The Rio Vista Recreation Center in the City of Peoria, Arizona, is a stunning new complex that combines modern architecture with state-of-the-art AV technology. The site blends so seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, and offers such a high-level of user-friendliness, that it was recently recognized with a major architectural award from the COAA (Construction Owner‘s Association of America).

The center includes meeting rooms, high-tech classrooms, a child care facility, and an adventure center filled with computers and video games. Active adults and children can choose from a wide variety of fitness activities. The center also boasts a rock climbing wall, two state-of-the-art racquetball courts, a gymnasium, a basketball court, weight room, aerobics and dance rooms, and a large convertible multi-purpose room.

Everyday recreational and community activities in the award winning facility enjoy high-resolution AV performance, thanks to the fully integrated systems designed and installed by Level 3 Audio Visual (Mesa, Ariz.). Their system specs feature a variety of Electro-Voice EVID loudspeakers, along with CDP series paging horns. “The EVID family‘s streamlined styling was a perfect fit for the center‘s contemporary look, helping to maintain the architectural vision while delivering superior quality audio throughout the complex,” commented Jeremy Elsesser of Level 3.

Drawing from the most extensive range of professional-grade install speakers available, Level 3 selected specific EVID models to address the various needs of the facility, including EVID 4.2T and 6.2T surface-mounted speakers, whose architecture-friendly lines have made them a favorite with contractors, and EVID C8.2LP (low profile) and C8.2HC (high ceiling) recessed ceiling speakers.

The various EVIDs at Rio Vista deliver a consistently high level of paging and playback performance, as Elsesser explained: “This is more than just a distributed system in a municipal facility. We equipped the center to exceed the expectations of the tech-savvy iPod generation; every room has an easy to use interface, allowing multiple microphones (wireless equipped), line sources, and iPods. Every speech, playback, and paging application is possible, all with super-intelligible, full-bandwidth audio performance. We listened closely to the center‘s needs, and they are extremely happy with the look and sound of the EV solutions.”

Surface-mounted EVID 4.2T‘s are positioned throughout the facility, including 12 units in the large, convertible, multi-purpose room. Larger EVID 6.2T‘s are used for paging in the second floor common area.

Paging was required in the gymnasium, so Level 3 installed EV CDP-848AT paging horns on a quad mount configuration, ensuring a full, balanced sound distribution in an acoustically challenging space. “These wide range horns deliver amazing clarity,” says Elsesser.

The state-of-the-art racquetball court installation features music playback capability via four EVID 8.2HC high ceiling speakers and a recessed control panel with volume control and iPod input. “The EVID 8.2HC‘s worked remarkably well, eliminating the audio issues typically found in highly reverberant spaces,” Elsesser adds.

C8.2LP‘s are installed in the classrooms and adventure center spaces. “EVID ceiling speakers are in a class by themselves,” Elsesser continues. “The whole package is well designed, looks great, and offers remarkable audio quality. The rigging hardware is easy to use and very precise. The 8.2‘s distribute a lot of low end for a ceiling speaker, making them ideal for playback as well as paging, and their streamlined aesthetics allow for seamless integration into the existing architecture. People are shocked to hear this level of performance from a ceiling speaker. After hearing the 8.2, the City of Peoria told us it‘s the only ceiling speaker they‘ll be using from now on!”

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www.L3AV.com

www.electrovoice.com