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TC Furlong Inc. has been providing the Chicagoland area with quality live sound for over 40 years, but do you know the full extent of the services we provide? Here are some facts that you might not know about us…
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This artical was originally posted by Meyer Sound
A new satellite site for Southern California’s Eastside Christian Church is the first to benefit from the power, clarity and quick set-up offered by an innovative portable system of Meyer Sound LEOPARD™ line array loudspeakers. Installed on carts that are rolled into place weekly by volunteers, the self-contained arrays deliver ample power to supply sound for up to 800 worshippers gathered in the gymnasium of Whittier Christian High School, located about nine miles from the church’s Anaheim main campus.
For Chris Gille, Eastside’s CTO and chief systems engineer, the ready-made LEOPARD arrays turned out to be the ideal solution to a vexing problem common to nearly all portable churches borrowing gymnasiums for worship.
“We have extremely high standards for audio quality at our main campus, where we have Meyer Sound MICA arrays and Constellation active acoustics,” he says. “I knew the smaller LEOPARD would be a good fit here, but the question was, ‘Where do we put them?’ Flying was problematic because we didn’t want to be locked into fixed seating layouts. Also, there are strict regulations about clearance for sports activities and safety, which meant motorizing the hangs. All of that would be cost prohibitive.”
The eventual design solution was a collaborative effort, with a ready-made solution mounted on carts proposed by Meyer Sound House of Worship Specialist Daniel Rivera and further developed by Gille and T.C. Furlong of the eventual system supplier, Lake Forest, Illinois-based TC Furlong, Inc.
“It works extremely well,” says Gille. “It sends out a narrow lobe that skims peoples’ heads, and it’s a perfect match for the room’s acoustic treatments. We have more than enough headroom to let the worship band go anywhere they want musically, even if we pull out the bleachers and fill the room to its maximum of 800 people.”
The complete system comprises six LEOPARD line array loudspeakers and two 900-LFC low-frequency control units split across the two carts. Space at the bottom on one side accommodates an MDM-832 distribution module and Galileo® 616 loudspeaker processing system while the opposite cart holds the color-coded audio cables and AC mains cable during storage. “We can have the LEOPARD rig rolled out and ready in under 15 minutes, and all the audio ready inside an hour,” says Gille. “Including stage and seating, the total prep time is about three hours.”
Gille specified some added acoustic treatments to complement the system coverage pattern. A line of 2-inch absorptive panels was placed on the back wall to dampen slap-back, and the two thick panels that protect the 20’ wide Roe LED screen, when pulled aside for Sunday worship, function as effective traps for low-mid energy.
“Overall I’m very impressed with what I’m hearing,” concludes Gille. “It’s a fun feeling to have all that power and still hear detail in a gymnasium environment. Detail, in a gym? How can you do that?! I chalk it up to putting really good gear with precise pattern control and a linear response, and that’s what we get with this LEOPARD rig. Beyond that, you can’t go wrong investing in Meyer, as flexible components like these can be redeployed in new solutions as needs change.”
Front end gear contributing to the audio quality includes a Yamaha CL-5 digital mixer, DPA headset microphones, Shure wireless systems, and a complement of wired microphones from Audix and Shure.
Eastside Christian’s new main campus, opened in late 2012, is housed inside a completely reconstructed former Boeing Defense Systems plant. It features one of the newest worship auditoriums to offer variable acoustic characteristics using Meyer Sound’s Constellation acoustic system.
For more information about Meyer Sound’s LEOPARD system or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847.367.9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.
We also have many Meyer Sound speakers in our extensive rental inventory, including LEOPARD line array elements. For more information on adding Meyer speakers to your next show, or any help with your next rental, please contact our Rental Team at 847.367.9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.
by Brian Grahn, Sales/Marketing
TC Furlong has recently added additional channels of Shure’s Axient wireless microphone systems to our extensive rental inventory.
Shure’s Axient Wireless Management Network offers an unparalleled level of control and reliability for mission-critical wireless audio applications and the system features fully-networkable control of RF transmission, reception and spectrum management.
Axient’s main feature is an interference detection system that prompts receivers to move to a clear, compatible frequency in a fraction of a second when interference occurs. Another essential component of the Axient system is the Spectrum Manager, which is designed to continuously monitor, evaluate, prioritize, queue and assign compatible UHF frequencies. Axient’s fully networkable controls are integrated into Shure’s Wireless Workbench 6, which provide an enhanced graphic user interface to monitor and manage the system.
Axient transmitters feature true frequency diversity, enabling simultaneous transmission on two independent frequencies to ensure seamless, uninterrupted audio for mission-critical transmitters in extreme RF settings. Additionally, the Axient ShowLink Access Point facilitates comprehensive remote control of all transmitter parameters, a feature that has never been seen before in the world of wireless microphone systems.
Our Axient wireless package is the go-to, comprehensive solution for high-quality wireless microphone applications where failure is not an option. Visit our Axient Wireless Microphone Rental page for more information about package details.
