For Classrooms, Versatile Projectors Offer Dual Pen Support, Ultra-Short-Throw Ratios, and a Variety of Display Options
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FLETCHER, NORTH CAROLINA: With multiple, well-booked indoor and outdoor event spaces, something exciting is always happening at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center (WNCAg). On any given day, equestrian shows, dog shows, or gun shows may run in parallel with conventions, meetings, or workshops. For a week-and-a-half every summer, the North Carolina Mountain State Fair celebrates life in the Blue Ridge Mountains at WNCAg. The center recently updated the Davis Arena, which boasts 45,000 square feet of exhibition space plus meeting rooms and hospitality suites. In order to deliver reliable, sophisticated sound reinforcement, local A/V integrator B&R Audio deployed Ashly Audio amplifiers and signal processors, including a Pema Multi-Channel Amplifier with on-board Protea(tm) DSP Processor. To give the non-technical staff a transparent user interface, the company provided WNCAg with Ashly’s new FR-8 and FR-16 Networkable Remote Fader Controls.

“The Davis Arena supports a huge diversity of events,” said Bruce Jensen, president and owner of B&R Audio, who led the design and installation. “The center needed a very flexible sound reinforcement system that would allow any member of the staff to play music from a variety of input sources and deliver announcements that would be clearly intelligible. In a nutshell, they asked for input volumes and mutes as well as output volumes and mutes to a number of zones, including several far-flung buildings. But perhaps even more importantly, they wanted something that would not intimidate even the most technologically bashful user.” Jensen had worked with Ashly Audio before and caught wind of the FR-8 and FR-16 before they were officially released.

“Ashly’s FR-8 and FR-16 remote controllers were perfect for this installation,” continued Jensen. “And because Ashly’s support is so complete and reliable, I had no fear that I’d be stranded with a semi-functional beta if I pressed the company for an early model.” The FR-8 and FR-16 offer eight and sixteen faders and mutes, plus a master fader. The integrator has full control over which input, output, or mixer volumes are controlled by each fader, with flexible range limits and defaults. An Ashly ne24.24M DSP Matrix Processor handles all of the complex input processing, matrix logic, and output processing behind the scenes. Jensen was careful to set the fader limits and the ne24.24M’s output protection limiting in such a way that even a complete novice can do the system no harm.

Four Ashly Audio amplifiers provide power to the Davis Arena’s distributed loudspeakers. An ne2400.70 Two-Channel Networkable Amplifier rated at 1200W into 70V feeds an outdoor collection of Community R1-64Z weather-resistant horn-loaded loudspeakers. An ne800.70 Network Amp covers the bathrooms and corridors, with ne1600pe.70 and ne2400pe.70 Networkable Amplifiers powering the main exhibition hall. All indoor speakers are down-firing SoundTube models, which do an excellent job of keeping energy off the reverberant walls. Both main exhibition hall amplifiers deliver loudspeaker conditioning with integrated DSP. “Like everything with Ashly, when I buy the amps, I know I’m also getting the company,” said Jensen. “The stuff is solid, and on those rare instances when there is a problem, the people at Ashly are on it right away. Ashly installations always run smoothly.”

Because several of the buildings that require a music and/or announcement feed from the Davis Arena are quite distant, Jensen convinced the WNCAg for forego the miles of speaker cable (literally!) they had been using in favor of fiber optics. A MultiDyne DAM-1000 provides conversion on either end of a pilot feed. “They weren’t sure that they wanted to commit to fiber optics, so we did one trial run,” said Jensen. “They love it, and we’ll be upgrading the other distant feeds in the near future.” Every aspect of B & R Audio’s installation is future-proof. Jensen continued, “One of the nice features of the Ashly ne24.24M is that the input and output count is totally modular. So when the needs of the event center change, we can accommodate those changes without having to rip everything out.

As part of the renovation, the WNCAg added three classroom spaces that are large enough to require sound reinforcement. “It was the perfect application for Ashly’s Pema Multi-Channel DSP Amplifier,” said Jensen. “Because the Pema has everything I needed inside a two-rack space unit, the installation was simple, quick, and reliable.” The Ashly Pema 4250 four-channel delivers input conditioning, switching logic, and loudspeaker conditioning (again for SoundTube loudspeakers). Similar to the FR-8 and FR-16 in the big room, each classroom has an Ashly neWR-5 wall-mounted remote control that allows users to easily select inputs and volumes.

