With a history as a DJ and working in professional audio sales, it’s no wonder that Anthony D’Elia now finds himself in AV production. As President and Executive Producer for an audio-visual event production company, Revelation, D’Elia regularly calls on a long reliable and trusted brand for high-quality audio in his field: Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW®). Pulling from his experience in working with EAW, D’Elia and the Revelation team knew the brand could perform for multiple projects they faced this past year, from the Dream Ride Experience fundraiser and the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Commencement to an installation at Medway Community Church and an appreciation dinner event for Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
A three-day event to honor individuals with intellectual disabilities, the Dream Ride Experience hosts motorcyclists and car enthusiasts who get to enjoy the scenic views of Farmington, Connecticut, while riding for a cause: The Hometown Foundation Inc. and Special Olympics athletes. Managing the audio for the past eight years, Revelation provided numerous EAW solutions. This year’s event, which had multiple stages and systems throughout the grounds, included RSX212 and RSX208L Self-powered Loudspeakers, RSX218 and RSX18F Powered Subwoofers, as well as AC6 ADAPTive Column Loudspeakers and OTTO ADAPTive Subwoofers.
“On the mobile stage, we had a full array of RSX212s and dual RSX18F subs,” D’Elia explains. “Under the main tent, the RSX208s were the perfect fit: they were light enough to stay under the tent’s weight capacity, but powerful enough to project sound to the entire 295-foot by 132-foot space. We also had four OTTOs to support the line array system. Four AC6s provided amazing coverage across an entire polo fields-length of space for announcements, background music and special showings. The entire event was a great success, with over $4 million being raised and incredible audio throughout.”
Another regular local event for the Revelation team is the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Commencement ceremony. Over the past ten years, different configurations involving EAW solutions have been implemented by Revelation. For this year’s event, Revelation turned to EAW’s AC6 Column Loudspeaker for thorough coverage and a sophisticated look.
“We’ve always tried to provide the best sound possible for these ceremonies,” D’Elia explains. “By implementing AC6 this year, we were able to create the cleanest look we’ve ever done as well. The AC6 speakers fit right in on the tent pole and provided incredible coverage across the 240-foot space despite an acoustically challenging roof. AC6 also allowed us to direct the audio straight to the audience for a very streamlined approach.”
With an over 250-year history, Medway Community Church (MCC) has long been a respected and essential element of the Medway, Massachusetts area. However, the church’s simple two-speaker PA system did not reflect this revere. The Revelation team was called in to design a brand-new system that would provide higher-quality sound and even coverage. As MCC’s worship space featured a difficult acoustic layout with four different balconies, EAW’s MKD1294 Full Range Loudspeakers and QX Series Loudspeakers, with a SB828P Dual Drive Subwoofer, were the ideal solutions.
“The main focus was evening out the coverage, since the old system was only aimed front and down, and people on the balconies missed a lot of the sound,” says D’Elia. “We flew the SB828P sub over the stage to provide plenty of low frequency throughout the room. The rear balcony was set up with a QX speaker as a delay and the main floor had an MKD1294. We also had two MKD1294s aimed over each upper balcony to provide even coverage throughout the entire space. An added bonus was getting all of the EAW speakers and subs in white, which perfectly matched the room.”
In Revelation’s hometown, lies the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), a top tier technological university that focuses on engaging students in project-based learning. Together, the school’s top professors, researchers and faculty consistently strive to prepare their classes to become future scientists, engineers and business leaders. With another year in the books for WPI staff, the university called on Revelation to provide sound for its faculty appreciation celebration, which included EAW’s RSX89 Two-way Self-powered Loudspeakers and OTTO Subwoofers.
“This is a high-profile school in the area, so of course we wanted the audio to reflect that,” D’Elia says. “WPI was also putting in a dance floor to allow the staff to relax after a hard year, so the OTTOs ended up being perfect. We were able to put one sub on each side of the stage for beautifully even coverage across the floor. There’s really nothing else like them in the world; they are the very best and go lower than any other sub I’ve encountered. For the highs, we had four RSX89s that also performed spectacularly. Everyone had a great time and was dancing the night away.”
