Snelling Business Systems Delivers Innovative AV Integration to Enable Webstreaming and Archiving at UEA

The technology used to implement this owes much to the inventiveness of AV project integrators, Snelling Business Systems - who put together a £250,000 technology package.

In selecting the audio for the new building, they again turned to QSC Audio components as their main brand. Handling the complex audio processing of a switchable multi-mode system are two BASIS 922az DSP devices, linked by Cobranet, which contain the gain structure, provide fire alarm control - and feature a 16 x 16 Input/Output channel matrix which is worked to capacity.
 
Seven centrally bookable seminar rooms (holding between 40 and 64 people) and a 360-seat lecture theatre form the ground and first floor of the brand new four-storey building.

The lecture theatre’s sound field has been designed in a 7.1 QSC surround sound configuration and is Dolby THX compliant. It has been constructed from six AcousticDesign AD-S282H loudspeakers mounted down the sides of the auditorium, a further two behind the grilles on either side of the giant media screen, and a pair of smaller AD-S82H’s forming the rear surrounds. In addition, two QSC HPR-151i active subs are installed under the seating below trapdoors to provide low-end extension.

Said Snelling Business Systems MD, Toby Wise, “We had looked at a number of solutions, and with our senior engineer, Colin Jacobs, came to the conclusion that since the University wanted to promote film studies but also have the ability to switch effortlessly to a Lecture Theatre mode, then the most flexible solution would be offered by QSC.

“We have used QSC components many times in the past and the university is impressed with the clever yoke-mounting system and the robustness and quality of the products - plus all the mechanical engineering data is always supplied.”

The funding for the building  was approved in late 2007 and Snelling were initially appointed as independent AV consultants, developing the specification with Chris Browne, the UEA’s Head of AV and Print Services. They then bid successfully for the integration, meeting a tender document produced by main contractors Keir Eastern, which included a high definition Blu-ray capability, a 7.1 cinema surround system and interactivity, via the option of both a simple and a highly technical AMX user interface.

“This project provided a welcome opportunity to create a new building containing centrally bookable teaching spaces on the campus,” said Mr. Browne. “At the same time we were able to exploit the best of current trusted technologies, considering the anticipated impact of HD technology and the benefits that this could bring. The convergence of AV and IT will bring about a significant move towards the networked delivery of teaching resources.”

The system itself was designed by Colin Jacobs. “At the outset there was a requirement only for a conventional fit out,  but when the University said they wanted HD Blu-ray and 7.1 surround sound - as well as all the usual provisions - the additional channel count presented a challenge. With complex cross point switching and matrixing the only DSP we could find that would expand easily was BASIS.”

In addition to the eight-channel inputs for the ADA Suite 7.1 HD surround sound preamp/decoder further inputs were required for the left/right programme feed from a Kramer VP7277A-BA audio switcher, and microphone feeds from Six Shure SLX wireless channels and two wired gooseneck mics, which are processed in a Shure SCM810 automixer.

Snelling have intelligently made the set-up switchable between Presentation and Surround Sound scenarios, with the option of a simple plug-and-play User mode (for presenters at the lectern) to the Technician mode, when the sound feeds back to the Soundcraft mixer in the control booth.

Equally, BASIS is programmed so that the entire surround sound is only activated when playing material from Blu-ray or DVD; the switching between the operating modes is very smooth with minimal lag, note Snelling.

The BASIS outputs comprise three QSC CX404 4-channel amplifiers, each providing individual channel feeds to the speakers. There are also feeds to a Sonic Foundry Mediasite (which captures the lectures and handles the web streaming), the QSC HP-151i subwoofers, local relay feeds to an overflow seminar room and a plasma display at the front of the building. Finally BASIS provides a feed to an Ampetronic induction loop system.

“The system’s performance, especially in 7.1 mode, is exceptional,” confirms Colin Jacobs. “We have worked with other units but the Basis DSP’s are extremely flexible, allowing us to design complex switching and routing configurations easily.”

Operating in Technician mode the mic and programme feeds are routed through to the control booth mixer. “The BASIS DSP’s enabled us to implement this complex switching ‘on the fly’— it has given us complete control,” says Jacobs, “We have made good use of the EQ’s in BASIS — for instance we roll off the LF response to the AD-S282H’s and use the HPR-151i’s to provide the bottom end. On top of that, it’s a doddle to programme and the way it generates the XML control strings makes AMX programming much easier.”

Chriss Browne also gives unreserved support for the QSC solution. “QSC product is well respected in the industry and one of the few that offered a fully integrated single solution that also featured fully networked management of the individual components required to handle a diversity of uses. The QSC sound system is of very high quality and is the perfect complement to the visual display solution.”

As for the remainder of the building, Norwich Business School’s new Executive Teaching Centre will occupy the third floor and incorporate a 90-seater seminar room, a large oval break-out space, an IT and library resources space and a boardroom. Eight NBS academics’ offices will also feature - and already multiples of QSC’s AD-S52 speakers have been installed in the classrooms on the top floor.
 
A second phase of building is already underway and other NBS colleagues and school offices will locate there on completion in June 2010.

The Thomas Paine Lecture Theatre will thus become the first lecture theatre of choice to support UEA’s public engagement and enterprise activities. With its eight seminar rooms it can expect heavy utilisation. It will be used for a number of the University’s public lectures and events as well as providing outstanding conference facilities outside of semester.

Reflecting on one of the biggest contracts his company has undertaken - delivered completely in house - a delighted Toby Wise said, “Although we work a lot in the Further and Higher Education sector,  this lecture theatre had to make a statement and the impact of the 10.6 sq. metre optical front projection screen combined with the audio is sensational. This is our showpiece lecture theatre - it’s as good as it gets."

www.qscaudio.com