ABOUT ASHLY AUDIO With a greater than thirty-seven year history, Ashly Audio Inc. is recognized as a world leader in the design and manufacturing of quality signal processing equipment and power amplification for use in the commercial sound contracting and professional audio markets.

www.ashly.com

ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 2012: RFvenue, maker of innovative remote antenna products for production wireless, announced today that it has released its high-gain, foldable, circularly polarized CP Beam(tm) Antenna for sale to audio/visual integrators, location sound mixers, broadcast engineers, and touring companies.

“The patent-pending CP Beam is a convenient, easy-to-use, full-size beam antenna for long-range applications that can be very quickly utilized when needed,” remarked RFvenue CEO, Chris Regan. “Customers wanted a compact and durable high-gain antenna without the size, weight, and additional cost of hard plastic or metal designs. It’s great that it folds up for storage, yet is quickly deployable. There’s no need for a dedicated flight case to store the CP Beam – it fits in a two RU rack drawer when folded.”

Robert J Crowley, inventor of Crowley and Tripp microphone technology, and chief of the company, Soundwave more

Philadelphia, PA, February 2012…  McDonald’s founders Ray and Joan Kroc were known for supporting a variety of charitable causes, and their legacy continues with a multi-billion dollar donation to the Salvation Army for the construction of several community centers in cities across America. The latest Kroc Center, recently opened in North Philadelphia, is one of the largest facilities of its kind on the East Coast. Its 130,000 square feet includes a world-class aquatics center, state-of-the-art fitness center, worship and performing arts facilities, café and culinary education center, as well as a wide range of programs for kids, adults and senior citizens.

Powerful sound was a big part of the plan for the facility, explains RTS Unified Communications’ Joe Zamborsky. RTS specified a selection of Community Professional Loudspeakers for the project, including R-Series, WET-Series and CLOUD6 in-ceiling systems to cover the pool areas, worship center, fitness center gymnasium and numerous other areas.

“In any major project like this one, there are a number of challenges,” says Zamborsky. Clearly, the project’s tight six-month schedule was a demanding one, as was the need to be exceptionally flexible in the face of numerous logistical challenges. On more than one occasion, plans had to be altered due to unforeseen surprises during the construction process. “The number one most important thing is communication,” he observes. “We maintained a daily, ongoing dialogue with everyone involved in the project, and that was key to our ability to keep things moving.”

The Community loudspeakers fit the bill on multiple levels, says Zamborsky. “Particularly in the pool areas, which combined a tremendously reverberant environment with an exceptionally high humidity, the R-Series was the only choice. Not only do they look great, but they sound terrific.”

The competition pool area offered up additional challenges as well. “Aside from having to cover the pool area itself, we were tasked with creating a separate system to cover the stands, which are tucked away in their own alcove,” says Zamborsky. “We chose the Community WET Series to cover that area, because they provided both a tight, focused coverage pattern and a high degree of intelligibility.”

Not surprisingly, the facility has been overwhelmingly embraced by the local community. “This is a great place and a tremendous asset for the city of Philadelphia,” says Zamborsky. “We’re proud to have been a part of it, and proud to be able to deliver a great sounding environment for everyone using the facility.”

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Community Professional Loudspeakers has been a leading supplier of professional sound systems since 1968. Headquartered in Chester, Pennsylvania, Community distributes its products to over fifty countries on six continents. Visit www.communitypro.com for more information.

ELKHART, Indiana — PSAV Presentation Services is the world’s largest A/V rental supplier with more than 800 offices worldwide, many located on-site at major hotels. Headquartered in Long Beach, CA, PSAV specializes in providing in-house audiovisual services to the hospitality industry for meetings and events, and maintains one of the largest, most up to date equipment inventories in the industry.

