KORIYAMA, JAPAN: The Big Pallet Fukushima Convention Center regularly hosts meetings, exhibitions, festivals, and even sporting events, but the 250,000 square-foot facility suffered damage in Japan’s 2011 tsunami. Big Pallet recently reopened after extensive renovations, many of which were planned even before that devastating event unfolded. Revamped sound systems in the 31,000 square-foot exhibition hall and 1,000 square-foot convention hall were among them. Now completed, these systems use Ashly ne800.70 amplifiers to deliver clean, reliable power to One Systems loudspeakers.
Morimoto Naniwa Sound Projects Co., Ltd. of Tokyo designed the system, and local integration firm Esu Esu Techno Co., Ltd. installed it. “This project was to renew their old infrastructure,” said Masaki Morimoto, co-owner of Morimoto Naniwa Sound Projects. “Big Pallet was built in 1998, and all of its facilities – including sound reinforcement – were beginning to show their age. We drew up the renewal planning early in 2011, but the project was obviously postponed due to the huge tsunami in the spring of that year.” Morimoto said that the sound reinforcement systems in the exhibition and convention halls would primarily be used for announcement, “so high intelligibility and plenty of power were required.”
Existing inputs to the system include announcement microphones and background music sources, which feed an existing mixing console at the tech position. They were also able to repurpose some existing Panasonic DSPs for input and loudspeaker conditioning. New One Systems 112IM mains and 108IM/70 in-ceiling loudspeakers replaced the old loudspeakers, one for one. “It was easy to reuse the large Panasonic low-impedance amplifier for the 112IM loudspeakers,” said Morimoto. “But the options for a high-impedance power amplifier with large output were limited. Ashly Audio’s low cost, reliability, and sound quality made it the obvious choice.” Three Ashly ne800.70 amplifiers therefore power all of the 70-volt loudspeakers.
Morimoto tuned the system at commissioning, and Big Pallet’s staff operates the system day-to-day from the mixing console. “The sound quality of the new system is very good,” he concluded. “All announcements are clear and intelligible, even above the noise of an exhibition or event.”
ABOUT ASHLY AUDIO Ashly Audio Inc. is recognized as a world leader in the design and manufacturing of high quality & high performance signal processing equipment and power amplification for use in the commercial sound contracting and professional audio markets. The 37-year old company is headquartered in Webster, New York U.S.A. www.ashly.com
