The Hershey Centre is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located in
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga
Steelheads and the NBA Development League’s Raptors 905, the facility also hosts a
wide variety of events, ranging from live music and internationally-televised figure
skating championships to boxing and indoor rodeos. In response to guest feedback
on its nearly two decade old distributed sound system and concerns that it might
fail during an event, an extensive upgrade brought “major-league” sound to the
Hershey Centre.
The arena required an updated sound system with the enhanced output,
intelligibility, fidelity and low frequency response professional sports fans have
come to expect, along with the ability to customize coverage for a diverse array of
events.
Design specialist Dave Clark crafted a sound system based on Fulcrum Acoustic
CX1265 12 inch coaxial speaker clusters. Sixteen double CX1265 clusters hang
above the playing surface perimeter to cover the arena’s upper and lower bowl,
with additional clusters deployed into each of the low-roofed end zones to avoid
obstructing scoreboard sightlines.
Two “blue line” clusters of four stacked Fulcrum Sub115 15 inch subwoofers ringed
with four CX1265s provide steered low frequency support and playing surface
coverage. Four compact GX1226 12 inch coaxial speakers can also be raised into
the hallow scoreboard for world-class figure skating competitions in which musical
timing and imaging are crucial, as well as for other centre stage events such as
concerts and boxing.
“Our sound reinforcement needs have evolved over time,” explains Hershey Centre
manager Greg Socha. “Acquiring the Raptors 905 as our new basketball tenant in
2015 upped the stakes as, unlike hockey games with music only during stoppages in
play, professional basketball emphasizes spectator in-game experience with non-
stop sound, lighting and video. The new system has exceeded management and
guest expectations by providing greater output and clarity, consistent coverage with
seamless zone transitions, and the flexibility to tailor and optimize sound for all our
events.”
