An integrated HARMAN AV solution provides sophisticated systems control and premium audio performance for five-star hotel staff and visitors

HEFEI, China—The Wanda Vista Hefei, located in Binhu New District of Hefei, China, is a luxury, five-star hotel known for its elegant atmosphere, traditional Huizhou architecture and harmony with “Hui” culture.

In addition to 205 private rooms and suites, the hotel features a lobby, 4,900-square-foot banquet hall, eight conference rooms, restaurants, fitness center, swimming pool and spa. In order to provide audio coverage for such a wide range of areas with different functions, the hotel hired Shenzhen Hongzhe Intelligent Systems Engineering Co., Ltd. to install a complete HARMAN AV solution consisting of JBL Professional speakers, Crown amplifiers, AKG microphones, BSS audio processing and AMX AV systems.

“As a five-star hotel, we strive to maintain an elegant atmosphere, and a portion of that ambience comes from the music that plays throughout the hotel,” said Mr. Chen Xiaojun, Director of AV Operations. “Our audio equipment needs to be top of the line to meet the hotel’s high standards and overcome acoustic challenges created by the traditional architecture. JBL Control Series ceiling speakers are integrated seamlessly into the hotel’s foyer and high lobby ceilings. They are unobtrusive and blend in aesthetically, while providing excellent clarity and pleasing sound quality. We also use JBL EON Series powered speakers when we host events that require portable sound reinforcement.”

The sophisticated HARMAN AV system allows the Hefei Wanda Vista staff to produce a wide range of successful events. An AKG WMS470 wireless microphone system provides smooth and intelligible speech in the grand ballroom and meeting spaces. Utilizing a BSS PDP-DSP public address processor and CobraNet network, audio signals are routed to Crown CTs Series amplifiers and configured to combine (or isolate) the speakers in each room or zone. Operators can discretely make volume adjustments in each meeting space with BSS BLU Series control panels. For convenience, an AMX NX-3200 central control panel enables remote control of all AV equipment using a wireless tablet.

“To uphold our reputation as China’s most prestigious hotel brand, it’s imperative that every guest has a memorable, top-class experience,” related Xiaojun. “When we host high-profile events, such as when Wanda Group recently held their annual shareholder’s meeting in our grand ballroom, it’s important for our AV equipment to consistently deliver the highest quality sound. Thanks to the reliability and flexibility of the integrated HARMAN solution, we can be certain that our AV experience will exceed all expectations.”    

Products Used:

AKG Wide-Band UHF Antennas
AKG Gooseneck Conference Microphones
AKG Wireless Microphones
AMX NetLinx Integrated Controllers
BSS BLU Wall Control Panels
BSS System Processors
JBL Contractor Control Series Speakers
JBL CSS Commercial Speakers
JBL EON500 Series Speakers
Crown CTs Series Amplifiers
Crown XLS DriveCore Series Amplifiers

AV-industry leader adds AES67 support to multiple HARMAN product families to provide improved compatibility between networked AV devices

InfoComm (Booth #3201), ORLANDO—HARMAN Professional Solutions, the global leader in audio, video, lighting and control systems, including networked AV, today presented support of AES67 across HARMAN networked AV product families to the U.S. market at InfoComm 2017. AES67 is a standard to enable high-performance audio-over-IP streaming interoperability between various IP-based audio networks.

“We’ve received incredible feedback since implementing AES67 protocol between HARMAN AV solutions, and we’re very pleased to share this development with AV professionals and thought leaders at InfoComm 2017,” said Tom Lureman, Large Venue Electronics Solutions Manager, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Using AES67, audio can now be digitally streamed from AMX Networked AV encoders to a Soundweb London system to AMX Networked AV decoders. This allows Dante functionality to be preserved between HARMAN processors, amplifiers and other compatible devices.”

New Soundweb London BLU-806DA, BLU-326DA and BLU-DA devices will support both Dante and AES67 natively and will replace the BLU-806, BLU-326 and BLU-DAN devices respectively. The Crown DCi-DA Dante amplifiers will also support AES67 through a forthcoming firmware update.

In addition to the new Soundweb London DA processors and Crown DCi-DA amplifiers, new AMX Networked AV N2000 and N1000 Series Video encoders and decoders will be released with support for AES67 providing networked audio compatibility with BSS and Crown products. The model numbers of these encoders and decoders will be identified by the suffix A, denoting AES67.

Support of AES67 by HARMAN video, processor and amplifier products brings interoperability with other AES67 compatible systems and more options to facility upgrades.

The newest release of HiQnet Audio Architect includes the new Soundweb London devices and updated firmware for the Crown DCi-DA amplifiers. The same release also includes a firmware update for the existing Soundweb London BLU-806, BLU-326 and BLU-DAN devices, bringing AES67 functionality to devices already deployed in the field.

Solutions from JBL Professional, Crown Audio, BSS Audio and Studer featured in partnership with Avid, Dolby Laboratories, DTS and All Mobile Video

NAB (Booth C146, Listening Room S218LMR), LAS VEGAS—HARMAN Professional Solutions today announced it is partnering with key industry leaders to demonstrate innovative broadcast and production solutions at NAB 2017. Avid, Dolby Laboratories, DTS and All Mobile Video will all showcase HARMAN solutions at their respective booths to provide attendees with a firsthand look at the industry’s latest broadcast and production technologies. These solutions include JBL Professional sound reinforcement systems, Crown amplifiers, BSS Audio processors and Studer mixing consoles.

