In keeping with its pioneering, forward thinking ethos, Fulbridge has enhanced its internal surroundings with a thought-provoking series of themed areas that relate to specific topics being studied by its children. The school contacted integrators Playfords, with a view to adding a carefully manageable audio element to the project and they, in turn, consulted with Audiologic as to the best way to meet the requirements of the project.
The school wanted to add a separate audio element to each of 23 themed areas in three separate corridors and one to a communal hall. Each of three separate corridors running away from a main corridor hosted, respectively eight, eight and seven themes.
Audiologic supplied 24 x Audac CMP30 media players to enable the greatest possible flexibility in sending the required audio to all of the areas. Very compact and combining a CD-player, MP 3 player and AM/FM RDS tuner, the CMP30 fitted the bill by allowing for multiple sources.
An Audac R2 multi-zone audio distribution unit with POW2 internal amplifier, was rack-mounted alongside a group of 8 CMP30s at the end of each of the three corridors. An 8 x 8 digital audio matrix system, based on a powerful DSP processor, the R2 is fully digitally controllable and the built-in digital matrix makes it possible to patch any of the input signals to any of the output signals.
All of the R2 units were connected to each other via fibre optic to create a 24 x 24 matrix which could broadcast in any combination from 24 separate audio feeds down to one individual feed across the whole system. The flexibility afforded was key to the dynamic way in which the school wished to operate the system.
By working closely with Playfords from the outset, Audiologic was able use its considerable expertise and depth of product-knowledge to design a solution which enabled Fulbridge to realise every element of its imaginative vision as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
Andy Lewis, sales and marketing manager at Audiologic reflected on the project:. "Sometimes one becomes so focussed on the technical nature of projects that it's easy to overlook the impact that the finished results actually have. Having solved some initial commissioning problems I took a step back and was struck by the sheer creative force that had been brought to life by the application of technology to a bright idea. It really put me back in touch with my audio side."
(Jim Evans)
