Audio Architect nyheder

HARMAN Professional Solutions Delivers a Fresh Approach to Sound System Design at MGM National Harbor Casino

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 09:00:00 +0000

Technology West Group installs a complete networked audio system made up of JBL Control 300 series speakers, Crown DCI amplifiers and BSS networked audio systems

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—Technology West Group recently designed and implemented a complete audio system by HARMAN Professional Solutions at MGM National Harbor, a recently opened resort and casino. MGM requested a networked audio system for the casino that would enable flexible and independent volume control across a wide range of audio zones, while also requiring minimal training and maintenance for staff. Leveraging years of experience with casino audio systems, Technology West Group deployed a complete HARMAN networked audio system consisting of JBL Control 300 Series speakers, Crown DCI Series amplifiers and BSS networked audio systems. The complete HARMAN solution offers exceptional sound quality, flexibility and ease of operation, enabling the MGM casino to control the audio for different gaming areas and easily expand the system as their needs evolve.

“Walking into National Harbor, we knew it was going to be HARMAN products,” said Richard Reisig, General Manager at Technology West Group. “In an MGM project, everything is designed around the idea that it has to be managed and maintained with the minimal amount of capital, training and staff. It costs a lot of money to train people, and they didn’t want to work with different platforms for the amplifiers, speakers and DSP systems. HARMAN’s integrated platform was the key decision factor for implementing a complete solution.”

In the past, each MGM property was in charge of designing its own sound system. Around four years ago, Technology Group West met with the MGM multimedia division and came up with a plan to standardize audio systems across all properties. They began looking for a technology provider that could provide cost-effective end-to-end networked audio systems that could be managed with very few staff. After careful consideration, they decided to standardize using HARMAN solutions across the board.

The system TWG designed for MGM National Harbor is made up of JBL Control Contractor Series speakers, with approximately 500 Control 328CT in-ceiling loudspeakers and 70 Control 312CS in-ceiling subwoofers installed in the casino. The system is powered by Crown DriveCore™ Install Series amplifiers, with BSS Networked Audio Systems for signal processing and routing. There are more than 1,500 JBL speakers throughout the entire National Harbor facility.

The casino floor is divided into separate zones, which are controlled by BSS Soundweb London BLU-806 signal processors. The amplifiers and processors are installed in dedicated spaces below the casino floor, with wall-mounted control panels. The idea was to create a DMARK point, or a centralized technology hub, that enables the casino to rearrange the gaming floor without completely renovating the audio system and easily upgrade the system as their needs evolve. The entire audio system is connected via Dante AV networking, and is integrated with the video system using core networking services.

“We use lots of amp channels to create very small, manageable zones, which is a change from how casinos historically cover a space,” said Reisig. “First, it provides lots of level control options between slots and table games. Second, casinos are always rearranging the floor and moving slots, table games around, expanding or reducing poker. Giving them lots of smaller zones with independent level controls provides them the flexibility to rework the casino floor, without having to make massive renovation changes to the AV system.”

Historically, casinos typically relied on a traditional audio system design made up of a series of high-powered amplifiers driving a chain of 60-70 speakers. This approach provides even audio coverage across the entire gaming floor, but also poses several problems. Casino staff have no way of adjusting the volume for different gaming areas, so the music may be too loud in one area and too quiet in another. For example, the music near the poker tables needs to be much quieter than the slots area, since the poker players need to concentrate and communicate clearly during games. Furthermore, casino floor layouts are often rearranged annually, and any adjustment to the audio system usually requires major renovations.

“In older properties, you’ll often see traditional audio system designs that don’t work very well for the way a casino typically operates,” said Reisig. “We run into a lot of property owners who hate the way the audio system sounds. When we really dig in, it comes down to sharing speaker zones between slots and table games, or transitions between high ceilings and low ceilings. The table games need different volume levels from the slots, and even within the table games area, the customers playing blackjack might want to listen to different volume levels than the customers playing the craps tables. With MGM, we made an effort to solve those issues.”

HARMAN Professional Solutions Introduces AES67 Support Across Audio and Video Product Lines

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 09:00:00 +0000

AES67 support added to multiple HARMAN product families to deliver networked AV infrastructure

ISE (Stand #1-F6), AMSTERDAM — HARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, including networked AV, today announced support of AES67 across networked audio and video product families. AES67 is a standard to enable high-performance audio-over-IP streaming interoperability between various IP-based audio networks.

New Soundweb London BLU-806DA, BLU-326DA and BLU-DA devices will support both Dante and AES67 natively and will replace the BLU-806, BLU-326 and BLU-DAN devices respectively.

The Crown DCi-DA Dante amplifiers will also support AES67 through a forthcoming firmware update.

In addition to the new Soundweb London DA processors and Crown DCi-DA amplifiers, new AMX Networked AV N2000 and N1000 Series Video encoders and decoders will be released with support for AES67 providing networked audio compatibility with BSS and Crown products. The model numbers of these encoders and decoders will be identified by the suffix A, denoting AES67.

