COOL OVERHEAD RACK ENCLOSURES OFFER SOLUTIONS FOR CLASSROOMS, BOARDROOMS AND MEETING ROOMS

Woodland Park, NJ – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, is debuting its new CORE family of products to help solve the challenges of today’s classrooms, boardrooms and meeting rooms where floor space has reached an all-time premium.

With FSR’s Cool Overhead Rack Enclosures (CORE), which consists of the Ceiling Box family of above ceiling rack enclosures, and the brand new Top Shelf wall mounted rack enclosure, the company can offer viable options to facilities which can no longer afford to devote floor space to equipment racks or credenzas.

“Let’s face it, many facilities today just don’t have the same amount of floor space any longer to devote to large equipment racks,� says Jan Sandri, president, FSR. “With our new CORE family of products, FSR has the solution. We are thrilled to be able to introduce these powerful options to the industry, which includes the Ceiling Box family and Top Shelf wall-mounted rack enclosure, that target today’s challenges of space constraints.�

The Ceiling Box family is installed in a standard 2’ x 2’ or 2’ x 4’ drop ceilings and provides from 2 ½ rack to 4 full rack spaces for equipment mounting. Optionally, the Ceiling Box family can be equipped with a projector pole mount adapter so that the projector can mount directly to the ceiling box and cables can disappear through the pole.

The newest member of the CORE family is the Top Shelf wall mounted rack. Top Shelf mounts to a wall just below the ceiling in installations without a drop ceiling or where space above the drop ceiling is limited. The Top Shelf provides four rack units of mounting space and the plastic cover allows RF and WiFi signals to pass unobstructed between the equipment and the room.

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

FSR complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is a woman owned business. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information visit www.fsrinc.com.

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • harriet@desertmooncomm.com

Extron Electronics is pleased to introduce the new FOX T USW 203, a three input switcher with an integrated fiber optic transmitter for long haul transmission of HDCP-compliant HDMI, RGBHV, or HD component video, stereo audio, and RS-232 control signals over fiber optic cabling. Engineered for exceptional high resolution image performance, this three input switcher uses Extron all-digital technology to deliver perfect pixel-for-pixel transmission of video images at resolutions up to 1920×1200, including HDTV 1080p/60. Analog AV input signals are digitized to ensure that a high quality signal is transmitted to the final destination. To streamline installation and system operation, the switcher includes integration-friendly features such as buffered HDMI output and VGA input loop-through, EDID Minder®, Key Minder®, audio embedding, auto-input switching, RS-232 control, and real-time system monitoring. The FOX T USW 203 is ideal for a wide range of applications requiring long distance transmission of high resolution content with the highest quality. more

Christie® visual technology solutions are playing a key role in visualizing the University of Waterloo’s mission to intersect technology, business and art under the Faculty of Arts programs – a first in Canada – at its new Stratford, Ontario campus.

Christie’s world-leading digital projection and display technologies are omnipresent on the new Stratford campus – a campus designed to create the next generation of digital media graduates, jobs, content and companies. With innovative solutions that meet the needs of this campus, Christie products will unleash the creative minds of university students and establish an incubator that affords leading researchers and businesses the opportunity to drive new ideas for commercialization.

“Christie’s technology will showcase our students’ content work, highlight creativity and provide a unique canvas for complex and detailed digital media research, visualization and commercialization,� said Ginny Dybenko, executive director of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.

Christie MicroTiles – A Towering Presence
As the atrium’s commanding centerpiece, the built-in 5 units wide by 30 units high (6.5 feet wide by 30 feet high), digital video wall incorporates 150 award-winning Christie® MicroTiles®. These eye-catching, digital building blocks enable architects and integrators to incorporate stunning video into their designs and builds. Combining the strengths of both DLP® and LED technology, MicroTiles can reproduce 115 percent of the NTSC color gamut, exceeding typical LCD flat panels by more than 50 percent. Each display unit automatically detects its neighbours, and self-calibrates for color and brightness to optimize the overall presentation. To keep the massive three-storey installation secured to the wall, rp Visuals Solutions, working with Christie’s Research and Innovation group designed and installed a rear-mounting bracket with steel-support beams. Toronto’s Westbury National Show Systems project managed the installation on behalf of the University of Waterloo.