PSAV has been using HARMAN’s Crown Audio VRack complete amplification system since its introduction. The Crown VRack is a turnkey, out-of-the-box amplifier rack system that includes three I-Tech HD I-T12000 power amplifiers, a versatile input panel with analog and digital connections and a globally universal power distribution system that can be set to meet US and international power standards. All the components are housed in a wheeled rack that can be flown in the same manner as a line array loudspeaker system.

“Typically, a hotel sells the meeting space and we work with the end client to provide the equipment and labor required to manage the event,� noted Jacob Ingle, Audio Product Manager for PSAV. “Since we own all of our equipment, we have to select products that are cost-effective, efficient and reliable in order to maintain a profitable bottom line.�

“We have been using HARMAN products for quite a long time and even discussed building pre-configured amp racks with Crown before VRack was introduced. When they introduced the VRack, it was the perfect solution for a number of our amplification needs,� continued Ingle.

“One of our goals is to standardize gear as much as possible so our technicians can move from location to location and be familiar with the equipment they’re going to use,� said Ingle. “Having a unified amplifier package like VRack makes this a lot easier. We have many locations large and small, and VRack is adaptable to different situations because it allows multiple configurations for analog and digital inputs, for different types of speakers and for system networking,� stated Ingle.

“Crown’s VRack is the perfect solution for the audio rental supplier because of its benefits as a plug-and-play solution for customers like Jacob who face an ever-changing set of challenges based on each event,� stated Brian Pickowitz, Marketing Manager for Crown.

“Another major advantage is that VRack interfaces with Harman’s HiQnet Performance Manager™ system design and setup software and is specifically designed to work with JBL VERTEC® loudspeakers. Because we use a lot of JBL, Soundcraft and other HARMAN gear in addition to Crown, VRack becomes part of an all-in-one solution where all components ‘talk to each other’ using HiQnet. This makes system setup and operation much easier and a great deal more efficient,� added Ingle.

About PSAV® Presentation Services
PSAV provides the ideas and technology that inspire great meetings. This has made PSAV the leading provider of event technology for meeting planners and producers across the corporate, association, and tradeshow markets. PSAV provides an unparalleled range of event technology to support its customers’ ability to create, collaborate, and communicate. With more than 800 partner locations worldwide, PSAV provides people and resources right where you want to have your meeting. www.psav.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands – The new Kilden Performing Arts Centre (Konserthuset Kilden) in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand is one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated arts venues in Scandinavia. Constructed at a cost of 1.7 billion NOK (US $287.3 million) and covering a gross area of 15,000 square meters, Kilden features an advanced technological infrastructure across four separate halls. To meet the high demands of this prestigious new facility, territorial distributor LydRommet AS provided a massive variety of HARMAN audio components for the sound reinforcement systems in each space, including JBL VERTEC® line array elements, BSS Soundweb London digital networking, Crown CTs Series amplifiers and Soundcraft Vi Series consoles.

Owned by the Kristiansand Local Council and Vest-Agder County Council, who helped fund it, Kilden will be the joint center for Agder Regional Theater, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and Opera Sør (the regional opera company). ALA Architects of Finland designed the complex so that all halls can be used simultaneously. The Concert Hall is the largest space with 1,185 seats, while the Theater accommodates 700 seats, and the Multi Hall and Small Auditorium can seat 235 and 150 seats, respectively.

The Concert Hall is equipped with 24 JBL VERTEC VT4887DP-DA powered compact line array elements, a center cluster of two JBL VP7212/64DP-DA and one JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeaker, eight JBL VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, four JBL AC28 compact loudspeakers, 14 JBL AC2212/00 compact loudspeakers, four JBL AC26 ultra-compact loudspeakers, with Crown CTs amplifiers assigned to the non-powered loudspeakers. Processing was carried out in a BSS Soundweb London environment, with front of house mixing via a Soundcraft Vi6.

The Theater features 32 JBL VERTEC VT4886 subcompact line array elements powered by Crown VRack systems, a center cluster of two JBL VP7212/95DP-DA and one JBL VP7212/64DP-DA powered loudspeaker. An additional eight JBL AC26 ultra-compact loudspeakers and 12 JBL 8350 cinema surround loudspeakers round out the system, powered by Crown CTs amplifiers. The same Soundweb components were installed as in the Concert Hall, along with another Soundcraft Vi6.

