Cherokee High School Gym Sound System
Project Info
Location: Marlton, NJ
Client: Cherokee High School / Lenape Regional High School District
Category: Athletic Venues, Gymnasiums, Schools, Sound Systems
Project Type: High School Gym Sound System Installation
Project Overview
JD Sound and Video designed and installed a new gym sound system for Cherokee High School in Marlton, New Jersey. The goal of the project was to provide clear, powerful, and easy-to-use audio coverage for the school’s gymnasium, supporting daily school use, athletic events, pep rallies, assemblies, ceremonies, and other activities held in the space.
Gymnasiums are challenging environments for sound systems. Hard floors, block walls, high ceilings, metal roof decking, bleachers, and reflective surfaces can make speech difficult to understand and music sound harsh or uneven. Cherokee High School needed a system that could provide consistent coverage across the court, bleachers, and event areas while remaining simple for staff to operate.
This project also continued JD Sound and Video’s work with Lenape Regional High School District, following previous athletic venue sound system projects, including Cherokee’s stadium sound system.
System Requirements
Cherokee High School needed a commercial gymnasium sound system that could deliver:
- Clear speech for announcements, assemblies, and school events
- Full-range music playback for games, pep rallies, and ceremonies
- Even coverage across the gym floor, court, and bleachers
- Wireless microphone coverage throughout the gymnasium
- Simple touchscreen operation for staff
- Secure equipment storage in a locking rack
- Protected input and control locations
- A system design consistent with other district athletic venue audio systems
A major part of the design was making the system powerful enough for high-energy events while still keeping operation simple. Staff should not need to understand complex audio routing or mixing to turn the system on, select an input, adjust volume, or use a microphone.
System Design
JD Sound and Video designed a distributed gym sound system using sixteen DAS Audio ARTEC-310.96-W loudspeakers. The loudspeakers were positioned to cover the gym floor, court, and bleacher areas with more even sound than a basic horn-style PA system or a single cluster design.
To support full-range music playback, the system also includes two DAS Audio ARTEC-322S dual 12-inch subwoofers. The subwoofers add low-frequency reinforcement for music, school spirit events, and athletic presentations, helping the system sound fuller and more energetic without forcing the main loudspeakers to do all the work.
The loudspeakers and subwoofers are powered by Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP amplifiers, which provide efficient, high-output amplification and built-in DSP for system tuning and loudspeaker protection.
At the center of the system is an Allen & Heath AHM-16 audio matrix processor, which handles system routing, processing, EQ, delay, limiting, and control integration. This allows the system to be tuned specifically for the gymnasium and customized for the school’s day-to-day needs.
Simple Touchscreen Control
To make the system easy for staff to use, JD Sound and Video installed an Allen & Heath CC-7 touchscreen controller. The touchscreen provides simple control over system power, input selection, volume levels, and speaker zones.
The custom control interface was designed around the gym layout, giving staff an intuitive way to operate the system without needing access to the equipment rack. This is especially helpful in school environments where multiple people may need to use the system throughout the year.
Wireless Microphones and Input Locations
The system includes two Shure BLX-R handheld wireless microphone systems for announcements, presentations, ceremonies, and events. An RF Venue DISTRO4 antenna distribution system and a remote RF Venue antenna provide reliable wireless microphone coverage throughout the gymnasium.
JD Sound and Video also installed a protected input location at the center court, including:
- XLR microphone input
- XLR line output
- Media input plate with RCA and 1/8-inch stereo input
- Locking protective metal enclosure
This gives the school flexible connection options for microphones, music sources, external devices, or event-specific audio needs while keeping the wall plates protected from damage in an active gym environment.
Equipment Rack and Power Management
All major system components were installed in a Middle Atlantic locking wall rack located in the gymnasium equipment area. The rack houses the wireless microphone receivers, antenna distribution, Allen & Heath processor, network switch, power sequencer, UPS battery backup, and Powersoft amplifiers.
The system also includes:
- Rack-mounted power sequencing
- Surge protection
- Battery backup for critical control and processing equipment
- Proper ventilation
- Clean cable management
- Labeled rack wiring for serviceability
As with all JD Sound and Video projects, the rack was built with long-term reliability, service access, and professional workmanship in mind.
Featured Equipment
- DAS Audio ARTEC-310.96-W two-way loudspeakers
- DAS Audio ARTEC-322S dual 12-inch subwoofers
- Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP amplifiers
- Allen & Heath AHM-16 audio matrix processor
- Allen & Heath CC-7 touchscreen controller
- Shure BLX-R handheld wireless microphones
- RF Venue DISTRO4 antenna distribution system
- RF Venue remote wireless microphone antenna
- Middle Atlantic locking wall rack
- Juice Goose power sequencer
- Middle Atlantic UPS battery backup
- Protected XLR and media input plates
Result
The completed gym sound system provides Cherokee High School with a powerful, clear, and flexible audio solution for daily school use and major events. Speech is easier to understand across the gym, music playback has more impact, and the distributed loudspeaker layout helps provide better coverage for both the court and bleacher areas.
The touchscreen control system makes the audio system simple for staff to operate, while the locking rack and protected wall boxes help keep the equipment secure in a busy school environment.
With the new gym sound system, Cherokee High School now has a professional-grade audio system that supports athletic events, assemblies, ceremonies, pep rallies, and everyday school activities.
Get Started on Your Gym Sound System Project
JD Sound and Video designs and installs custom gymnasium sound systems for schools, athletic facilities, and multipurpose spaces throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Whether your school needs a simple PA system, a full-range gym sound system, wireless microphones, touchscreen control, or a complete athletic venue audio upgrade, our team can design a solution that is easy to use, reliable, and built for the demands of a school environment.
Contact JD Sound and Video today to schedule a free consultation for your gym sound system project.