When Christopher Columbus High School needed next-level audio and video support for their new fitness facility, they turned to Midtown Video. This was clearly going to be a challenging job due to the size of the facility and complexity of their system needs. The state-of-the-art Wellness Center is available to all students, and a specialized training facility is devoted to coaching members of the Columbus Explorers athletic teams. Our systems installation in over twenty Miami/Dade high school television departments, as well as several projects with the athletic teams for the University of Miami and Florida International University uniquely qualified us for this ambitious assignment.

Training the athletic team members is made possible by the wireless sharing of the Coaches’ iPads on five separate 65” monitors located throughout the weight training area of the facility. Audio can also play through Coaches’ mobile devices, with Blu-Ray and laptop support available as both audio and video monitoring options.

Students exercising in the wellness center are able to watch three additional 65” monitors, and listen to the audio distributed wirelessly to each treadmill, elliptical machine, and stair stepper in the aerobics area. Music is a key motivator in the gym setting, so we took audio seriously. The plan was to set up over 20 speakers in 2 rooms that can be synced or isolated based on needs at that time. Controlling both the upstairs and downstairs areas harmoniously required Midtown Video to install a multi-zone audio system with source and volume selection available in both locations. Sixteen speakers and four subwoofers blast music from Wellness Center Director Joshua Cantor’s Pandora selection or from one of the 3 DirectTV boxes feeding the monitors in the room. An additional 8 speakers and 2 subs rock the second floor spinning room. A wireless ear microphone allows spinning instructors to urge students to success over the pounding beats.

The fitness center was fully occupied by the students during much of the AV installation, requiring special consideration by both wellness center staff and Midtown Video’s team to get the job done on time, on budget, and without disruption to normal center operations. We followed up after about a month to adjust levels for optimal performance.

When the project was fully installed, we gave the staff a tutorial on all of the systems. Josh Cantor, Wellness Director for the school appreciated our efforts:
“I was impressed by Jesse’s professionalism during his initial visit and felt confident right away placing our trust in him and the Midtown staff. When faced with modifications and other factors, they came through and delivered excellent service. I highly recommend their services for all of your audio and video needs.”