“Digital media technologies in the classroom give university students access to technologies that are rapidly evolving in today’s business economy. The shaping and spacing of the global digital economy begins where students can practice, develop and innovate firsthand and where researchers can generate and drive innovative ideas,� said Dr. Paul Salvini, chief technology officer at Christie, about the company’s contribution of visual digital technology to the university campus.

Christie Solutions Powering and Managing Christie MicroTiles behind the scenes
In addition to the Christie MicroTiles in the atrium, several other Christie products make up the technology mix on campus. The Christie-designed media management system, which when used with the Christie Spyder X20 video processor allows students to switch from multiple zones of high-resolution and low-resolution content simultaneously, or to drive the entire wall with uniform resolution and portray dramatic three-storey tall images. The students also have a range of options for publishing content onto the canvas. Christie Jumpstart content management software makes it easy to put stunning, high resolution content onto a multi-display or large tiled digital canvas. With its simple interface, even students at the beginner level can use it. This combination of powerful processing capabilities and simple content management software will help the students to stretch the capabilities of what is currently possible.

55� flat panels create PIE concept for control room environment
The Christie PIE (Personal Immersive Environment) concept at the Stratford Campus features a four-panel arrangement using Christie FHD551-X HD LCD 55� flat panels in portrait mode for a roughly 90 degree field of view (FOV). The PIE is currently being used to monitor and program the content that is featured on the showpiece digital wall. Easily flipped into landscape to suit the user’s needs, it is a low-cost faceted display system that is perfect for control room environments.

Christie in the classrooms and on-foot
Six Christie LWU505 3LCD projectors, with premium features, high resolution in a widescreen format are ceiling mounted at the Stratford Campus. The LWU505 is compact, full featured making it a perfect presentation devise. Stratford Campus incorporated the Christie LW401 for its low maintenance and low cost of ownership to be used in mobile situations due to is portable design, making it easy to bring presentations from classroom to classroom. With the projector’s various options of wireless capability, PC-Less presentation via USB port or content delivery when installed on a network. It also provides a crucial feature of displaying campus wide notifications when integrated to the network.

Christie’s Dave Muscat, senior director of sales for Canada, who participated in the opening of the campus, recalls people’s reaction to the brilliant fireworks on the three-storey wall when they were illuminated for the first time during the opening celebration. “It was a very magical moment for me to see our MicroTiles in a higher education setting and knowing that Christie’s products will make a difference in advancing students’ and researchers’ knowledge of digital media. Christie looks forward to working with the students to develop new ways of collaborating with the facility in content creation and design,� Muscat added.

Extron Electronics is pleased to introduce the HFX 100 HDMI Fiber Optic Extender, an economical transmitter and receiver set for long distance transmission of HDMI video and embedded audio signals over one fiber optic cable. It extends HDCP-compliant HDMI signals over a multimode cable at lengths up to 300 meters (984 feet). Engineered for reliability and exceptional image performance, the compact extender uses all-digital technology to deliver perfect pixel-for-pixel transmission of images up to 1920×1200, including HDTV 1080p/60. The HFX 100 is ideal for use in applications that require long distance transmission of HDMI video and embedded multi-channel digital audio signals. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Home to many of the University of Nevada Las Vegas performing arts groups, the 550-seat Judy Bayley Theater opened in 1972 and features a raked auditorium, a fully-rigged, proscenium stage, and a thrust-apron that can be used as an orchestra pit.

A new audio system was recently recommended by audio expert Mary McFadden, designed and installed by PRG, and includes a Yamaha M7CL-48ES digital audio console, IS series speakers, DME24 (Digital Mixing Engine), and XP amplifiers. McFadden is quite familiar with the venue and has taught in the theater as faculty adjunct for sound design. Last year, she had students put a delay line in the theater, a very successful project. “Brackley Frayer, the department chairman, called me in January to ask me to consult on a new system, as funding had been obtained to update both the sound and lighting system,� states McFadden.

“There is no sound design degree at the school, but there is a concentration in sound design available within the general theater BA,� says McFadden. “Since there is no full-time faculty that teaches sound, my feeling was, the new system needed to be easy to operate and have a digital signal path to familiarize students with digital audio networking and concepts. The Yamaha M7CL-48ES package fit these requirements.�

“PRG worked as a subcontractor to American Southwest Electric to bid on the project, and we won the bid with ASE,� states PRG Audio Designer, Eric Hebard. The bid’s Scope of Work included more than pro audio and lighting; ASE handled the general and electrical construction portions, and PRG handled all the audio system engineering and installation. “The design included the rigging of the speakers based on locations that Mary had specified: the small shrouds for the portable Yamaha SB168’s stage boxes, the rack with power and thermal dissipation to properly house the equipment, how to reasonably network the SB168’s, power and network locations to stay within budgets, and in keeping with modular capabilities,� says Hebard.

