Darien High School's auditorium has been modernized by Metinteractive to comply with professional audio-visual (Pro AV) standards.

Darien High School's auditorium has been modernized by Metinteractive to comply with professional audio-visual (Pro AV) standards.

Darien High School Auditorium Upgraded with State-of-the-Art AV Equipment in New York

The auditorium at Darien High School in Darien, Connecticut has received a significant upgrade, bringing its audio-visual (AV) equipment up to professional standards. The comprehensive modernization was undertaken by Audio Video Associates, a company renowned for its expertise in AV solutions.

The upgrade included a replacement of the sound system, installation of an LED video wall, updates to stage lighting, stage masking, and monitoring. The original sound system, which featured big box loudspeakers hung directly over center stage, has been replaced with a small line array in the center and sub woofers for improved audio quality.

New ETC Source Four Series 3 Lustr fixtures and Chroma-Q Color One LEDs were installed as stage wash lights, providing a vibrant and versatile lighting setup. Wrap-around seating at the proscenium was addressed by hanging masking draperies on tracks on both sides upstage and downstage to hide the backstage when necessary.

To enhance the streaming capabilities, the auditorium now boasts an ElationLogic TL3.9 LED videowall with a hoist system and power distribution system, installed upstage. A new 24-foot-wide motorized projection screen was installed downstage of the proscenium. The back wall of the auditorium was covered with draperies to resolve the issue of performers getting slapback echo.

The new sound system features an EAW RSX Series self-powered line array speaker system, a 64-input Allen & Heath Avantis console, and an inventory of high-quality microphones. The upgrade also included new Audio Technica AT-4050 mics mounted on motors, Earthworks Audio PM40 piano mic system, Clockaudio C 8SE-RF overhead choral mics, lavalier and head-worn mics, a new Clear-Com FreeSpeak Edge wireless intercom system, and Clear-Com Encore Partyline RS-701 wired and wireless intercom systems.

Five Marshall Electronics' HD PTZ cameras were wall-mounted with a remote camera system controller, providing flexible camera angles for various productions. Two 75-inch confidence monitors were mounted on the balcony rail for easy visibility.

For lighting control, the Q-SYS DSP system with touch-panel control and Cisco audio network was installed. Blackmagic Design's ATEM Television Studio 4K8 Ultra HD production switcher and a Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio 4K Pro video recorder were installed for video management. The auditorium now has 8 DMX universes for the theater with 512 channels each.

The first show to utilize all the upgraded equipment was 'Les Miserables' earlier this year. The auditorium, built about 20 years ago, has approximately 1,100 seats and is one of the premier performing spaces in the area. In addition to school productions, the auditorium is also rented out to clients such as dance companies.

This upgrade not only enhances the school's theatre productions but also positions Darien High School as a leading venue for performances in the region.