“AMX Networked AV encoders can now stream audio digitally to a Soundweb London system and from Soundweb London to AMX Networked AV decoders,” said Tom Lureman, Large Venue Electronics Solutions Manager, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Since the Soundweb London DA devices send and receive both AES67 and Dante simultaneously, the advanced functionality offered by Dante can be retained between compatible devices, such as HARMAN processors and amplifiers.”

Support of AES67 by HARMAN video, processor and amplifier products brings interoperability with other AES67 compatible systems and more options to facility upgrades.

A forthcoming release of HiQnet Audio Architect will include the new Soundweb London devices and updated firmware for the Crown DCi-DA amplifiers. The same release will also include a firmware update for the existing Soundweb London BLU-806, BLU-326 and BLU-DAN devices, bringing AES67 functionality to devices already deployed in the field.

HARMAN Professional Solutions Helps University of Utah Turn Up the Volume and Turn Down the Noise

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:00:00 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY—The University of Utah recently updated its Rice-Eccles Stadium with a complete audio system from HARMAN Professional Solutions. Dallas-based sound and visual consultant WJHW was hired to design the new system, and local systems integrator Performance Audio provided installation services. The university wanted to replace its old point source sound system to reduce community noise impact in nearby residential areas and provide a better audio experience for audiences. To meet these goals, WJHW designed an innovative distributed audio solution made up of JBL speakers, Crown power amplifiers and BSS Audio networked audio systems.

“The university was really forward-thinking in terms of reducing the noise impact on the community while also delivering high-quality sound, and they were willing to do what it took to achieve both,” said Jack Wrightson, Principal at WJHW. “Column arrays, as we’ve used before, wouldn’t work in this stadium because the throw distances were too far. They wanted a bigger and more impactful system, so we really had to create a one-of-a-kind solution to make it all work.”

Rice-Eccles is a large, single-bowl stadium with nowhere to hang speakers other than six light towers. WJHW developed a concept that involved adding 17 50-foot speaker poles around the upper rim of the stadium to mount the loudspeakers. Weight and wind were major concerns from a structural engineering standpoint, and they wanted to use the smallest speakers possible while still delivering the required output. WJHW system designer Michael Murph selected new JBL Precision Directivity Series PD743i-215 speakers for their compact size and full-bandwidth output. For the light towers, they selected JBL Variable Line Array (VLA) Series loudspeakers. The entire system is powered by Crown DriveCore Install Series amplifiers.

“When you’re putting something on top of a 50-foot pole, the weight and surface area to the wind are really important,” said Wrightson. “We needed compact speakers with high directivity, and they also needed to be full range, because we didn’t want to attach a separate woofer box to the pole. The PD700i Series speakers are a combination of reasonable weight and a small package, which was important for the pole mounting. They also enabled us to get the directivity we wanted out of the mids and highs without having to add a separate woofer box.”

Once the speakers were installed, Performance Audio and WJHW spent three days adjusting the DSP, and tuning and balancing the massive system. The audio teams were up against a tight deadline to complete the project—the university needed the entire system ready in time to host the 2016 Nitro World games, a major action sports competition. To complicate the process even further, they had to work in the middle of the night to avoid interfering with a municipal train line that runs behind the stadium. By working with HARMAN Professional Solutions, Performance Audio and WJHW were able to streamline the entire installation process, quickly deal with any unexpected challenges and complete the project on schedule.

“One of the great things about this project was the integration and communication between the HARMAN brands,” said Jake Peery, Install Manager and Systems Designer at Performance Audio. “For example, if a Crown amp and a JBL speaker needed to be optimized, the HARMAN team members were willing to reach out and work with each other to find a solution for us. It saved us a ton of time when it came down to putting in crossover settings and the technical side of the install. We were also able to work with JBL and Crown to get some really solid speaker presets. It was a really large project for us, and having that partnership gave us a ton of confidence—I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.”

HARMAN Professional Solutions Delivers Unparalleled Versatility for Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 09:00:00 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Nashville-based audiovisual production company CTS recently updated the War Memorial Auditorium with a complete sound and lighting solution by HARMAN Professional Solutions, including a JBL Professional by HARMAN VTX Series system and a full array of Martin by HARMAN RUSH fixtures. With construction dating back to the 1920s, the historic building in downtown Nashville hosts a diverse range of events, from major concert tours to weddings to corporate seminars. The new HARMAN solution enables the War Memorial to provide tour-grade sound and lighting for national music acts, and provides the flexibility they need to accommodate any type of performance or event.

Over the course of 90 years of operation, the building has never been equipped with a permanent PA or lighting system. The auditorium’s historic architecture makes it very difficult to load equipment in and out, since there is no loading dock and the only doors to the facility are followed by multiple sets of stairs. In order to save labor costs and reduce the strain on the staff, management made the decision to install permanent audio and lighting systems.

