USA - Towering over the banks of the Potomac River just south of the US's capital city, the new Gaylord National Resort and Convention Centre now ranks as the largest combined hotel and convention centre on the East Coast. Opened in April 2008, the $865 million development encompasses 2,000 rooms, four signature restaurants, the sleek Pose Ultra Lounge nightclub, and 470,000sq.ft of meeting space. A cavernous 18-story atrium houses full-size replicas of a Virginia farmhouse and a Georgetown row house in a park-like setting. The vast complex also incorporates scores of different sound systems for foreground music, live entertainment, and audio-for-video applications, all driven by more than 100 Lab.gruppen C Series power amplifiers.

According to Chess McKinney, director of project technologies Gaylord Entertainment, Lab.gruppen amplifiers were chosen based on the Swedish manufacturer's reputation for quality and reliability, as well as on the compact size and comprehensive remote monitoring features of the C Series. "Lab.gruppen offered a solution using multi-channel amps that saved considerable rack space. That became a key consideration as this project developed," he said.

The power amplification needs are extensive, with more than 1200 Tannoy CMS ceiling-mount and DI surface-mount loudspeakers installed. Additionally, the lounge system features high-powered club sounds from a hefty EAW system, while the exhibit hall utilises an extensive deployment of EAW 2394 loudspeakers. Digital processing and signal distribution is handled by 32 Media Matrix NION N3 units.

"This is a very large building, so we needed an amplifier system with very good remote control and status monitoring, which was available in Lab.gruppen's NomadLink," adds McKinney. "Also, Lab.gruppen worked with us to add password controls, which is critical for security when you're sharing network resources."

The hotel's sophisticated audio, video and associated control systems were designed by Ron Baker, a senior consultant at WJHW in Dallas, Texas. Engineering and systems integration was contracted to SPL Integrated Systems of Columbia, Maryland; on-site installation and wiring was handled by Nelson White Systems of Towson, Maryland.

(Jim Evans)


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