SAN FRANCISCO – Spider Ranch Productions of California recently completed an overhaul of the Gold’s Gym fitness center with a new distributed system built on the iDESIGN loudspeaker platform. Taking a 35-year-old fitness center, gutting it and turning it all back into a usable facility took a little over a year to complete. Don Dickerson, general manager for Gold’s Gym in the San Francisco Bay area, contacted old friend Alex Moran from Spider Productions to design and install a new sound system. Moran provided a total of 29 McCauley Sound iDESIGN modules for the installation.
The renovation project began about a year before the installation would be ready. “It’s pretty much a new club,” said Dickerson. “The original club was over 35 years old. When we were done with it, the only thing left from the original building was just the exterior shell. At the point in which we were ready to get the sound system set up, Alex had already figured out what would be best for the space.”
Moran has worked with Dickerson for some time over the years. In fact, Moran has done the audio-visual work for the six other gyms in the San Francisco bay area that Dickerson manages. “I’ve worked with Don for quite a while,” said Moran “and I knew he was working on this, so I offered my services, knowing we would more than likely work together again.”
Not only did Spider Ranch Productions provide the McCauley Sound system, but Alex also wired the whole building to connect sound and video to the exercise machines throughout the facility. “We had to design an internal cable TV network,” recalls Moran, “there was no cable to the building, so I had to improvise with satellite receivers and frequency modulators. After building this internal cable network, each machine now has 35 channels.” Not only do the individual machines have small screens, but the main room is set up with five 50-inch plasma screen televisions on the wall above the machines.
The main work out room doesn’t just hold televisions galore, but also has a total of 14 iD108s and 2 iD112s, powered by QSC amplifiers for a distributed system. Moran set the distribution pattern in a specific way so that when customers walk in, they hear the music, but it’s not blaring. When members are working out on machines in the middle area, they will hear a fuller sound in the system. The weight area is where the sound really pumps, so that those pumping iron not only feel the burn, but feel the pulse of the music to keep them motivated.
The aerobics studio is a separate room in the center of the club, requiring additional work with a general contractor to acoustically isolate the four iD2.112s and an AC58 subwoofer. “I’ve had a few customers comment that the aerobics studio sounds like a dance club,” said Dickerson, “and it really does. It’s absolutely fantastic! The coverage is so even and you can tell people are really getting into their workouts. And what’s more, you can’t hear the music from the aerobics studio anywhere else in the club. It’s great.”
The main cluster in the spin room hangs directly over the instructor, consisting of two iD1.112s and 1iD2.115 subwoofer. “When working out to the limit on a spin bike, being able to get in the zone and grasp the energy to push further is enhanced with energizing music,” Dickerson explains. “The instructors really value the clear coverage system in that room because their classes remain focused and people really get into it.”
As an added touch to the new sound and video systems, Alex built and custom painted each amplifier rack to suit the clubs atmosphere. “Each rack has a custom automotive finish from the 1963 line of Corvette Colors.” Enthusiastically, Alex explains that adding this touch really helped solidify the sophisticated tone. “I wanted the main distribution amp rack to pop in the main room, that’s Riverside Red. The aerobics room has a sleek Seabring Silver rack, the rack in the spin cycle room is Silver Blue Metallic, and the yoga room rack is Saddle Tan.”
Now that the renovation is complete and people are piling into the new Gold’s Gym facility, Don is pleased with the feedback he’s getting from members and employees. “It’s definitely the best sounds system of all the six clubs in the area,” Dickerson says, adding that it’s the main reason why he’s going to continue working with Moran and Spider Ranch. “We would highly recommend McCauley Sound systems to anyone who’s looking to do a club level installation, whether it’s an exercise facility, or dance club. The sound is just so good. We’re extremely pleased.”
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For more information, please visit www.mccauley.com and www.spiderp.com.
