Martin Collins This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. EAW News

   www2.eaw.com/pages/News/Storie - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/8/2001   Last Visited: 5/19/2001

   For Martin Collins , Technical Director for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games ( ACOG ) , it is the moment of truth. Operationally , sound systems are critical to the events , says Collins , but more than that , they help create the emotional power that makes the Olympics what they are. If an American wins a Gold Medal , it won't be the same without the Star Spangled Banner filling the stadium , moving the crowd in an emotional way. Something special would be lost..
   
   According to Collins , the creation of a sound system capable of delivering the emotional impact spectators expect from the Olympic Games requires both superior design and quality components. Adequate levels of sound must be delivered to every seat in the venue without the volume being too high in any one particular seat , and the quality of the sound must be consistent from seat to seat , section to section.
   
   For multi-event spectacles like the Olympics , sound systems take on a logistical role. In the Olympic Stadium , for example , several track and field events will be held simultaneously. Loudspeaker announcements of which competition is about to start are the only effective way to keep the spectators informed and involved. With so much importance placed on the sound system , specifications for the design and selection of components , especially loudspeakers , are major concerns.
   ...
   For the last four years , Collins has been overseeing the design and installation of sound systems for the six newly constructed Olympic venues : the Olympic Stadium , the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center , the Stone Mountain Tennis Center , Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College Stadiums ( field hockey venues ) and Morehouse College Gymnasium ( preliminary basketball matches ). Internationally-known audio consultants Wrightson , Johnson , Haddon and Williams of Dallas were tapped to design the sound systems for the Olympic Stadium. D. Wayne Lee Consulting of Atlanta designed the systems for the field hockey and basketball venues with Collins himself designing the systems for the Aquatic and Tennis Centers.
   
   To complement electronic signal processing equipment supplied by Panasonic , an Olympic sponsor , nearly all loudspeakers for the new installations were designed and manufactured by Eastern Acoustic Works of Whitinsville , MA. Relatively unknown outside of professional audio circles , EAW has been designing and manufacturing loudspeakers for live sound reinforcement since 1978. EAW's touring sound supplier network , the Virtual Array Technology Association , combined the capabilities of several member companies to create one of the largest sound systems ever assembled for last summer's Disney extravaganza Pocahontas : The Premier in the Park.
   
   The privately-held EAW broke into the major installation market in 1990 when it won the contract for Anaheim Stadium. The company's unique ability to custom-design loudspeakers combined with a reputation for excellent sound quality convinced audio consultants and project managers to give the upstart company the contract.
   ...
   To fill the highly reverberant space without excessive amounts of echo , Collins looked for a loudspeaker that enjoys what audio pros refer to as high Q or a high degree of directivity : the system should put sound into a particular area and nowhere else. While focusing the higher frequencies is a refined science , low frequency directivity is the audio industry's Holy Grail , much pursued but rarely achieved.
   
   In the proprietary Virtual Line Array Technology used in the Aquatics Center , many feel that EAW has developed a workable solution. The approach , which is based on the work of 1950s acoustics pioneer Harry Olsen , relies on a law of physics by which two properly aligned sound waves can cancel each other out , creating an area of silence. EAW engineers claim that VLA uses this effect only where it is beneficial and not where it is problematic.
   
   ...
   According to Collins , who performed similar duties for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games , television audiences enjoyed a better presentation of the 1984 opening ceremonies than the spectators who witnessed the event itself. This time , he predicts , the live audience will get the better show. On a purely audio level , the system Pat Baltzell designed for the 1996 opening ceremonies with EAW's Virtual Line Arrays will give us substantially more sound than we had in '84 , says Collins. I calculated 35 dB more acoustic energy across the entire audience , which is quite a lot. Besides , this show will be so big that even the biggest television screen won't be able to capture it. You'll have to be there in person to get the full effect..
   
   BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE OLYMPICS

2. 2. EAW News

   www.eaw.com/pages/News/Stories - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/18/1999   Last Visited: 5/13/2004

   For Martin Collins, Technical Director for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), it is the moment of truth. "Operationally, sound systems are critical to the events," says Collins, "but more than that, they help create the emotional power that makes the Olympics what they are. If an American wins a Gold Medal, it won't be the same without the Star Spangled Banner filling the stadium, moving the crowd in an emotional way. Something special would be lost."
   
