RF Venue RF PA Delivers Reliable Audio at UMass Boston Commencement

	RF Venue's RF PA Extension Kit, the receiver pair shown here atop the transmitter at the mix position during set-up.

When event security requirements, pedestrian safety concerns, and complex venue logistics threatened to complicate audio distribution for the University of Massachusetts Boston campus commencement ceremonies, Capron Lighting & Sound Co., Inc., turned to RF Venue's RF PA Extension Kit to replace lengthy cable runs with a reliable wireless solution that simplified deployment while delivering uninterrupted audio performance.

"The RF PA Extension Kit was the perfect product to solve the problem," says David Messcher, senior project manager/LED video screens at Capron Lighting & Sound, with the setup performing flawlessly despite the use being in one of the most RF-congested environments in the Northeast. "It worked exactly as advertised even in close proximity to Boston's Logan International Airport and the busy downtown Boston area, including the Prudential Center. Signal strength remained rock solid throughout commencement despite the tremendous amount of RF activity and thousands of people on campus. Audio quality was excellent, delay configuration was simple, and deployment was significantly easier than previous methods we've used."

Supporting the university's student processional system required reliable audio transmission between front-of-house operations to where graduates were lining up more than 700' away. While the university's recently installed fiber infrastructure transported audio to a campus technology room the bulk of the distance, the remaining 150-foot span crossed a large glass atrium inside the Campus Center and continued across an outdoor pedestrian parkway, areas where traditional cable deployment had become increasingly difficult. The RF PA receivers fed a distributed PA system covering the approximate 2,000 feet of the student processional route.

In previous years, production crews were forced to route cables across audience seating areas, active roadways, multiple pedestrian walkways and through the Campus Center building. These installations often required overhead cable runs using platform lifts or extensive cable protection systems such as cable troughs.

Adding to the challenge, university security protocols required that all campus doors, including staff-only and non-public entrances, remain closed and secured throughout event preparation, eliminating the ability to route cables through the building and significantly reducing available installation and testing time.

The RF Venue RF PA Extension Kit provided an elegant wireless alternative. Purpose-built for professional live sound applications, the RF PA Extension Kit pairs a two-channel 1RU transmitter with two single-channel IP54-rated diversity receivers featuring built-in compensation delay, allowing production teams to deliver high-quality audio to remote loudspeaker systems quickly, safely and cost-effectively when traditional wired connections are impractical.

Using the RF PA system, Capron Lighting & Sound transmitted audio wirelessly across the Campus Center atrium and outdoor pedestrian areas without interfering with pedestrian traffic, building access, or university operations. The receivers were positioned at the student lineup location, feeding a distributed PA system covering approximately 2,000 feet of student processional route.

"Instead of spending valuable time installing hundreds of feet of cable across heavily trafficked areas," says Messcher, "we had the system operational within minutes. It allowed us to broadcast cleanly across the atrium and outdoor parkway without blocking doors or disrupting pedestrian traffic, making installation, testing and event operation incredibly straightforward."

According to Messcher, the RF PA Extension Kit has also earned a permanent place in the company's production inventory. "Beyond commencement, this is simply a great workbox tool. Every production company encounters unexpected situations where running cable isn't practical. Having a dependable wireless audio transport solution like the RF PA gives us another option for solving problems quickly and professionally."

"Live event professionals constantly face changing venue requirements, tighter installation schedules, and increasing logistical challenges," says Chris Regan, chief innovation officer at RF Venue. "The RF PA Extension Kit was developed specifically to eliminate the time, labor and safety concerns associated with long analog cable runs while maintaining the audio quality and reliability professional productions require. It's rewarding to see companies like Capron Lighting & Sound using the system to overcome real-world challenges at high-profile events."

For more information, visit RF PA Extension Kit.