Situated near Alabama’s eastern border with Georgia, located about halfway between the state capitals of Montgomery, AL and Atlanta, GA (and just five miles from Auburn University), Opelika, AL has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1854. The town is committed to community development while preserving its historical essence.
Now home to approximately 31,000 people, Opelika combines modern advancements with traditional Southern heritage, offering a unique environment for both residents and visitors. Recently, Opelika upgraded its downtown shopping district with a wide-area audio system from Technomad, a Massachusetts-based company specializing in ultra-reliable American-made outdoor loudspeakers and weatherproof amplifiers for various sectors, including public spaces, theme parks, commercial venues and military applications.
The project was handled by Opelika-based integrator/installer Auburn AV (auburnav.com), which, with its second office in Winterville, NC, provides AV solutions for a wide range of clients throughout the Eastern part of the U.S. as well as nationally. In addition to installations on projects ranging from houses of worship to government, businesses and educational and sports facilities, Auburn AV also supplies rentals and full event services with sound, lighting and video systems.
No Wires Here!
Using the city’s existing municipal Wi-Fi network, the project connects audio from three locations across the district to 45 light poles. Each pole features a Technomad PowerChiton Micro amplifier, configured with optional streaming receiver and wireless access point, and two Vernal loudspeakers. Equipped with a horn-loaded compression driver and long-throw 5” bass driver, the Vernal speakers project audio clearly across a wide area from a very compact footprint. Each PowerChiton Micro delivers up to 200 watts into 4 ohms, providing ample power to drive the Vernal speakers to their full potential. The main control point is a 4U rack at City Hall, equipped with an audio mixer with zone capability and the primary streaming sources.
The installation also features two Technomad BreakoutBox XL interface boxes at “in-the field” ground locations (see photo), enhancing the system’s flexibility. Operators can connect to the system using these weatherproof inputs and play audio for local events (in a park or on a street) independently of city-wide broadcasts. Each BreakoutBox XL incorporates a four-input audio mixer, providing one balanced line level / mic input and three unbalanced line level inputs, all with a dedicated level control. The BreakoutBox XL has three expansion bays for use with source options such as wireless mic or Bluetooth™ receivers or distribution options, such as streaming receivers or senders.
In the case of the Opelika install, a streaming sender was integrated into each BreakoutBox XL. These streaming sender units are programmed to only the local amplifiers for targeted audio output, while the sources in City Hall target all amplifiers. The City Hall source rack can also selectively target specific districts of the downtown area through the use of a zone mixer and dedicated streaming senders.
This audio system upgrade is part of Opelika’s effort to modernize its public spaces while maintaining its historical character. The project aims to improve the downtown atmosphere, provide clear public announcements, while supporting local events, such as the city’s annual Christmas Parade.
This project showcases Opelika’s commitment to technological advancement and community engagement and leverages Technomad’s expertise in delivering high-quality audio solutions for public spaces. “There’s a great fit between the emerging trend for cities to add downtown music and paging capabilities and our long history of supplying simple-to-use, ruggedized audio solutions to theme park, government, and entertainment customers,” says Technomad VP Rodger von Kries.
For more info, visit Technomad at www.technomad.com