“The Yamaha DME is a key part of the system, McFadden says; ‘it is very cost effective, and has all the DSP required for the system – EQ, crossovers, delays, etc. It also has a delay matrix component, and surround sound capability. I used the delay matrix to teach and design with last year, and this year I am using it for ‘God Lives in Glass’, a benefit for both Family Promise and the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, the professional Equity arm of the theater school. The DME is a great teaching tool, and gets students to think about signal processing and design in the digital realm.� The school plans to buy an ES card for the DME to make the DME part of the ES network – right now it’s analog in and out. By using the GUI for the DME, students can become familiar with system design concepts.�

“I am very pleased with the new Yamaha sound system,� states Brackley Frayer, Chair and Executive Director, Department of Theater and the Nevada Conservatory Theater. “When the designers and engineers played their demo tapes through the new system, I sat back and enjoyed the result. This is the best sound I have heard in the Judy Bayley Theater since I arrived 17 years ago.�

For more information on PRG, visit www.prg.com.

For more information on Yamaha Commercial Audio products, visit www.yamahaca.com.

-END-

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Celebrating 125 years of Passion and Performance, and 25 years in the manufacturer of high quality digital audio consoles, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.

Christie®, who introduced the world’s first DLP® simulation projection system with LED illumination, today announced that QuantaDyn Corporation, an engineering firm specializing in training simulation, has awarded Christie the contract to provide the projection system for the First Article Unit of the Air National Guard’s Advanced Joint Terminal Attack Controller Training System (AAJTS) Development Program. The 10 new Christie Matrix StIM™ WQ 1-chip DLP® solid state, LED-based projectors will power Immersive Display Solution’s semi-portable simulator dome with a field of view of 240 by 90 degrees. Battlespace Simulations Inc., will supply Model Air Combat Environment (MACE) software used for scenario/entity generation, and MetaVR will provide its Virtual Reality Scene Generator™.

The Christie Matrix StIM WQ is an integrated scalable environment projection system with the capability to display independent RGB and IR channels through Christie’s InfraScene™ technology at WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution. It features 800 ANSI lumens, 4.1 megapixels of resolution, fully ruggedized chassis, Christie proprietary technology such as ArrayLOC™, which allows a seamless and uniform performance across a projection array, MotoBlend™ to maximize system contrast and optimize dark scenes, robust and easy to use AutoCal™ to maintain the alignment to precisely match and blend arrays, and the latest fully adjustable Christie AccuFrame™ smear-reduction technology for the most true-to-life image quality in the industry. Unlike alternative approaches to “smear reduction�, Christie AccuFrame is integrated into the Christie Matrix StIM WQ and is fully adjustable in 1 percent increments over a 0-100 percent range. This allows system designers and customers to maximize dynamic image quality over a range of applications and/or training scenarios.

Engineered for simulation and training needs, the Matrix StIM WQ’s unique dual input architecture is capable of providing a true 120Hz output at full WQXGA resolution that allows users to maximize image quality without compromising system brightness.

Extron Electronics is pleased to introduce the DSC 301 HD a compact HDCP-compliant video scaler. This scaler has an HDMI input, configurable high resolution analog and composite video inputs, and an HDMI output. Featuring an advanced scaling engine with 30-bit processing and 1080i deinterlacing, the DSC 301 HD delivers uncompromised picture quality for output resolutions up to 1920×1200, including 1080p and 2K. It includes EDID Minder®, automatic input switching, and simplifies system connections by embedding audio from one of the three stereo inputs onto the HDMI output. Designed for professional integration, the compact, low profile half-rack width enclosure enables simple and discreet mounting in many environments. more

HOUSTON, Texas—The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) of the Houston Independent School District evolved in 1971 from a realization that gifted young artists need highly specialized and rigorous training in the arts to be prepared for the intense competition they will meet in colleges, conservatories, and the professional arts world. The creation of HSPVA represented the first attempt by any public high school in the nation to correlate an academic program with concentrated training in the arts.

