Multi-purpose system covers music and emergency functions
Hershey, PA -- One of America’s oldest amusement parks, Hersheypark turns 100 this year. Opened in 1907 by chocolatier and industrialist Milton Hershey, the original Hershey Park was built as a private park for his employees and their families, and its few acres offered an athletic field, a grandstand for live music, playground equipment and a small lake for boating. With the addition of a roller coaster, Ferris wheel and other rides in the 1920s, the park began an expansion program which continues to this day (including a renovation and rechristening), with Hersheypark now offering more than 60 rides and attractions within its more than 110 acres.
The latest addition to the park is The Boardwalk, built in the style of classic oceanside boardwalks and offering something for everyone, from toddler pools and placid swimming to wave pool and high-adrenaline cyclone water slide. To enhance the beachside experience, several hundred tons of sand were trucked in to surround the Boardwalk, which meanders through the site.
And it wouldn’t be a “Jersey Shore” experience without music. Sounds of the 1950s, 60s and 70s entertain beachgoers, courtesy of a distributed audio system designed by Clair Brothers Systems of Lititz, PA and featuring Community Professional loudspeakers.
The system is comprised of several Community R.5-66TZ two-way full range loudspeakers, powered by QSC 70V amplification. A Biamp Audiaflex system handles loudspeaker processing and zoning tasks.
“Hershey has, over the years, typically installed their own in-house paging systems,” explains Gene Pelland, Vice President of Clair Brothers Systems in Lititz, Pennsylvania. “They approached us to design a system that could function as a distributed music system and emergency evacuation system. We have it zoned to provide different sources to different localized areas at different volume levels, but of course it can also function as an all-zones announcement system, or with localized access, so a lifeguard can grab a wireless mic and page to the immediate area, for example.”
As Clair Brothers’ Dean Wiltsie explains, the Community R-Series loudspeakers were the ideal choice for the job. “There are a number of very large areas that need coverage, and the Community loudspeakers are great for getting sound 40 or 50 yards away. And they can deliver intelligibility even over all the background noise, which is great for general announcements and critical in emergency situations. They’re also the only speaker that can stand up to the harsh Pennsylvania winter.”
