Biamp in the Bayou
May 11, 2006 8:00 AM
New Shreveport Convention Center features intuitive audio controls via AudiaFLEX
Highlighting its comprehensive set of audio control solutions, Biamp Systems has announced that Audio Communications Consultants, Inc., (ACCI) along with WJHW consultants in Dallas, have successfully installed four AudiaFLEX CM units in the newly completed Shreveport Convention Center. In addition to AudiaFLEX, the convention center also features Biamp VS8 control panels and a customized master control interface powered by Biamp’s daVinci software. Now only a few weeks old, the Shreveport Convention Center audio system can be easily and quickly configured to accommodate any function and provides even, optimized coverage in every audio zone.
Each of the convention center’s 26 zones is automatically mixed and equalized by four separate AudiaFLEX chasses in conjunction with seven AudiaFLEX EXPI expansion modules. To provide the convention center operators with the maximum level of control throughout the entire facility, ACCI installed Biamp VS8 control panels in every space in the convention center, with each panel incorporating a microphone input and a line level control.
Along with the VS8 control panels, the audio system can also be controlled via Dell PCs in the main control room. The two PCs, one for the amplifiers and the other for Audia DSP controls, run an intuitive GUI powered by Biamp’s daVinci control software. This control interface allows operators to view audio operations in each zone of the convention center and adjust level meters as needed.
“This beautiful facility is capable of accommodating almost any size function, from tradeshows to special events to small or large meetings,” says Dennis Banks, sales manager and senior designer, ACCI. “Regardless of the function, The Shreveport Convention Center affords attendees and convention center employees an exceptional level of customization in every zone as each event or occasion demands so that any audio needed is always optimized. All of the components interact very nicely and the system’s output is crisp and clear.”
Located in downtown Shreveport, La., the convention center consists of three exhibit halls, a five-space ballroom, and 10 meeting rooms as well as pre-function rooms and administrative offices. Under WJHW’s audio design, each of these areas and rooms are treated as separate audio zones, yet can be combined in a number of different configurations using the logic capabilities of the AudiaFLEX.
The AudiaFLEX chasses and expansion modules are strategically spaced in three separate equipment rooms and networked together via HP switches and fiber optics. Using a simple control interface, convention center managers can combine or separate zones as needed to achieve optimized sound for different functions. The AudiaFLEX CMs feed QSC’s CM16A amplifier controllers for monitoring the CX series amplifiers that then send output to JBL Control 30 loudspeakers. The Convention Center’s extensive audio system also features an assisted listening system from Listen Technologies, using the LT-800 transmitter and LR-400 receivers with single earbuds.
“The daVinci software was easy to work with and let us provide an advanced level of control over the entire system. We thought the AudiaFLEX chasses were great to work with—easier than other components that we were considering and much more cost effective,” Banks says.
