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This demanding venue with zoned playback systems for speech, music and sound effects has a revitalized sound system that would make King Arthur proud. By Mel Lambert
THE TURN OF THE LAST MILLENNIUM IS A TIME THAT, even a thousand years later, continues to fascinate many people. Feudal rule and various plagues aside, images of knights and chivalric deeds fire the imagination. It's no wonder that Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament venues now offer trips back to that time in seven cities throughout North America. The evening's spectacle consists of daring knights mounted on stunning Andalusian horses, competing in tournament games and jousting matches. During the exciting 3-hour program, up to 1500 patrons revel in the sights and sounds of a royal tournament while enjoying a four-course meal. Audience involvement is high because challenges are issued on the field of valor, and sections of spectators cheer their knights to victory as they battle for the right to choose a Queen of Love and Beauty.
Designing a comprehensive sound-playback system for such an event in an indoor arena is not without challenges. For the past 15 years, most of the sound-system installations at Medieval Times Inc.'s venues have been handled by Portman's Music Superstore, based in Savannah, Georgia. Under the direction
Buena Park, CA
of Frank Andrews, pro-audio department manager and head of contracting services, and working closely with Jim Brawley, principal of James S. Brawley & Associates, Portman's designed sound systems for each of the seven castle properties. Their locations are Buena Park, California; Orlando, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Lyndhurst, New Jersey; Chicago; Dallas and Toronto.
NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR MEDIEVAL TIMES
"The flagship property is in Buena Park," Andrews says. "Recently, we were asked to reevaluate the sound system there, looking at possible upgrades and enhancements. One of the major drawbacks of the original installation at Buena Park was that, as the show grew in technical complexity, audio operators were finding it difficult to provide adequate sound coverage for all of the audience areas. They had a limited number of colors in their crayon box, so we needed to develop a number of zones for more control."
During the jousting contests, for example, the audience is divided into six color-coded sectors, each...