“There were some weight constraints due to the structure of the building, so we needed a lightweight system that could deliver powerful output and maintain even coverage throughout the venue,” said Mike Taylor, Vice President of CTS. “The VTX V20 system was the perfect solution for the building, and it took away a lot of the constraints we were facing. It’s lightweight and has more than enough power, plus it provides true 110-degree horizontal coverage. With other products, we might have had to add extra line arrays to get coverage.”

The VTX Series system CTS deployed featured two main arrays of 9 VTX V20 loudspeakers and two ground stacks of 3 S28 subwoofers. The system also included 4 SRX812 portable speakers for lower out fills, 4 VRX928 loudspeakers for front fills, 2 F12 loudspeakers that were flown for out fills, 10 VTX M20 stage monitors and a VRX918S subwoofer for a drum sub. The entire system is powered by 12 Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD power amplifiers. The CTS team relied on JBL HiQnet Performance Manager 2.1 softwareto tune and configure the system.

“The War Memorial auditorium is a very beautiful venue, but the acoustics were definitely difficult due to lots of hard parallel surfaces,” said Jon Schwarz, Audio Design and Production Manager at CTS. “The VTX system has extremely even coverage on the horizontal plane, so there were less elements for us to tune. The SMAART integration in Performance Manager 2.1 proved extremely useful, and the entire installation was really smooth. From the flying hardware to the amplifiers to the software within the system, it’s a very integrated and turnkey system to deploy. From a functionality, power and affordability standpoint, the JBL VTX line is a game-changer for the market.”

For lighting, War Memorial wanted to install a permanent system that could be used to supplement national touring acts, as well as meetings, theatre productions and other events. In order to meet this goal, CTS deployed a full range of Martin RUSH fixtures, including 8 RUSH MH7 Hybrid fixtures, 6 RUSH MH6 Wash fixtures, 10 RUSH PAR 2 RGBW Zoom LED fixtures, 4 RUSH MH4 Beam fixtures and a JEM Hazer Pro haze machine.

“They needed a lighting system that could be used for a wide range of events—from a national touring musical act to a safety meeting,” said Taylor. “The RUSH line is incredibly versatile, and all of the fixtures we chose are multi-functional, which gives them great value for their investment.”

JBL Professional by HARMAN Introduces HiQnet Performance Manager 2.1 with Smaart Software Integration

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:00:00 +0000

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—JBL Professional by HARMAN today announced the immediate availability of the new JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ 2.1 software update, offering powerful new tools for measuring and tuning live sound reinforcement systems. Performance Manager version 2.1 integrates Rational Acoustics’ world-renowned Smaart® acoustic testing and measurement software directly into the Performance Manager workflow, providing audio technicians and engineers with unprecedented access to measurement information—all delivered over the network in real-time.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Rational Acoustics to integrate industry-leading Smaart technology directly within our software platform, which now includes extremely powerful measurement integration for seamless measuring and tuning operations,” said George Georgallis, Product Manager, Tour Sound Systems, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “With version 2.1, real-time frequency and phase response measurements are displayed and controlled within Performance Manager, allowing engineers to measure and adjust system parameters from one screen. This simplifies and accelerates the system optimization process while eliminating opportunities for errors”

Smaart acoustic testing and measurement software is the most straightforward and widely used software for real-time sound system measurement, optimization and control. The dual-channel, FFT-based software enables engineers to diagnose and solve problems quickly by viewing the frequency content of signals and measure the response of electrical and electro-acoustic systems in detail. Mix engineers can use Smaart to identify tones or frequencies of interest and help with tasks like feedback suppression and channel equalization. System engineers can use Smaart to accelerate and streamline the process of setting up and aligning JBL speaker systems in a performance environment.

“JBL Professional by HARMAN has taken great advantage of the Smaart API to provide an elegant, easy-to-use interface for controlling and viewing Smaart measurement data within the new Performance Manager 2.1,” said John Aldrich, Director of Technical Services, Rational Acoustics. “This integration underscores the shared commitment between both companies of providing comprehensive and powerful software toolkits for today’s audio technicians and engineers.”

In addition to Smaart software integration, Performance Manager 2.1 features an entirely new Go-Online mode that offers more intuitive options for system synchronization and management of online devices. A new Line Array Control Panel makes using the Line Array Calculator, a key tool for system configuration, more intuitive and easier to use. In addition, features have been added to Select Input Source mode to make managing and monitoring AES audio distribution a simpler operation. Finally, a number of bug fixes and key performance enhancements improve on the user experience, speed and ease of use.

Additional new features in Performance Manager 2.1 include:

Support for new JBL CSX F35 loudspeakers
New presets for JBL VTX M Series monitor speakers based on Device File R1.1
New Go Online mode offers intuitive options for system synchronization and device management
Improved support for JBL VTX F-Series speakers
New Line Array Control Panel for easy line array calibration
New amplification options
New options in Run Show mode
New options in Set Inputs mode
Performance and memory use optimizations
New error reporting tool
Several significant bug fixes