Plainfield Public Schools, located in Plainfield, New Jersey, recently hosted a ribbon cutting for its $4 million renovation of the Plainfield High School auditorium, new eSports gaming arena, and black box theater. PureTek Group, of nearby Boonton, New Jersey, designed and installed Electro-Voice sound reinforcement systems for each venue.
“The auditorium was completely refurbished to serve as a hub for school performances, community events and assemblies,” explains Dan Litvin, president of PureTek Group. “We outfitted the auditorium, which seats 1,525 people, with left-right Electro-Voice EVA line arrays to cover the main seating area and EVC loudspeakers for balcony fill.”
Each EVA line array comprises three EVA-2082S/906, two EVA-2082S/1220 loudspeaker elements and two EVA-2151D subwoofers. An excellent compact choice for performance space installations, EVA is a true line array that offers all the benefits of concert-type line arrays without their cost and complexity. Each full-range EVA element features two 8“ woofers and four 1.25“ compression drivers mounted to two Hydra planar wave generators. A wide range of coverage patterns are available for precise configuration and coverage. EVA’s extraordinarily efficient crossover and driver design minimizes power and DSP requirements, offering significant system cost and space savings. EVA’s hidden internal rigging design contributes to their sleek appearance while also making them incredibly easy to install.
The under-balcony seating area is covered by eight EVC-1122-95B compact loudspeakers. They offer a small footprint and exceptional all-around performance, making them ideal for fill applications. The EVCs are mounted along the lip of the balcony with black EVC-UB2 brackets, adding to the low-profile look. The system in the auditorium is powered by seven Dynacord DSP amplifiers – three C3600FDi (2x 1800W) and four C2800FDi (2x 1400W).
The black box theater is a new addition to Plainfield High School’s fine arts program. The PureTek team wall-mounted two EVC-1122-95B loudspeakers to the right and left of the stage for ample coverage. One Dynacord C1300FDi amplifier powers the system. The space, which existed prior to the renovation, is now equipped for dramatic arts education, professional development, experimental theater, or for use as a smaller performance space.
“When we began the project, the black box theater room had zero technology,” adds Litvin. “Now, it is a room with unlimited possibilities for the fine arts program, the school district and the community. The EVC loudspeakers are an integral part of the room’s success.”
The last addition to the fine arts program was the creation of an eSports arena. Since the early 2000s, eSports (electronic sports) has developed into a competitive gaming platform that allows students to compete against other high schools via a streaming platform. The new eSports arena is equipped with three EVID-P6.2 pendant ceiling speakers and EVID-S12.1 compact subwoofers powered by a four-channel Dynacord V600:4 600W 4-channel amplifier.
Puretek also created a network that streams the competitions from the eSports arena onto a large screen in the auditorium, allowing eSports fans to view them in the larger space. Microphones placed strategically in the auditorium record the crowd’s cheers, which are played back live in the eSports arena over the pendant speakers, further energizing the atmosphere in that space.
Behind every successful installation is a great team effort. “We have worked with Gary Karlsrud at Electro-Voice for a long and have completed several school installs with their gear to great success,” explains Litvin. “Plainfield wanted the best of the best, and we knew EV would get the job done. The EV team also did a great job with measurement, making sure everything worked in each space. The pre-ordering engineering was amazingly helpful. Lastly, we know EV stands by their projects, so we were confident they would have our backs to ensure Plainfield was happy with the result.”