Recently, the HSPVA completed the installation of a Yamaha AFC3 (Active Field Control) System for the 400-seat Denney Theater. The system, provided by Sound Productions of Irving, Texas and installed by Covenant Communications of Houston, is the first AFC3 installation, using the new AFC-FIR card released at InfoComm 2012, in the world. The HSPVA AFC3 installation includes 20 speakers with four mics all out in the main auditorium.

The project’s architect, Abe Sustatia of Sustatia Architects, contacted Covenant. “We were asked to design and install a new sound system for the Denney Theater and the black box theater,� states Shawn Mullins at Covenant. “While working with both Abe and the school to determine the best route for the sound system, they asked about options to help the acoustic environment in theater. They have multiple choral and musical groups, and since the theater was so acoustically dead, the school had to move musical performances to other venues that became costly and troublesome.�

“This is my fourth year as the Technical Director at HSPVA,� states Marc Duncan. “To say that we have had sound reinforcement issues would be an understatement of exponential proportions. After three years attempting to repair/replace or reinvent our acoustic orchestra shell and its implementation, we thought we had finally found what we believed was the best ‘sound’ we would ever achieve… until now.�

“We designed two systems, the reinforcement system, that is centered around a Yamaha LS9-32 digital console and digital snake and then the enhancement system,� Mullins continues. “We were familiar with two systems being used to enhance room acoustics, Yamaha and Meyer. We looked at both processes and felt that Yamaha suited the venue better. We contacted Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems and began the process of getting design assistance. As the project matured, we contacted Jeff Humphries of Sound Productions to make arrangements for the equipment. Sound Productions has been a great partner for us for over the past 12 years. The original design incorporated the previous generation of AFC equipment, so we were really excited when we were informed that we would be getting the new Yamaha AFC3 for this project.�

Active Field Control is a reverberation enhancement system that adjusts and enhances the acoustic characteristics of a facility while preserving the natural characteristics. This is achieved by creating feedback loops of microphones and speakers located in the reverberant field of the room to “recycle� the reverberant energy, thus extending the RT time. Yamaha AFC is used to create varying RT settings to suit different performance applications within the same facility. The system can be used to add spaciousness to under balcony or stage areas so all audience members and performers can enjoy the same sense of connection to the music and a greater shared experience. AFC systems can also be used to add early reflections or as crowd enhancements systems.

The new AFC3 processor supports transfer of FIR calculations of AFC processing to dedicated hardware. The new AFC-FIR processor card can be mounted in the AFC3 processor, and in addition to handling the processor-intensive FIR calculations, the card also provides four AES inputs for system microphone channels.

“As a performing arts school that averages 30 different events in our Denney Theater a year, half of them being from the Music Department, it is easy to understand how much this system has benefitted us,� says Duncan. “The look of shock and awe when our music department chairs heard the system for the first time was an overwhelming relief that we could finally provide a space to support the magic that takes place in our school every day.�

Duncan said the first event held for the Music Department using the new AFC System was a fundraiser where they had a 40-person choir, Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Young Performers Pop Concert, and a full Orchestra, all performing in the same space throughout the night. This event takes place throughout the whole building in all of the school’s performing spaces and averages 2,000 guests a year. “Everyone raved about how great the sound was and how shocked they were that this was the same building they had been coming to for years, but had never heard ‘this’ before. Looking back, I wonder how we ever did the event at all without the Yamaha AFC system. When we want a dead space we turn it off, and when we want more, the question now is, ‘how much more?’

As the main operator of the system Duncan said he can’t get over how quick and easy the AFC System is to operate. “We can switch between five different room environments, taking about four seconds to load each setting, and we have a 10 db range of control depending on how live we want it to sound. We can access it from the booth or from backstage, all from a simple panel no bigger than a DVD case. The Denney Theater is not just a performance space; it is also used as a classroom. Now, when we have master classes or guest artists in the space during the day, changing the acoustics of the room to customize it is fast, efficient, and a breeze. The system sounds outstanding; it’s remarkable!�

For more information on the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.hspva.org.

For more information on the Yamaha AFC System, visit www.yamahaca.com.

-END-

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Celebrating 125 years of Passion and Performance, and 25 years in the manufacturer of high quality digital audio consoles, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: When the highly-respected Recording Arts and Sciences Program at the Peabody Conservatory/Johns Hopkins University needed to replace an aging console the clear choice was with a new sixteen-channel API Audio 1608 console, largely because of its authentic sound quality and flexibility. The University program, which awards a double-major Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s of Arts in Audio Sciences is the American equivalent of the European Tonmeister training program, and its students benefit from being in close alliance with the JHU’s G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering, a dedicated faculty of experts and a comprehensive recording studio facility to anchor the program.

