Established in 1959, Onehunga High School has long been a cornerstone of its community. Nestled in Onehunga overlooking the picturesque Manukau Harbour in Auckland, the school’s deep roots are reflected in its strong sense of tradition and continuity, with many second and third-generation students passing through its halls. A legacy highlighting Onehunga High School’s commitment to providing lifelong learning opportunities for the local community.
Recognising the need to modernise its facilities to better equip students for the future, the school recently completed a major redevelopment, introducing several advanced facilities. Two new teaching blocks were built – one with a dual-basketball-court gymnasium, exercise room, locker rooms and teaching spaces, and the other dedicated to science and technology.
The school develops culture, character and interpersonal skills through encouragement, commitment, discipline and personal responsibility. This is done by actively engaging students in a diverse range of activities, including sports and performing arts. It was decided that the new gymnasium would be used as a multipurpose venue to cater for its various events and a key requirement to achieve its objectives would be a flexible, high-quality audio system that ensures clear, powerful sound and excellent coverage throughout the space.
The Solution
Trusted technology partner Connect NZ was called upon to design and install a high-definition LED wall and a high-performance audio system capable of meeting the multipurpose audio requirements for the school.
With the range of activities including sports, cultural events, music and performing arts, system designers selected JBL Professional CBT 1000 high-powered line array column loudspeakers with CBT 1000E low frequency extensions for the gymnasium.
JBL CBT 1000 is a high performance adjustable coverage line array column that is engineered to distribute more sound to the far area of a room allowing for optimal sound distribution and delivering consistent powerful audio throughout the space, ensuring even coverage from front to back.
With limited room for traditional subwoofers, system designers specified JBL CBT 1000E low-frequency extensions for their extended bass response down to 38Hz, providing enhanced sound control and increased output levels that allow the school to achieve a full, dynamic audio experience without compromising on space or performance.
The loudspeakers are powered by a Crown DriveCore CDi21200 amplifier. Designed to make installations easier, Crown CDi DriveCore amplifiers are equipped with speaker presets to fully maximise the capabilities of the CBT 1000 speakers. CDi amplifiers streamline ongoing maintenance and control with robust network management, advanced digital signal processing and a user-friendly front-panel interface with colour display. Energy efficiency is a cornerstone of the CDi range, thanks to GreenEdge Technology, which incorporates power-saving features and an auto-standby mode to reduce environmental impact and operational costs.
Because the multipurpose gymnasium would also be used for school assemblies and live music performances, reliable AKG wireless microphones were chosen along with an external RF Venue DFIN ‘diversity fin’ antenna for reliable RF reception throughout the space. The Diversity Series of antennas eliminate dropouts compared to traditional whip or paddle antennas by combining two antenna paddles into one (with two RF inputs), simplifying RF setup and reducing coax cable clutter.
“We needed a high-performance audio solution that is reliable and could cover long distances. The JPRO design along with the JBL CBT1000 line array column loudspeakers have enhanced the Onehunga High School gymnasium.”
System Features
- CBT-1000 High Performance Adjustable Coverage Line Array Column that sends more sound toward the far area of a room to make front-to-back sound levels more consistent.
- CBT-1000E Extension for CBT1000 provides extended bass response and pattern control and increased sound output levels for superior audio performance.
- RF Venue Diversity Fin Distro4 Package includes Diversity Fin Antenna (DFIN) for Wireless Microphones, DISTRO4 Antenna Distribution System and relevant coaxial cables
- AKG C555L wireless condenser headset mic
- AKG DMS800 Dante enabled wireless microphone system
- Bluetooth wallplate with Dante
- Crown CDI21200 best performance-for-value amplifier with pre-loaded JBL speaker tunings to help make installations quicker and easier.
“What truly stands out is the CBT 1000’s consistent tone quality, whether at soft or loud levels and its ability to deliver clear audio in various performance settings in a large open space.”
The Impact
“We needed a high-performance audio solution that is reliable and could cover long distances. The JPRO design along with the JBL CBT1000 line array column loudspeakers have enhanced the Onehunga High School gymnasium,” says Rakesh Choudhary, Business Development Manager at Connect NZ.
“What truly stands out is the speaker’s consistent tone quality, whether at soft or loud levels and its ability to deliver clear audio in various performance settings in a large open space. Its IP55 marine-rated capabilities provide added peace of mind against humidity and dust, keeping the system reliable for all occasions. It’s been the perfect solution for the multipurpose requirements of the venue and we’re delighted with the results.”
