The entire floor of the Multi-Media Room is poured concrete, surfaced with beige battleship linoleum.  Any/all of the floor surface can be used as performance/exhibition space.  “D’Anser” wood flooring (4’ 0” x 8’ 0” x 0’ 3” per unit) is available through the WMU Department of Dance for use in the space.  The “D’Anser” units are typically installed in a 32’ 0” x 32’ 0” diamond-shaped or square configuration covered with black or gray Rosco vinyl dance flooring, with audience seating on three sides.

Six portable seating modules, each accommodating 38 patrons, can be positioned in various configurations in the space or removed entirely for exhibitions.  The enclosed floorplan drawing (page 1 of 2) shows the six modules, providing a total seating capacity of 228, in the thrust-stage configuration.  Limited expansion of this total seating capacity is possible using available matching chairs placed on the floor of the space forward of each seating module.  Handicapped seating is also accommodated in the floorspace forward of each seating module without obstructing sightlines.
 
 

The upper portion (from an elevation of 8’ 0” to 18’ 0” above the floor) of the walls of the Multi-Media Room form a continuous, circular, front-projection cyclorama.  One quarter of this cyclorama is extended to form a full floor-to-ceiling cyc (from an elevation of 0’ 0” to 18’ 0” above the floor).  There is crossover space behind the floor-to-ceiling section.  For 35mm slide projection, the cyclorama (over 225 feet in circumference) is divided into 16 equally-sized image areas joined edge-to-edge (16 35mm slides are required to produce a single, full-surround projection image).  Imagery is projected with 32 Brightlite 3-A slide projectors (Kodak Ektagraphic IIIa projectors modified for increased light output using 300W EXW lamps) with Buhl 4.8” -7.5” zoom lenses, two projectors per image area.  The projectors are controlled by an Arion 848 “Omni-Loc” programmer with high-resolution CRT display and tape library storage.  This programmer allows a full range of multi-image effects, including ani-mation, with synchronization of the projections to an associated audio tape.  Because of the extremely high heat generated by the projectors, slides used in this system must be glass mounted.
 
 

Connected to the performance space is a small (approximately 225 square feet) staging area for properties storage, quick costume changes, etc.  A prop table with worklight(s), chair(s), and a headset for communication to the upper level technical control area are available.  Small and large dressing rooms, each with make-up tables, and a lounge and small kitchen are adjacent.
Control of the Multi-Media Room lighting, sound, and projection systems is located on the second floor level, overlooking the performance space.  The control area is equipped with two CCTV cameras with remote-controlled pan/tilt/zoom and two monitors, an eight-station wired Clear-Com headset system, and a four-station HME wireless headset system.  The lighting, sound, and projection systems are programmed and operated by the technical personnel of the Multi-Media Room only.
 
 
 

The Multi-Media Room gridiron is a 60’ 0” diameter fully-walkable aircraft-cable-mesh surface suspended at a level 17’ 8” above the stage floor via 0’ 2” vertical pipes on 5’ 0” centers.  Horizontal pipe battens can be attached to the verticals with Rotolok connectors in any configuration for lighting and equipment rigging.  Lighting instruments, microphones, speakers, and other technical equipment can be located anywhere on or above the grid’s mesh surface and projected through it, virtually eliminating the need for ladders.
 

Corresponding plan view

Grid framing is drawn to scale in the plan drawing. On top of the framing is a woven aircraft cable mesh walking surface. Lighting instruments, with the exception of those hung on outriggers, are hung above the mesh and the beam of light passes through the mesh. This does not project the mesh pattern and will not adversely affect gobos. Instruments can be hung on the fixed vertical pipes or sections of pipe can be rigged horizontally between the fixed vertical pipes to allow the hanging of multiple instruments in one area. Fresnels used for direct down lighting can simply be placed anywhere on the mesh as shown above.

The Multi-Media Room lighting system is dimmer-per-circuit.  240 Strand CD80 Advanced Electronics 2.4 KW dimmers are controlled by either of two consoles as follows:
 

Strand “mini Lightpalette 90” memory control console with two EGA monitors, one high-density disk drive, and 24 submasters with bump buttons.  Accessories for this console include two remote EGA monitors, two hand-held remote focus modules with LCD displays, and one hard-copy printer.

ETC “expression” memory control console with one EGA monitor, one high-density disk drive, expanded memory, real-time clock, and 24 submasters with bump buttons.  Accessories for this console include one hand-held remote focus module with LED display, one alpha-numeric keyboard, and one hard-copy printer.
 

40 4.5” x 6.5” ellipsoidal reflector spotlights with 750W (EHG) lamps
40 6” x 9” ellipsoidal reflector spotlights with 750W (EHG) lamps
40 6” x 12” ellipsoidal reflector spotlights with 500W (EHD) lamps
20 6” Fresnel lens spotlights with 500W (BTL) lamps
20 8” Fresnel lens spotlights with 1,000W (BVT) lamps
20 10” beam projectors with 1,000W (BTR) lamps

Eight Dalquist DQM-9 speaker systems encircle the performance space from the perimeter of the gridiron, 17’ 8” above the floor.  These speakers are driven with BGW 250D amplifiers and a Sound Workshop Logex 12-input/8-output mixing console.  Tape facilities include an Otari 1/2” 8-track/8-channel deck accommodating 10 1/2” reels, a Tascam 1/4” 4-track/4-channel deck accommodating 7” reels, a Technics dual automatic reverse 4-track/2-channel cassette deck with Dolby B and C and “dbx”, and a Panasonic DAT deck.  A Technics audio CD player and a Technics transcription turntable are also available.

Microphones and additional playback/processing can be accommodated, but are not available through the Multi-Media Room.