RIDGEFIELD PARK, New Jersey—More than 50 years ago, five Bergen County municipalities – Englewood, Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park and Teaneck, donated land to the County of Bergen with the intention of creating a central commons for art, sports and other leisure activities. After years of hard work, the vision to turn what was once a landfill into a beautiful park is now a reality. Dubbed “Central Park Westâ€?, the new 138-acre Overpeck County Park recently installed a complete sound system featuring a NEXO GEO S12 line array and Yamaha LS9 digital audio console in their 3,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre.
Boulevard Pro (Oradell, NJ) was selected during a bid process and called in as a consultant to design the audio system for the new amphitheatre. “Our main concern in selecting a audio installation firm was reputation and experience,� states John Biale, Senior Project Coordinator, Bergen County Parks Department. “We installed
a 58’ wide professional stage and we wanted a firm that could fulfill our requirements of a top-of-the-line sound system. “Boulevard met our expectations, and the NEXO system sounds incredible.�
“Throughout the design process, it became clear that this was not going to be your normal band shell in a county park,� states James Cioffi, co-owner, Boulevard Pro. “We wanted to design a system that could handle normal community concerts and be ready for national acts. Given the venue requirements and the wide area to be covered, the NEXO GEO S12 line array system was our first choice and the perfect fit.�
In addition to the eight GEO S12 boxes and NX4x4 amplifiers, Boulevard installed NEXO NX4x4 amps and two NEXO RS15 subs. “The NX4x4 amp rig is high horse power with high definition audio response and is rider and rental friendly,� says Cioffi. Because of the design of the stage columns, the line array system is discretely installed in enclosed columns behind custom stainless steel screens. John Orth, Boulevard Pro senior installation project manager, designed and built the custom stainless steel system rigging kit.
The audio control room on stage right features a Yamaha LS9-16 digital mixer expanded to 24 inputs in a floor-standing audio rack. The complete system can be controlled via cat5e from the stage or front of house. Yamaha Club Series stage monitors, Yamaha MY8-AD-96, ML8 mic pre amp, and Shure microphones complete the design. The system is also 5.1 surround-ready for community events such as film presentations.
This new audio system has been in use since the amphitheatre’s grand opening July 4th weekend. In late September, Overpeck Park hosted its first free county concert featuring South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, with 7,000 standing room only-fans in attendance. “The NEXO rig was up to the task. The system is flexible, easy to use, and sounds fantastic,� says Cioffi. “When we were brought in to the bid design process, we had a dream of building a state-of-the-art outdoor performance space within the budget allowed, and I’m proud to say that is exactly what happened.�
For more information on Overpeck Park, visit www. http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/bcparks/PrOverpeck.aspx.
For more information on Boulevard Pro, visit www.blvd.com.
For more information on Yamaha and NEXO products, visit www.yamahaca.com.
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About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.
