Point Source Audio at t Lanier Charter Career Academy

Lanier Charter Career Academy (LCCA), in Georgia's Hall County, is a unique vocational training opportunity open to all high school students in the district. The hospitality industry factors prominently in the regional economy so it was decided that culinary arts; marketing, advertising, and promotion; hospitality management; and travel and tourism would be areas of focus for the academy.

To execute the vision for this state-of-the-art facility, LCCA partnered with dB Audio & Video of nearby Gainesville, who did the design and installation of all of the audio and video systems. Within the facility is the Live Oak conference room, which is divisible by air walls into three separate meeting rooms. Each of the rooms features its own sound system with lectern and wireless mic system. An additional eight wireless systems are available for use when the room is set to its largest configuration. Point Source Audio CO-7 mics were selected to be matched with Sennheiser body-pack transmitters to provide an ear-worn mic option for the meeting presenters or for theatrical or musical presentations.

The facility officially opened in September. Says dB Audio & Video system advisor Neil Philpott, "They're thrilled with the performance of the CO-7. They have had a number of instances to use the microphones and have found the quality to exceed their expectations. The low profile and sound quality are superb."

Built to withstand the potential abuse of a learning environment, the Point Source Audio CO-7 features an unbreakable boom attached to a water resistant omni-directional mic element. Noted Philpott, "We chose Point Source Audio for its quality of sound reproduction and reasonable cost."

The building proper facilitates learning as well as practical application with spaces designed for both. In the back half of the school contains typical classrooms, though, as Dr. Blakley explains, "The front half of the building is actually set up like a small conference and hospitality center." It houses five businesses including the Corner Café, which offers gourmet coffees, pastries, soups, and sandwiches; The Bistro at the Oaks, which features a fine dining experience; Design 360, a personalized promotions lab where students design and produce promotional items for local businesses and organizations; Get Gifted, which sells gifts such as aprons, mugs, photo frames and figurines; and Meetings and Events, which provides a full-service conference facility for business meetings, weddings, or social events. LCCA students get real world training and experience from working in the restaurants, to event and meeting planning, to developing, marketing and sales of promotional items. Says Blakley, "We really want every student that comes out of this building to understand what hospitality involves, and to know what customer service truly means."

James Lamb, president, Point Source Audio said, "We are excited to be a part of this innovative educational facility. By utilizing quality equipment in practical applications, Lanier Charter Academy provides the students with a unique and real environment in which they can get a head start with their career choices. We are happy to partner with dB Audio and Video on this project. The durability and the sound quality of the CO-7 microphone makes it an ideal choice for LCCA."