HPI scores goals from the other end of the building
St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School in the city of Warrigul Australia is a large well resourced school with a great record of educational excellence. Recently the school upgraded their multi-purpose sports and event stadium including the audio system, to expand the facilities’ capabilities. The space needed to function as an assembly hall, performing arts space and an indoor sports venue with zoned audio covering courts when the building is partitioned.
St Pauls Anglican Grammar School Gymnasium and assembly multi purpose building
This is a potentially complex and contradictory specification for a sound designer to accommodate these requirements without compromise. Local company Proud Sound more than amply designed and installed system that not only met, but exceeded expectations while being user friendly and within budget.
The speaker system in the building consists of 2 x HPI110 and 8 x time aligned HPI8i speakers wired with the capability of multi zone operation. For stage centered performance, a pair of HPI110 speakers provides the main audio focus, and the long throw capability of just two HPI boxes is quite impressive. In this mode the HPI8i speakers have a supporting role.
 A total of 8 x HPI8i speakers at the side of the room do an amazing job of projecting across the space with plenty of reserve |
 HPI 110 as the front of house above the stage |
4 x HPI8i speakers on both side walls with zone control
When the building is employed for basket ball and other multi court roles, the HPI8i speakers can become two independent zones with remote local microphone and line level inputs, with levels controlled at the local input parch point. Local zoning as well as all stations broadcast can be effected from the local patch points via the Quest Qmatrix 88 Matrix Mixer. Amplification is also Quest with QA2004 amplifiers.
A Xillica system controller is also in the main system rack to assist with EQ, limiting and system control. This unit is also controlling the zoning with pre set programs.
 Microphone and line inputs at either end of the building with zone control |
 Quest amplifier power and Quest Q Matrix 88 mixer in the control room |
When the system was being tested during the commissioning process, most pleasantly surprising was the coverage capability of the small HPI8i speakers. Even with just one side of the HPI8i speakers operating (four on the side wall), the voice projection measured at 40 meters was crystal clear. Quite extraordinary for such physically small speakers. The asymmetrical projection of these boxes gives great throw while not aggravating the room reflections. The result is a lower reverberant field at the critical frequencies and higher intelligibility.
HPI 110 over the stage make it to the end of the room when required
The Multi Purpose Gymnasium at St Pauls School
The view from the stage A large space thouroughly covered by the system in high intelligibility sound
A very impressive result and Russell Proud from Proud Sound “The combination of the Q-matrix 88 and the Xillica controller made for a simple user interface yet gave all the capabilities of a high end digital distribution system”.
And most of all, he said “Sounded unbelievably good too”.