Monash University in Australia recently refurbished its Clayton campus; undergoing an extensive transformation with 65 formal and 60 informal newly equipped learning spaces spread over almost 30,000 square metres.
The University worked with CHW Consulting to lock down a specification for the project to go to tender, and Rutledge AV won that process and was appointed as the AV systems seller and integrators for the project.
Manufacturer of professional power amplifiers, Powersoft, was on-board as a key supplier in the AV mix, with its dedicated install multi-channel amplifier series, Powersoft Ottocanali and Quattrocanali, deployed throughout Clayton’s Learning and Teaching Building.
Powersoft Ottocanali 1204 DSP+ETH, 10 Powersoft Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D, 5 x Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D were installed in total as part of a high-spec audio set up which puts the end users – the teachers and students – at the heart of the solution.
Arthur Soh, Powersoft’s regional sales manager explained: “Our advanced amplifier solutions are perfect for this kind of landmark education project. Offering ease of integration and improving system performance, the Ottocanali and Quattrocanali ranges offer premium sound quality, are highly reliable and are unrivalled at the price point.”
Ben Clarke, head of the technical support department at PAVT, distributor for Powersoft in Australia – provided specialist know-how in the audio design, added: “The days of a pair of plastic loudspeakers next to a screen for the programme and a bunch of ceiling speakers for voice are well and truly gone. The Learning in the Round was a big audio challenge because of its shape; the reverberant field will focus all the energy back into the centre and there will be various hotspots. Consistency is key – whilst also finding a balance in the investment across the three key aspects of good installed sound: speaker directivity, acoustic treatment and the microphone.”
The university opted for Shure ULX-D wireless across the campus while selecting a high-directivity device with tight, controlled dispersion patterns (the EAW KF394) mounted above each display in the octagonal array. The KF394 was chosen because of the enclosure’s spaced pair of 10-inch drivers which help extend pattern control down into the midrange where the power frequencies of speech are.
As downfill, the EAW VFR69 is used – paired with Powersoft’s Ottocanali or Quattrocanali multichannel amps – ensuring it shares a consistent sound with all the other EAW speakers on campus. In another example of the depth of consideration which was applied to the design, the AV touchpoints are purposefully situated in the corner of the room to encourage the teacher to be out with the students rather than preaching from a lectern up front.
Clarke said: “The ability to install the EAW Greybox DSP presets allows lecturers and listeners to have a matched response across multiple different rooms with differing loudspeaker choices. With the project team using powersoft’s Armonía software for loading the EAW Greybox presets and final loudspeaker system equalisation, the room file is then saved for future service.”