In addition to having well-maintained RF systems at every level and price point, we stock a vast array of capsules, mic elements, specialty antennas, antenna distribution, RF filters, low-loss cable, RF spectrum analyzers, and other RF components. More important than our gear is our team’s wealth of RF expertise and experience, and every wireless system rental comes with our Wireless Advantage.
For more information on adding an Axient wireless microphone system to your next rental, please contact our Rental Team at 847.367.9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.
TC Furlong also sells Shure Axient Systems. For questions about purchasing a Shure wireless systems, or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847.367.9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.
Originally published by Meyer Sound
Encore Event Technologies has purchased a new Meyer Sound LEOPARD™ linear sound reinforcement system to serve as the sonic foundation for production services it provides in the world renowned International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton. As the hotel’s resident production services provider, Encore supplies world-class technology for more than 300 events annually, including such prominent entertainment industry gatherings as the Golden Globes, the Academy Awards Oscar nominees luncheon, the Director’s Guild Awards, the American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Awards, the Visual Effects Society awards, and the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party.
Performance requirements for the audio system are exceptionally challenging as it must supply crisp speech intelligibility for up to 1100 guests along with the power reserves and musicality needed for live music performances – often from A-list artists – and convincing reproduction of the high-impact soundtracks accompanying clips from blockbuster Hollywood releases. All these factors were considered by Rachel Wolfe, director of event technologies at Encore’s Beverly Hills location, in making her selection of the LEOPARD-based system.
“We had a Meyer Sound MICA® system in here for about ten years and we were pleased with its performance,” says Wolfe, “but I felt like it was time to invest in newer, updated technology. I’d heard LEOPARD at other venues and was convinced it was the right choice. The power and clarity are all I expect from Meyer, and LEOPARD’s wide coverage works well with the shape of the room. Also, the slender profile of the arrays is visually appealing and fits in well with our other staging requirements.”
Clint Rowland, a freelance FOH engineer frequently contracted by Encore to mix events at the venue, admits he was both excited and hesitant when the LEOPARD system made its debut. “I was somewhat nervous because I had relied on the MICA loudspeakers for the six years I had worked here,” he says. “But I was relieved and excited when I first started pumping music through it. I was even more impressed when they put up a podium mic and then walked around with a wireless lav. This is a tricky room to work in, with a low ceiling that’s covered with video and lighting gear, and layout changes drastically with different events. But LEOPARD is giving us great sound and superb gain before feedback.”
Provided by Chicago-area integrator TC Furlong, the new audio reinforcement system is anchored by dual arrays of six-each LEOPARD line array loudspeakers and supplemented in sub-bass by four 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. The complete Meyer Sound roster also includes 11 UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers and four UPM-1P loudspeakers, one MM-4XP self-powered loudspeaker, and four MJF-210 stage monitors.
Jack Hayback, another regular freelancer at the venue, appreciates the accolades he’s received from clients regarding the sound quality at recent events. “We’re getting rave reviews for LEOPARD and 1100-LFC. There’s just so much clarity from top to bottom, and the high-frequency response is so well controlled and predictable. It’s just a fantastic box, and we’re all enjoying it.”
For his part, Clint Rowland is particularly enamored with how LEOPARD responds to the full spectrum of program material and output levels. “With LEOPARD, it doesn’t matter if we’re doing a corporate show with talking heads, or a fundraiser with A-list bands, or an awards show. The volume level does not affect the tonality. You can mix a low volume presenter and then move to a dinner band, then on to a full rock performance or action movie soundtracks. Whatever you do, the system behaves in a linear fashion. You don’t have to push it to a certain volume to get the sound you want. You get ‘power without the pain’ as one of my colleagues likes to say.”
The recent audio renewal by TC Furlong also included installation of a new Yamaha Rivage PM10 digital mixing console. Other production technology available from Encore at the International Ballroom includes six Christie Roadster 14K HD LCD projectors, a permanent lighting grid with over 350 fixtures (moving lights from Vari-lite, Quantum and GLP), and high-speed networking including SMPTE fiber connection.
For more information about Meyer Sound’s LEOPARD system or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847.367.9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.
We also have many Meyer Sound speakers in our extensive rental inventory, including LEOPARD line array elements. For more information on adding Meyer speakers to your next show, or any help with your next rental, please contact our Rental Team at 847.367.9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.
By Oz, Sales/Marketing
TC Furlong Inc. is committed to taking excellent care of our rental equipment. This includes rigorous testing, premium packaging, and routine maintenance. We strive to make sure that each piece of gear is “Ready to Rent” every time it goes out.
We recently refurbished scores of our loudspeakers. That process included disassembling and masking at our shop, surface repair and painting at a supplier, and assembly and testing back at our warehouse.
So, if you rent any of our:
you will likely get one of the newly refurbished boxes.
For more information on adding one of these loudspeakers to your next rental or show, contact our Rental Team at 847.367.9588 or rentals@tcfurlong.com.
We are authorized dealers for many live sound manufacturers. If you have any questions about purchasing a loudspeaker system, or anything from our list of over 100 professional audio manufacturers, contact our Sales Team at 847.367.9588 or sales@tcfurlong.com.