OSCAR ROMERO

While planning a major renovation in 2020, Dutch high school Oscar Romero decided to install new sound systems in 11 different rooms, from the 617 m2 gymnasium to the 6 m2 music studios.

The different audio set-ups Oscar Romero required were as varied as the classes and activities they would be used for. The two gymnasiums needed powerful solutions that could fill the large spaces with sound, while the set-up in the lecture hall had to be capable of delivering crystal-clear speech, music and audio from films. Local installation experts AVL stepped in to deliver the project.

Having previously rented Pioneer Pro Audio systems via AVL for school events, there was no need to consider another brand, according to Patrick Spel, Head of Technical Support at Oscar Romero. “The positive experiences we’d had with Pioneer Pro Audio before made the choice easy,” he says.

Wouter Ruijter, the owner of AVL, began assembling the different systems with his team. In the lecture hall – the trickiest of the rooms – they created a master PA set-up at the front, with two XY-118S subwoofers underneath 15-inch XY-152 full-range loudspeakers. In the middle of the room, two 12-inch XY-122 full-range loudspeakers added more coverage while the smaller XY-101 speakers were used for delays at the rear. A Powersoft X8 provided plenty of power and its intuitive software made it easy to configure timing and EQ.

XY Series speakers were also used in the gymnasiums, where high power was essential. For the music and fitness rooms though, Ruijter chose XPRS Series units. “In those rooms, the school needed something that produces power and high-quality sound, but that’s slightly easier to use,” he explains, adding: “Whether we were working with the XY or XPRS Series speakers, we were able to achieve crisp, warm and powerful sound in every frequency to suit the purposes of each room.”

When all 12 systems were ready, Patrick Spel was among the first to hear them. “Our initial reaction was amazement – the quality and power from the sound systems is very impressive,” he says. “The XPRS 10 in particular caught our attention. The frequencies are so pure. It’s a perfect full-range speaker for what we need.” And what do the students think of the new additions to their school? Spel explains: “We have lots of music students who use the systems to sing or play in their bands. They really like the new sound – especially its volume!”