Now, more than ever, the power of technology is providing integration solutions that make operating complex, multi-use facilities literally as easy as pushing a button. Perhaps nowhere else at St. Joseph's University better illustrates this technology than Mandeville Hall's Wolfington Teletorium.
Showcasing the latest in media communications, presentation, and display technologies in a masterful blend of contemporary architecture and modern science, the Wolfington Teletorium houses an impressive arsenal of technology and control systems. These systems make the managing of video teleconferencing (VTC),electronic classroom presentation, video productions, dual-screen video teleconferencing, and 'town hall' style meetings easy and intuitive.
Designing the technology systems that could keep pace with this multifaceted venue vision was a task given to technology consultants RJC Designs, Inc. President Richard Coluzzi explains, "This vision, as well as St. Joseph's edict to 'keep it simple', directed RJC to develop a dynamic and flexible system that is easy to control and can be simple to reconfigure. The room's audio capabilities needed to be flexible and simple enough to allow an instructor to single-handedly operate basic presentation and VTC modes without technical staffing, yet robust enough for full-blown production and town hall needs with tech support."
Central to turning the design into reality is a combination of modular components from Intelix, Biamp, and AMX. The Intelix M1616L cross-point matrix provides audio level adjustments and 128 presets. The matrix along with all the audio assign inputs and program and speech levels are controlled by an AMX PCTouch/Access system in the Teletorium's control room and linked via AXlink to an Axcent 3pro controller and a AMX AXT-CV-10PB touch panel at the main podium.
Using the Intelix matrix as their initial building block, RJC created a mixing environment using several Advantage DLA93tc Digital Logic Teleconferencing Automixers with their associated Advantage DRI Digital Remote Interfaces. Each DLA93tc provides nine input channels and three independent outputs with automatic mixing, plus functions such as mix-minus, 12dB channel-off attenuation, remote control of inputs and outputs, and linking capabilities for system expansion.
With the Intelix-Biamp-AMX combination serving as its cornerstone, the system offers myriad possibilities. For classroom situations an instructor can choose from either audio-only, program playback, or video teleconferencing. System flows will show the Intelix matrix routing presets to the appropriate audio components, matching each application (i.e., audio-only, program playback, VTC feeds) with its corresponding audio system configuration. For a basic audio-only set-up requiring no technical assistance, the instructor of a class, for example, can press a specific configuration button on the podium's AMX control screen, and level presets are automatically sent to the Biamp DLA93tc automixers. To facilitate large, full-scale video productions, video teleconferencing, another Intelix preset is chosen which splits output signals from the podium microphone, 4 possible wireless microphones, additional table microphones, and wireless lavaliere for the auto-tracking camera. One output is sent to a Biamp DLA93tc for automixing, the other goes to a Biamp Advantage System One automixer located in the production console.
Outfitted
with a Biamp Advantage AGII eight-channel auto-gate module, the Biamp System
One automixer provides greater operator control over the primary sources.
The output of the System One is sent to input one of the house Soundcraft
K1 16x4x2 console as the primary microphone submix. This submix supplies access
to individual microphones while still allowing simple upstream automixing.
To facilitate full production, the Soundcraft K1 was chosen for its ease-of-use, reliability and cost effectiveness. Three stereo program feeds from the room's NTSC and RGB router arrive at the console. Other program sources include a Denon DNT-620 cassette/CD player.
As an aid once again to flexibility and system simplicity, a Panasonic MX-50A production switcher was placed within the Teletorium design. Extremely intuitive in operation, the MX-50A gives a single operator the power to manage video-switching chores for entire productions, and is adept at routing audio feeds with its two potentiometer-equipped stereo auxiliary inputs and master fader.
The MX-50A's real power, however, is realized in its symbiotic relation with the Intelix audio matrix mixer. By using the outputs and presets of the Intelix unit assigned to the auxiliary inputs of the Panasonic MX-50A, many different audio scenes are made available via a click on either of the two AMX control screens. With these scenes, the entire room can instantly be set up for any one of a number of specific events.
In
the front of the room located on the wall to either side of the stage is the
Teletorium's program playback system. With processing arriving from a Biamp
Advantage EQ152 2/3 octave, 15-band equalizer and a Bose 502C crossover network,
high frequency output is sent to a pair of Bose 502A speakers driven by a
Biamp CPA-650 amplifier. At the low end, output is directed to a Bose 502B
subwoofer located above the ceiling and powered by a Biamp CPA-130 amplifier.
Room level for program and speech can be adjusted via the control touch panel
at the podium, or from the AMX PCTouch system in the control room.
