| Sound Image was contacted during September 2000 to design-build a custom Audio, Video, Lighting and Control system for Belterra Resort and Casino CenterStage Showroom , in Belterra Indiana. With very little time to spare before the planned grand opening end of November 2000, the Sound Image design and engineering team flew out to survey the site. Subsequent whirlwind design meetings took place in Florence Indiana, Houston, Texas and in San Diego, California. Instrumental in the design phase was the Indianapolis-based architectural firm of HNTB, Electrical Consultants CHPA, and AM Engineering who consulted on the mechanical and engineering and rigging certification. All design data was electronically exchanged via the Internet and dedicated FTP sites. AutoCad release 14 and Vectorworks were some of the design tools used. Sound Image subcontracted the Vista based Luminescence Lighting to assist with the Lighting design and installation.
 Belterra Resort Casino, represented by Cliff Kortman and Rene Jenkins and the Project Consultant, Dave Simmons of Long River Entertainment were very specific in the A.V. and Lighting requirements of the Showroom. The installed system should allow for first class audio coverage within the room, with video and lighting system to match. The system should also be able to satisfy current Touring Act Riders, from country rock to Motown. The system was also designed with corporate events, boxing and wrestling matches in mind.
The final budgets and design were approved end of September 2000. Sound Image's Ross Ritto, Dave Shadoan, Scott Oosthuizen, and Mike Adams worked closely in coming up with an A.V. design which will allow for 270 degrees full bandwidth audio coverage, while still maintaining good site lines. A custom system based upon the Sound Image 4-way Series 5 P.A. system with 2-way Audio Composite Engineering front fills under-hangs were the result after extensive room and system modelling. The system consists of a total of 16 high boxes, 4 low boxes and 4 under-hangs. Yamaha PM 4000 house and monitor consoles were chosen because they are accepted by most Touring acts.
Similar design criteria were adhered to for the Lighting and Video system. A centered square truss was designed, with side and upstage trussing, all on hoist motors which allow for easy focusing and configuration. The specified Avolites Sapphire 2000 console was pre-programmed with versatile lighting soft patches, and can be very easily changed to accommodate any kind of event.
Very close cooperation was required between Sound Image and the various manufacturers and distributors, to receive the ordered equipment in good time for buildup and installation. Several weeks were dedicated building up the racks, lighting trusses and custom plates at the Sound Image warehouse in Escondido, CA. Everything was done in house.
At the end of October the Sound Image/Luminescence crew arrived on the job site, under the skillful leadership of Bob Delson and Dave Paviol. All audio, video, lighting and control cable were pulled and the pre-buildup equipment was installed. Within four weeks the systems were installed, followed by extensive testing and burn-in.
On the 24 of November the country rock band Alabama opened the venue. All systems behaved flawlessly. A world-class system was installed in record time by Sound Image, comparable to the Grand Old Opry in Nashville Tennessee.
A sample of the equipment list:
- Sound Image Series 5 Low and High loudspeakers
- Audio Composite Engineering 1250 loudspeakers
- Yamaha PM 4000 consoles for the F.O.H. and Monitors
- BSS, DBX , Yamaha. Lexicon and Klark Teknik Processing
- Audio composite and Sound Image stage monitors
- JBL ancillary and under balcony fills
- QSC PL and PLX power amplifiers
- Whirlwind Transformer isolated mic split systems
- Shure, Sennheiser, AKG and Crown mics
- Clearcom Intercom System
- NEC XT 5000 video front project system
- Faroudja video processing,
- Stewart 24 ft wide 16:9 aspect ratio electric screen
- Panja/Sony 3 CCD camera shoot, with full remote pan-tilts
- Panja/AMX remote control system
- ITT trussing with ETC Source 4's
- Par 64 cans with Electric Wyburn color scrollers
- Leprecon TLX dimmers for Theatrical lighting systems
- Leprecon TLX dimmers for Architectural lighting systems
- Avolites Sapphire 2000 lighting console
- Doug Fleenor DMX 512 buffer splitters.
- Sony Wega Televisions
- Clearcom 4-channel intercom system
- Sony VCR and DVD players
- Extron Audio and Video switches
- Blonder Tongue RF Modulators
- CM Loadstar hoist motors with Motion Laboratories control
- Middle Atlantic Equipment racks
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