BUSINESS NETWORKED AUDIO
McMullian explained. “Being able to control the wireless from the Control Cockpit software is a necessity for Christopher. All of this, with the flexibility to use any Neumann or Sennheiser capsules to outfit the church choir, made this a spot-on setup for Berkeley Prep.” Situated near downtown, frequency coordination for wireless mics can be particularly challenging. The school is a few blocks from Tampa International Airport, and there are a dozen digital TV transmitters in the surrounding area, which adds an additional layer of complexity. “Frequency coordination can be hinky,” Cook admitted. “I’ve had bad experiences in the past and have had to learn what high traffic times are at the airport. For instance, in the past I couldn’t do outdoor rehearsals around 2 p.m. without getting squashed by air traffic.”
The new chapel on campus relies on Sennheiser EW-DX for services.
All Clear on Campus Berkeley Prep Upgrades to Sennheiser Wireless Audio
B
With so many daily activities across campus that require wireless audio (both indoors and out), Berkeley Prep needed a wireless system that could to room—I have to hop on the golf cart,” he said.
handle the crowded RF spectrum while minimizing
“Now I just go on computer, pop on Control Cockpit,
the legwork for Cook and other wireless users. Part of
and make sure everything is good. We are networking
Sennheiser’s Evolution Wireless Digital family of
all audio consoles.”
products, EW-DX offers low, 1.9ms latency and
Cook’s early adoption of the new EW-DX system
eliminates the need for frequency calculation thanks
was a natural progression, as he’s been a Sennheiser
to its equidistant frequency spacing, which does not
user since his time touring with musicians more than
pollute available spectrum with intermodulation.
20 years ago. “I started working in audio in 2000, and
“With the EW-DX units I don’t have these [frequency
when you go on tour, people are picky with what
coordination] issues,” Cook noted. “They don’t get
brand they use,” he explained. “Through traveling
stomped on by anything.”
erkeley Preparatory School, a pre-K-12 day
and using different wireless systems and micro-
Beamworks has been equipping the local Tampa
school in Tampa, FL, maintains a packed
phones, I found that I always got more gain out of
market with wireless solutions since the late 1990s,
schedule of activities for more than 1,400
Sennheiser versus other wireless brands. I fell in love
and McMullian has almost two decades of first-hand
with Sennheiser early and kept with it.”
experience with the crowded RF environment and
students as well as faculty and staff. From theater productions to chapel services to daily staff meet-
how to best navigate it. “In this area, anything from
ings in the auditorium and more, the school regu-
Beating RF Traffic
larly requires wireless audio solutions. In March,
Cook worked closely with Beamworks to plan,
“EW-DX can find nooks and crannies that work
with support from Beamworks, a full-service AV
purchase, and rollout the EW-DX system across
whereas regular bands don’t even function.”
rental and production company in nearby Oldsmar,
campus. Drew McMullian, operations manager at
FL, Berkeley Prep rolled out 40 channels of
Beamworks, brought hands-on support to the
A Sound Production
Sennheiser’s EW-DX wireless system.
installation process and found Control Cockpit’s
The recent installation of EW-DX across Berkeley
networked approach to be a comprehensive solution
Prep’s campus was completed at a crucial make-or-
for the school’s needs.
break-it point. The rollout was right in time for tech
Christopher Cook, productions technical director, is Berkeley Prep’s resource for all things AV, and solely responsible for the technical aspects of all
“Getting everything connected and networked
500-540MHz band completely disappeared,” he said.
week for the school’s highly anticipated production
concerts, plays, and assemblies. The school has long
has been incredible. They built a beautiful new chapel
of Mean Girls. It was the first school in Tampa to
used Sennheiser G3 wireless for its audio needs, but
recently, and the AV room is up a spiral staircase, so it
adapt the popular musical, and the wireless system
he recently began looking for a new solution to meet
is not accessible if you need to get there quickly,”
rose to the challenge.
RF challenges while enabling a fully networked solution across the campus. He also needed a solution that could be managed offsite. As Berkeley Prep’s wireless setup spans
“I used 24 channels of EW-DX, and it was immeBerkeley Prep’s 820-seat theater uses 24 channels of EW-DX for a variety of performances and events.
diately night and day [from our previous system]. The sound quality was more natural, the intelligibility was better—they were just so clean,” recalled Cook. “I
three black box theaters across the elementary,
didn’t change my mic technique, it was just the units.
middle, and upper school divisions, plus a recital
I got a lot of great comments about how natural the
space, 820-seat theater, and new chapel, being able
production sounds.”
to manage all wireless needs from a centralized hub was a key consideration. Sennheiser EW-DX can be managed via Control
Cook plans to improve campus audio in more places with EW-DX. “I’m really excited to eventually merge out into the athletic fields,” he said. “Eventu-
Cockpit so Cook can oversee, coordinate, and trouble-
ally, I want each venue to have EW-DX managed
shoot wireless operations from his laptop. “Our
through Control Cockpit. I look forward to expanding
campus is 80 acres, so I’m not able to walk from room
with the EW-DX line and growing with it.”
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SCN // October 2023 // avnetwork.com