   According to Collins, the creation of a sound system capable of delivering the emotional impact spectators expect from the Olympic Games requires both superior design and quality components.
   ...
   For the last four years, Collins has been overseeing the design and installation of sound systems for the six newly constructed Olympic venues: the Olympic Stadium, the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center, Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College Stadiums (field hockey venues) and Morehouse College Gymnasium (preliminary basketball matches). Internationally-known audio consultants Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams of Dallas were tapped to design the sound systems for the Olympic Stadium. D. Wayne Lee Consulting of Atlanta designed the systems for the field hockey and basketball venues with Collins himself designing the systems for the Aquatic and Tennis Centers.
   ...
   By contrast, the sound system Collins designed for the Aquatics Center was limited by the acoustical nature of the venue. To fill the highly reverberant space without excessive amounts of echo, Collins looked for a loudspeaker that enjoys what audio pros refer to as "high Q" or a high degree of directivity: the system should put sound into a particular area and nowhere else.
   ...
   According to Collins, who performed similar duties for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, television audiences enjoyed a better presentation of the 1984 opening ceremonies than the spectators who witnessed the event itself. This time, he predicts, the live audience will get the better show. "On a purely audio level, the system Pat Baltzell designed for the 1996 opening ceremonies with EAW's Virtual Line Arrays will give us substantially more sound than we had in '84," says Collins.

3. 3. EAW News

   ftp.eaw.com/pages/News/Stories - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/29/1999   Last Visited: 8/14/2000

   For Martin Collins, Technical Director for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), it is the moment of truth. Operationally, sound systems are critical to the events, says Collins, but more than that, they help create the emotional power that makes the Olympics what they are. If an American wins a Gold Medal, it will not be the same without the Star Spangled Banner filling the stadium, moving the crowd in an emotional way. Something special would be lost..
   
   According to Collins, the creation of a sound system capable of delivering the emotional impact spectators expect from the Olympic Games requires both superior design and quality components. Adequate levels of sound must be delivered to every seat in the venue without the volume being too high in any one particular seat, and the quality of the sound must be consistent from seat to seat, section to section.
   
   For multi-event spectacles like the Olympics, sound systems take on a logistical role. In the Olympic Stadium, for example, several track and field events will be held simultaneously. Loudspeaker announcements of which competition is about to start are the only effective way to keep the spectators informed and involved. With so much importance placed on the sound system, specifications for the design and selection of components, especially loudspeakers, are major concerns.
   ...
   For the last four years, Collins has been overseeing the design and installation of sound systems for the six newly constructed Olympic venues : the Olympic Stadium, the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center, Clark Atlanta University and Morris Brown College Stadiums (field hockey venues) and Morehouse College Gymnasium (preliminary basketball matches). Internationally-known audio consultants Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams of Dallas were tapped to design the sound systems for the Olympic Stadium. D. Wayne Lee Consulting of Atlanta designed the systems for the field hockey and basketball venues with Collins himself designing the systems for the Aquatic and Tennis Centers.
   
   To complement electronic signal processing equipment supplied by Panasonic, an Olympic sponsor, nearly all loudspeakers for the new installations were designed and manufactured by Eastern Acoustic Works of Whitinsville, MA. Relatively unknown outside of professional audio circles, EAW has been designing and manufacturing loudspeakers for live sound reinforcement since 1978. EAW's touring sound supplier network, the Virtual Array Technology Association, combined the capabilities of several member companies to create one of the largest sound systems ever assembled for last summer's Disney extravaganza Pocahontas : The Premier in the Park.
   
   The privately-held EAW broke into the major installation market in 1990 when it won the contract for Anaheim Stadium. The company's unique ability to custom-design loudspeakers combined with a reputation for excellent sound quality convinced audio consultants and project managers to give the upstart company the contract.
   ...
   To fill the highly reverberant space without excessive amounts of echo, Collins looked for a loudspeaker that enjoys what audio pros refer to as high Q or a high degree of directivity : the system should put sound into a particular area and nowhere else. While focusing the higher frequencies is a refined science, low frequency directivity is the audio industry's Holy Grail, much pursued but rarely achieved.
   
   In the proprietary Virtual Line Array Technology used in the Aquatics Center, many feel that EAW has developed a workable solution. The approach, which is based on the work of 1950s acoustics pioneer Harry Olsen, relies on a law of physics by which two properly aligned sound waves can cancel each other out, creating an area of silence. EAW engineers claim that VLA uses this effect only where it is beneficial and not where it is problematic.
   
   ...
   According to Collins, who performed similar duties for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, television audiences enjoyed a better presentation of the 1984 opening ceremonies than the spectators who witnessed the event itself. This time, he predicts, the live audience will get the better show. On a purely audio level, the system Pat Baltzell designed for the 1996 opening ceremonies with EAW's Virtual Line Arrays will give us substantially more sound than we had in 84, says Collins. I calculated 35 dB more acoustic energy across the entire audience, which is quite a lot. Besides, this show will be so big that even the biggest television screen will not be able to capture it. you will have to be there in person to get the full effect..