Harvard Graduates to Intelligent AV

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
“The Audia® is really the glue that brings
the audio together. It provides literally
all the signal and speaker processing.”
-DARREN CLARK, SENIOR PROJECT
ENGINEER AT HB COMMUNICATIONS
MCSi, Inc. The national media firm MCSi
designed the AV system for the
challenging space.
CO N S ULTANT
HB Communications. Engineers from HB’s
Connecticut and Waltham, Massachusetts
offices installed the new AV equipment.
I N T EG RATO R
Harvard graduates to intelligent AV with
a brilliant solution from MCSi and HB.
CHALLENGE
The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum is Harvard University’s premier arena for political speech, discussion and debate. The
space gets reconfigured for different uses on an almost hourly basis. The vast range of events demanded an extremely
flexible AV system that could handle multiple information streams.
The open three-story, student union-like space at the heart of the John F. Kennedy School of Government presents
multiple acoustic and visual challenges, including mezzanines and interior angles. The room can be repurposed using
modular stage and podium components, movable drapes and partitions. The entire project had to be completed during
the short summer break – in the midst of other renovations.
SOLUTION
The design and installation teams came
up with solutions as flexible as the
architecture. The key is Biamp’s highly
intuitive, open architecture Audia®
Digital Audio Platform. Processing for
the distributed system is built around
four AudiaFLEX units, which provide
all the signal and speaker processing
– from EQ compression to feedback
suppression and delay. The AudiaFLEX
units also allowed the HP team to set up
a series of profiles for use with the DSA
speakers.
Telex Safe-1000 wireless systems are
supplemented by Shure MX-series
B i a m p Sy s t e m s
Beaver ton, Oregon, USA
podium mics with a Shure SCM268 auto
mixer. The system allows two audio
modes. In one, the Shure automix runs
through the Mackie 1604 mixer. In the
other, the inputs are assigned to the
auto mixers in the AudiaFLEX units.
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The three-story interior at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum presented multiple acoustic and visual challenges.
CASE STUDY: education
harvard university
CAS E ST UDY: ed u ca tio n
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SYSTEM SPECIFICS
The primary audio system features
Eastern Acoustic Works’ Digitally
Steerable Array loudspeaker systems,
employing two DSA 250 full range
boxes and two DSA 230 LF-only boxes
on either side of a main plasma display.
The main video display, an existing
rear projection system, is located at
the room’s focal point, visible from
all three levels of the building. The
projection system is augmented by
a 61-inch NEC plasma unit, which
performs as a confidence monitor
for the presenter, as well as two
supplemental Pioneer 50-inch
plasmas. Eight Viewsonic VP230MB
19-inch monitors can be lowered
from the ceiling via custom-built
Inca motorized lifts. Two NEC 50inch plasmas, primarily dedicated
to digital signage, are located in the
entry ways.
The system side of the video is
all Extron, built around CVDA6MX
distribution amplifiers and a Matrix
3200 routing switcher. Crestron TPS6000 and TPS-5000 series touch
panels are used for system control,
with a selection of TPS-series video
and data display modules. A Crestron
Pro-2 series control processor runs
the show, with a CP2E at an operator
position for more I/O.
The Forum offers several means of
connecting to the outside world,
including streaming via a Polycom
VS4000 codec and VBrick streaming
encoders. Most of the Forum’s live
events are offered on its website in
Real Media format.
“The graphic interface on the Audia software is really refreshing. You can literally just draw what you
want and let the computer do the work.”
- DARREN CLARK, SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER AT HB COMMUNICATIONS
CONCLUSIONs
The Audia-based networked media system delivers the power and flexibility required by the chameleon-like nature
of the Forum. It also minimized installation time and hassles during the fast-track renovation project, while saving
resources by replacing complex wiring with economical CAT-5 cable. The AV system is poised to evolve to meet everchanging needs and communication trends, no matter what the students dream up.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Audia® software
4 AudiaFLEX units
Eastern Acoustic Works’ Digitally Steerable Array loudspeaker systems: 2 DSA 250s; 2 DSA 230s
1 61-inch and 2 50-inch NEC plasma units
2 Pioneer 50-inch plasma units
8 Viewsonic VP230MB 19-inch monitors on custom Inca
motorized lifts
Extron CVDA6MX distribution amplifiers and a Matrix 3200
routing switcher
1 Crestron Pro-2 series control with a CP2E
Crestron TPS-6000 and TPS-5000 series touch panels
Crestron TPS-series video and data display modules
1 Polycom VS4000 codec
VBrick streaming encoders
B i a m p Sy s t e m s
Beaver ton, Oregon, USA
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+1 503 . 6 41 .7287