of our equipment. When you work with people that talented, it makes everybody on the team sharper.”

“We were proud to work with three leaders in their respective fields — EAW, Ostrow, and Metinteractive— all based right here in New England, to bring the DCU Center into the 21st century,” said John LaHair, Director of Marketing for the DCU Center. “We’re thrilled with the results these partners made possible. The new sound system will enhance every event that comes through our doors — giving fans a whole new level of experience in the arena.”