Students from the Peabody Conservatory engage in over one thousand performances a year in five venues of varying size, and the Recording Arts and Sciences Program’s studio facilities tie into those venues. Recording arts students record each and every performance under the guidance of faculty members. Beginning students handle simpler stereo recording sessions and assist on more complex sessions, whereas advanced students conduct multi-mic recording sessions for the orchestras, operas and jazz ensembles. Studio D is connected to three of those performance venues, and the new API 1608 console will play a large role in those recording sessions.

The API 1608 is paired with a Pro Tools HD system, which Scott Metcalfe, director of the program, asserts is an excellent hybrid analog/digital combination. “With the API 1608, students can experiment with the full range of possibilities, from in-the-box mixes, to analog summing, to DAW fader control, to full-analog mixing and processing,� he said. “It’s a very flexible design, and we will use it in a lot of different ways.�

Metcalfe and colleagues also look forward to putting the API 1608’s modular design to equally practical use. Each channel features a slot for an API 500-series format module, with eight spare slots that can be patched in. Although API is famous for having pioneered the format and makes many popular 500-series processors, a huge number of established and boutique manufacturers have adopted the 500-series format for their processors as well. Thus, the API 1608 readily accepts third-party processors of tremendous scope and variety.

API is already present in the facility’s other studios. A four-channel API 3124 preamp and a ten-space 500V rack loaded with API equalizers and dynamics processors lend the warm analog “API sound� to Studio A. “In addition to the sonics of API and the flexibility of the 1608, I was also happy to be working with our neighbors,� said Metcalfe, acknowledging the fact that API’s headquarters are a mere twenty-five minutes from the Recording Arts and Sciences Program at the Peabody Conservatory/Johns Hopkins University.

ABOUT API (AUTOMATED PROCESSES, INC.) Established more than 40 years ago, Automated Processes, Inc. is the leader in analog recording gear with the Vision, Legacy Series and 1608 recording consoles, as well as its classic line of modular signal processing equipment.

www.apiaudio.com

Christie®, who introduced the world’s first DLP® simulation projection system with LED illumination, today announced that FlightSafety International, with Aero Simulation Inc. (ASI), has awarded Christie the contract to supply a projection system consisting of nine Christie Matrix StIM™ WQ 1-chip DLP® solid state, LED-based projectors, to the U.S. Coast Guard’s HC-144A Ocean Sentry program at the Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile, Alabama. Aero Simulation Inc. (ASI) is the program’s prime contractor responsible for delivering the Operational Flight Trainer (OFT) and supporting subsystems.

The Christie Matrix StIM WQ is an integrated scalable environment projection system with the capability to display independent RGB and IR channels through Christie’s InfraScene™ technology at WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution. It features 800 ANSI lumens, 4.1 megapixels of resolution, fully ruggedized chassis, Christie proprietary technology such as ArrayLOC™, which allows a seamless and uniform performance across a projection array, MotoBlend™ to maximize system contrast and optimize dark scenes, robust and easy to use AutoCal™ to maintain the alignment to precisely match and blend arrays, and the latest fully adjustable Christie AccuFrame™ smear-reduction technology for the most true-to-life image quality in the industry. Unlike alternative approaches to “smear reduction,� Christie AccuFrame is integrated into the Christie Matrix StIM WQ and is fully adjustable in 1 percent increments over a 0-100 percent range. This allows system designers and customers to maximize dynamic image quality over a range of applications and/or training scenarios.

The all-new HC-144A Ocean Sentry has been certified by the USCG as its Medium Range Surveillance Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The Ocean Sentry has the capability to perform aerial delivery of search and rescue equipment such as rafts, pumps, and flares. It can serve as an on-scene commander platform for homeland security missions, since it is outfitted with the IDS Command and Control (C2) System, and the state-of-the-art C4ISR suite of sensors and avionics. The HC-144A’s modern C4ISR suite, modular cabin, fuel consumption rate, and short field takeoff and landing capability, make it uniquely suited for U.S. Coast Guard missions.

Christie is at I/ITSEC in Orlando, FL, Dec 3-6 showcasing several new simulation solutions including the Christie Matrix StIM WQ at Booth #2549.