The Multi Hall is equipped with three JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeakers, with two JBL VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, BSS BLU800 and BLU120 digital signal routers and a Soundcraft Vi4 digital mixing desk.

The Small Auditorium features a pair each of JBL VP7212/95DP-DA powered loudspeakers and VPSB7118DP powered subwoofers, complemented by a BSS BLU800 and BSS BLU 120, and Soundcraft Vi1 (along with Vi6 stage box).

Monitoring resources for all stages consist of 24 JBL VP7212MDP powered stage monitors, 14 JBL VP7210/95DP powered loudspeakers, 10 JBL AC15 ultra-compact loudspeakers, a Crown CTs 8200 amplifier and a Soundcraft Vi6 desk.

In addition to these, LydRommet has also equipped a 5.1 recording studio and control room with five JBL LSR6328P studio monitors and an LSR6312SP studio monitor subwoofer. The room also features a Soundcraft Vi4 desk and BSS BLU100 processing.The control room can pick up the MADI from the mixers in each of the four halls to record the performances. Patching can be either manual, or via an RME MADI bridge if also routed to either of the two OB vehicles outside, for which provision has been made in LydRommet’s clever cabling architecture.

The central sound distribution consists of a BSS BLU800 and BSS BLU120, with four BSS BLU16, and 50 JBL Control 25AV surface-mount loudspeakers. Kilden also features 30 channels of AKG DMS 700 wireless microphone systems.

For the official inauguration of Kilden on January 6, national broadcaster NRK brought its HD2 large TV bus and TR23 Soundbus, using its own Studer Vista 9 and Vista 8 mixing consoles respectively, in conjunction with the installed Soundcraft Vi6 and Vi4 (and three Soundcraft Si Compact boards).

The main music mix was carried out on the Vista 8 while a temporary control room was set up inside the building, where the 32-channel, 24-channel and 16-channel Soundcraft Si Compacts produced sub mixes for the TR23 OB—sending groups of strings from the symphony orchestra as well as groups from the 100-piece choir.

LydRommet had originally been invited to tender for the contract five years ago in a bid involving five companies. They successfully responded to a specification produced by Ivar Thommasen at Brekke & Strand Akustikk AS for a contract that included a video and digital signage section, a paging/show monitoring system and a stage management system in addition to the core speech and music reinforcement systems and complete cable infrastructure.

“The client asked for half-year adjustments to make the solution work in the best way defined for the job,� explained LydRommet project manager Alf Christian Hvidsteen. “This allowed us to optimize the system and make full use of the integrated solutions that HARMAN can provide.�

Working directly for the Kilden Project Group and alongside main contractor, AF Gruppen, LydRommet’s own in-house product specialists, Espen Andersen and Pål Solli, designed the sound reinforcement and distribution systems with the aid of AutoCAD, HARMAN HiQnet Performance Manager™, System Architect™, London Architect™ and JBL’s Line Array Calculator. The result was a show relay system incorporating 200 speaker stations—fed and controlled by IP over Ethernet.

“The results, to put it mildly, were stunning,� Hvidsteen said. “The preview concerts as well as the opening ceremony were a very good test of both the acoustics and our loudspeaker choices. All systems worked very well and the customer and audience were very pleased with the results.�

High-resolution photos of the Kilden Performing Arts Centre are available at http://www.definitionbam.com/downloads/2012/Kilden_pictures.zip

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

WEBSTER, NEW YORK – JANUARY 2012: Jointly hosted by InfoComm International and CEDIA, ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) became the A/V industry’s largest trade show last year, drawing almost 35,000 attendees. Ashly Audio, which has been represented by one of their distributors in previous years, will have its own stand (#7V214) at this year’s show (31 January to 2 February in Amsterdam). In addition to its stalwart network-enabled amplifiers and Protea(tm) processors, Ashly will demonstrate the capabilities of its new, highly-efficient KLR-Series amplifiers, all-in-one Pema(tm) multi-channel amp with on-board Protea(tm) DSP processor, intuitive FR-Series network fader remotes, and the new TM-Series mixer/amplifiers.

