BOULDER – The University of Colorado recently chose an audio solution from Bose Professional to deliver quality sound at the Coors Events Center on the CU-Boulder campus. The end result is a new, state-of-the-art sound system, the first audio upgrade for the 37-year-old building.



The venue, installed by AVI Systems, will be a showcase site for Bose Professional, and will be used as a testing and demonstration facility.



“We are extremely excited about this audio upgrade from Bose,” CU Athletic Director Rick George said. “It will provide a much better game-day atmosphere inside the Coors Events Center.”





The solution also encompasses more than just the main arena. Connected audio systems can deliver different content to different areas of the building. These areas include the concourse, restrooms and even outside the building at the entrances and in the northwest plaza entrance.



The Hall of Fame hallway in the new practice facility will also be included in the system, and because the arena system is based on Dante (audio over Ethernet), this allows future expansion space to send/receive studio-quality sound over the entire network.



Part of the installation also included a design completed using Bose Modeler (R) software, an extremely detailed CAD program that takes into account the types of materials in the building, how those materials interact with audio, and how much sound will bounce or scatter. That model allowed Bose and AVI to set up a virtual room, where the system could be tested prior to its installation and officials at CU were able to hear what it would sound like from any seat in the seating area.



During the modeling system process, more than 40 unique models were created for the main bowl. Alternate seating options were also modeled to ensure that if the Coors Events Center undergoes additional renovations, the audio system will easily adapt. The final system will include ten arrays, each with four loudspeaker modules, two additional arrays for court coverage, one array for floor level “stage” usage and a subwoofer array with six double 15” enclosures.



“Colorado is one of the only schools and collegiate facilities with this type of arrangement,” said Scott Sanders, Bose Professional Territory Representative. “The university wanted smooth coverage throughout the seating area, even tonal balance, a consistent mix and a high level of intelligibility. Once we determined our technology could deliver what the university needed, we worked closely with AVI Systems and the university project team to finalize the design and make it all happen. This relationship is long-term based on our mutual desire to install and maintain a premium sound system.”



Because the loudspeakers must be placed in precise locations and aimed based on the modeling data, the biggest hurdle for the project was the rigging used to mount the new speakers to the rafters. And another fun fact about the installation is because the new system isn't physically in the same location as the old speaker system, the new system was installed before the old system was removed.



The project has been in the installation phase for the last several weeks and became operational for the facility's multiple high school graduations.