Lewis University, Joliet, IL

Bag End gives Convocation Hall a Serious Sound Upgrade

Lewis University purchased St. Charles Borromeo property in the summer of 2013. This property adjoins the campus, and accommodates the increasing enrollment and expansion of its academic programs. 

In order to fit the University’s needs, extensive renovations were needed throughout. The current space includes classrooms, meeting rooms, a dining room and residential living spaces. In addition, there are multiple private offices, a chapel, a small gymnasium and a convocation hall. 

The Convocation Hall

Lewis University, along with contractor Conference Technologies, and consultant Bag End Loudspeakers, worked to improve the sound in the convocation hall. The hall is primarily used for concerts, rehearsals and auditions by the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO). Bag End recommended some serious acoustical treatment and an interesting loudspeaker approach. This resulted in, two Bag End Crystal2-I mid-high speakers, pointing out to the main audience. And, two Bag End CDS-110’s, which point to the front sides.

The Crystal2-I speakers are mounted high up on the walls, above and behind the stage and performers. Good directivity and a uniform response make this location possible. Moreover, this allowed the front rows to be very well covered without front fill speakers. In addition, there is no feedback problem, even with the mains behind the performers and mics. Meanwhile, custom Bag End bass columns provide a dimensional low frequency source. The columns, in proportion to the room size, are designed to provide more even bass coverage throughout. The columns are each 24 feet tall with eight 12″ speakers, allowing the speakers to be spaced out in a sparse low frequency array. In addition, the bass arrays are Infra processed down to 8 hertz with a Bag End INFRA-MXB processor.

Henry Heine, Bag End’s acoustical designer, returned after installation to help tweak the system to ensure it met expectations.

Jim Wischmeyer of Bag End commented, “It’s pretty amazing how even and natural the coverage is from the stage on out. When light acoustic music is played, the direct sound is heard slightly in front of the amplified sound. As A result, the source orientation and image to the performer is beautiful. The bass level doesn’t change by more than a few dB from standing on the stage in front of the bass column, to the middle or back of the room.”

About Lewis

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition. The university offers distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,600 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.