"In boardroom settings, clients often have problems with group conference calls, in which the parties on both ends of the call have difficulty hearing the audio," said Andrew Hancox, Anderson Audio Visual representative. "So we had to design a system that would help them make the calls more effective. In addition, security was a concern, as these calls are often confidential and they need to be certain that no one else has access to the frequency, and also that no other devices can interfere with the clear signal.
"Additionally, milling their existing boardroom table to accommodate wired microphones was not an option, because it has moving panels on the top that need to be operational. We decided on SpectraPulse not only because it provides remarkably clear audio, and the system is easy to set up and stow, but also because A-T's use of Ultra Wideband technology more than meets the users' security needs."
When in use, the system consists of seven Audio-Technica mtu101 Microphone Transmitter Units (in a boundary mic design), which can be easily removed from the conference table and placed in the cei007 Charger Encryption Interface, located in a nearby credenza. These mics operate in conjunction with the drm141 Digital Receiver Module, which is mounted in the ceiling and is connected via Cat 5 cable to the aci707 Audio Control Interface, which permanently resides in an equipment closet adjacent to the conference room. Other products are integrated into the system and all are controlled via an AMX Touch Panel, which is used for phone dialing and settings. The aci707 connects via a RS-232 cable for control of its encryption settings.
"The client is thrilled with it," stated Hancox. "It was a bit of a change for them, but after their first call they were very happy. The reports from the far end were that people could hear them much better and it made the calls more effective, obviously making the project a unanimous success."
(Jim Evans)