“Our international business has grown significantly in recent years,” said Ashly’s president, Mark Wentling, who will be joined by John Sexton, VP of sales and marketing, at the show. “We’re looking forward to meeting face-to-face with customers and industry friends from around the world. Of course, we’re also looking forward to introducing a broad audience to the unique value, functionality, and reliability of the Ashly product line.”

ABOUT ASHLY AUDIO With a greater than thirty-seven year history, Ashly Audio Inc. is recognized as a world leader in the design and manufacturing of quality signal processing equipment and power amplification for use in the commercial sound contracting and professional audio markets. www.ashly.com

STOP BY AND SEE US AT ISE 2012 STAND #7V214

Apantac continues to expands its line of MT HOOD and MAZAMA signal processing and extension solutions and is launching ten new products at ISE, stand 11 N67.

New to the MT HOOD series:
• HDBaseT extender and receiver set with Ethernet and Power over Ethernet (POE)
• 4×4 and an 8×8 HDMI Matrix switch
• Dual Head KVM Extender to extends VGA, USB mouse, and keyboard over two CAT 5e/6 cables
• A USB Touch Screen Extender extends VGA with USB control over a single CAT 5e/6 cable
• VGA Skew Corrector – provides skew delay correction between the Red, Green and Blue VGA signals being transmitted over CAT 5e/6 cable.

New to the MAZAMA Series:
• DVI Fiber Optic fixed cable extender that extends 1080p signals up to 500 meters up to resolutions of 1920×1200
• DVI Dual Link Fiber Optic fixed cable extender that extends Dual Link DVI signals up to 330 meters, using two multi-mode SC fibers
• HDMI Fiber Optic extender that extends 1080p signals up to 500 meters over a single multi-mode SC fiber

Apantac will be at ISE 2012 on stand 11 N67.

Extron Electronics is pleased to introduce the new XTRAâ„¢ Series XPA 4002 two channel power amplifier. This compact 1U, convection cooled amplifier delivers 400 watts rms per channel, and is available in low impedance and 70 volt versions. The XPA 4002 is an ENERGY STAR® qualified amplifier with an Extron exclusive, highly efficient, advanced Class D amplifier design. It also features patented CDRSâ„¢ – Class D Ripple Suppression technology that provides a smooth, clean audio waveform and an improvement in signal fidelity over conventional Class D amplifiers. The XPA 4002 is half the size of comparable amplifiers, conserving rack space and weighing only 9 lbs (4 kg). The Extron exclusive, high efficiency design generates very little heat and allows the amplifier to be convection cooled.

“The XPA 4002 is our newest ENERGY STAR qualified amplifier that delivers a unique combination of high power output and very efficient operation,” says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron. “It is ideal for driving high powered speaker cabinets or a large quantity of distributed speakers in large spaces such as auditoriums and houses of worship, while consuming less energy, running cooler, and taking up less space than competitive models.”

The XPA 4002 features an auto power-down feature that automatically places the amplifier into standby after a period of inactivity, and consumes 30 watts or less when idle and less than 1 watt in standby mode. It also has an ultra low inrush current draw to prevent power circuit overload that occurs when multiple amplifiers are switched on simultaneously. This feature eliminates the need for power sequencing in systems with multiple amplifiers in large centralized equipment racks, and prevents other equipment from experiencing power interruption from associated power surges. Additionally, the XPA 4002 amplifier features very low thermal dissipation under full load, which keeps racks and equipment cabinets cool.

Visit our Web site at www.extron.com/xpa4002pr for more information.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 2012: The NHL Winter Classic is a throwback to the bygone days when professional hockey was played outdoors in the chill wintertime air. But more than that, it is the NHL’s so-far-successful attempt to claim New Years Day in the same way that baseball claims July 4th and football claims Thanksgiving Day. This year’s contest took place at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia between the hometown Flyers and their rivals, the New York Rangers. Despite the Flyers’ loss, the 47,000 fans in attendance enjoyed the experience, as did the nearly four-million viewers who watched on NBC. Clair Global provided house sound and a broadcast mix for the between-period performances by hometown superstars, The Roots. They used three unique, Clair-conceived and Clair-deployed solutions: mobile speaker carts that allowed the line arrays to be lowered and flipped out of site lines as more