, • ,.... ... ... "" • r '" , . :j ~J .... .-- . • - 22 , . Inside Benson x., " • • , Inside Benson: The Works of the Wonder. , It had been a long wait. The' entire stueent body had not -Illt\ toge,JherTn nearly-15 ~ear~. No ~ndef that. first chapel ' per10sLin rhe George S. Benso / Audit'apum was so dramatic. projectors. The media center has "unofficial " hopes to add an auditorium slide projector in ~he future, eliminating the nt:ed to station projectors on the main floor for slide show~. '" , The dt:..am~ of the occasion....has "ssed,). nowjtlie Behson h1fs,'Settled- jtrto the~Harding rouITne. But a look at tQ.e "routine" of the BeniOn explains ..what made its PMIOOO mixer and amplified by six amplifiers, two 25D-watt units and four 200-waH units. Sound is distributed through speaker clusters located over the podium, in the balcony and beneath the balcony. The speakers are coord.inated on a "digital delay ~yst.,em,'· according to Dennis SwaYJfe. "assistant director of the media center. the-ftont sp'eakers are synchronized with ih~ -p·od"'<>' The stage lighLs arc operated through a "Strand Century Multi· Q" computerized lighting panel which controls 164 sepa rate circuits. There are 36 different in· struments to control. I. ." Y* , ...,. "'~.,.- • • , construction so exciting. The 58,odO-square-rQot building stands 54 reet high at its nighest point. It houses a 65 x 80 fOOt stage , an/~ 1!Comfo!tably seats 3,429 :::' fl}orel\han"ny other auditorium in Arkarnas Some of the ~• rear seats are pleSently" used holy . C1 for classes. However.. "alterna- .... tio.ns are bein& considered so that ". v.~ lh~ ~ssr9o~e~ts will ! ~ave a clear view of on-stage"'adi~lty,..., stated D~. Jimmy Carr, assistant t ium, while those in the center of the auditorium are delaye<;l 40 milliseconds and those in the back are delayed 112 milliseconds. The system is designed to minimize "sound Jag" and echo and to give the audience the illusion of hearing from the stage"l rather than from speakers. An auxiliary system, often re- • rerred to as the "special effects system," has a lO-channel input capacity. The system operates with four lOO-watt amplifiers, in quadrophonic or stereo sound. The unit functions primarily as .a music system. Speakers are situated two at the front of the ~ to the president. ... . Th.e auditorium js equipped with high"ly !;ophisticCU~d lighlt and ' sound .sy~tems. "The talter is under the supervision of Dr. Jerome _ .Ba~nes1 dite£W[t ~ the media center. " ~ ~ building, two under the balcony Th.t. main sPllnd - sj'Stem oper- and two at the extremities of the ,ates on 23 micrOphpne plugs classroom areas. loca~~d throughout -, the aud- The auditorium also possesses itorium: ten 9D stag~. eight back- stereo 8-track and cassette equipstage, ' two in the balc.s-hy, one on menL, quadrophonic reel-to-reel the Siain floelr and ~ two in the and a direct-drive turntable. !Ox12x7 orchestra pit. The system , u,ilizes as ma'py a" {fn inputs simultaneollslY.. M\llltple inputs aJ;e "mixed" ay.: 'It .Yamaha This superior audio system is complemented by equally technical visual equipment. The projection room has both 16 and 35 mm , . . • \Ioj\ ........ ~ .... 1:.-0_. "oX"'" " Kevip Cave of Gainsvilie, Fla. operates the li'ghts, dpring chapel and locks light cues into the .system's memory for repeated use during major p·roductions. "The memory system is a big help," Cave stated. The setting-up process includes plotting light positions and intensity and scheduling usage of circuits and dimmers, proper wattage and light colors for an entire production. The· computer program is stored on a "mini discette". Each disc ha~ a l07-cue capacity, with ea~h cue consisting of as many as 61 pieces of information. "It can take three or four days to set up the. program," Cave said, "but once it' s done, the computer doe..., the rest." With the discs' information in storage, Cave operates only one lever throughout a stage production. , The computer is equipped with a back-up system to insure memory, even through a power failure. In addition to the major lighting panel, a manager's light panel L EYEN from the beginning, the building was a complex structure. 1. CAREFUL planning and syncroniza· tion result in professional produc· tions. With the touch of a master's hand, Kevin Cave operates the lighting panel. 3. KEN SMELSER works at conneclifl[!, electrical lines while suspended on rhe catwalk .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==