“We are pleased to partner with other industry leaders at NAB 2017 to deliver the industry’s most innovative and advanced solutions for broadcast and production,” said David McKinney, Vice President of Hospitality and Broadcast, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Not only does HARMAN provide complete end-to-end systems, our solutions integrate seamlessly with other leading technologies to provide customers with greater choice, flexibility and power.”

HARMAN Professional Solutions products will be featured by the following partners at NAB 2017:

Avid
Avid delivers the most comprehensive tools and workflow solutions to create, distribute and monetize the most watched, loved and listened to media in the world. Visit the Avid booth to learn about cutting-edge audio production workflows in the Dolby Atmos format. The Avid main stage will feature a full Dolby Atmos production presentation using a complete HARMAN audio system, including JBL AM7212/00 loudspeakers for screen channels, JBL AC28/26 speakers for surround sound, JBL ASP6125 subwoofers, Crown DCi multi-channel network power amplifiers and a BSS Soundweb London BLU806 signal processor.

A second Dolby Atmos production demonstration will feature the award-winning Avid Pro Tools | S6 modular control surface, a Pro Tools | HDX system, and a full JBL audio system with JBL 7 Series master reference studio monitors, a JBL Intonato monitor management tuning system, JBL subwoofers and Crown DCi multi-channel network power amplifiers. (Booth SU902)

Dolby
Dolby Laboratories creates audio, video, and voice technologies that transform entertainment and communications in mobile devices, at the cinema, at home and at work. Dolby Atmos delivers moving audio—sound that can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in three-dimensional space, including overhead. It brings entertainment alive all around the audience in a powerfully immersive and emotive experience.

Stop by the Dolby booth to experience the latest in audio innovation from Dolby with a full Dolby Atmos demo, featuring JBL 7 Series master reference studio monitors, JBL subwoofers and Crown DCi multi-channel network amplifiers. (Booth SU1702)

DTS
DTS is a leading provider of audio solutions for mobile devices, home theater systems, cinema, gaming, automotive and beyond. With its technology integrated in more than two billion devises globally, DTS provides incredibly high-quality, immersive and engaging audio experiences to listeners everywhere. DTS will be conducting demos of their DTS:X immersive audio technology using an 11.1 JBL system every day of NAB between 12:00–2:00 p.m. in the Capitol Room of the Renaissance Hotel.

All Mobile Video
All Mobile Video is one of the industry’s preeminent audio/visual production companies, with a fleet of innovative mobile production trucks that are equipped with the most advanced equipment and technology on the market. Visit All Mobile Video to see Zurich, their largest and most powerful HDR and 4K production truck. Zurich is equipped with a 72-fader Studer Vista X with an Infinity core processor, built-in Lexicon processing, and three Studer compact stage boxes. The console also includes 11 MADI cards and 2 Dante cards. (Booth N302VR)

Technology West Group installs a complete networked audio system made up of JBL Control 300 series speakers, Crown DCI amplifiers and BSS networked audio systems

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—Technology West Group recently designed and implemented a complete audio system by HARMAN Professional Solutions at MGM National Harbor, a recently opened resort and casino. MGM requested a networked audio system for the casino that would enable flexible and independent volume control across a wide range of audio zones, while also requiring minimal training and maintenance for staff. Leveraging years of experience with casino audio systems, Technology West Group deployed a complete HARMAN networked audio system consisting of JBL Control 300 Series speakers, Crown DCI Series amplifiers and BSS networked audio systems. The complete HARMAN solution offers exceptional sound quality, flexibility and ease of operation, enabling the MGM casino to control the audio for different gaming areas and easily expand the system as their needs evolve.

“Walking into National Harbor, we knew it was going to be HARMAN products,” said Richard Reisig, General Manager at Technology West Group. “In an MGM project, everything is designed around the idea that it has to be managed and maintained with the minimal amount of capital, training and staff. It costs a lot of money to train people, and they didn’t want to work with different platforms for the amplifiers, speakers and DSP systems. HARMAN’s integrated platform was the key decision factor for implementing a complete solution.”

In the past, each MGM property was in charge of designing its own sound system. Around four years ago, Technology Group West met with the MGM multimedia division and came up with a plan to standardize audio systems across all properties. They began looking for a technology provider that could provide cost-effective end-to-end networked audio systems that could be managed with very few staff. After careful consideration, they decided to standardize using HARMAN solutions across the board.

The system TWG designed for MGM National Harbor is made up of JBL Control Contractor Series speakers, with approximately 500 Control 328CT in-ceiling loudspeakers and 70 Control 312CS in-ceiling subwoofers installed in the casino. The system is powered by Crown DriveCore™ Install Series amplifiers, with BSS Networked Audio Systems for signal processing and routing. There are more than 1,500 JBL speakers throughout the entire National Harbor facility.

The casino floor is divided into separate zones, which are controlled by BSS Soundweb London BLU-806 signal processors. The amplifiers and processors are installed in dedicated spaces below the casino floor, with wall-mounted control panels. The idea was to create a DMARK point, or a centralized technology hub, that enables the casino to rearrange the gaming floor without completely renovating the audio system and easily upgrade the system as their needs evolve. The entire audio system is connected via Dante AV networking, and is integrated with the video system using core networking services.

“We use lots of amp channels to create very small, manageable zones, which is a change from how casinos historically cover a space,” said Reisig. “First, it provides lots of level control options between slots and table games. Second, casinos are always rearranging the floor and moving slots, table games around, expanding or reducing poker. Giving them lots of smaller zones with independent level controls provides them the flexibility to rework the casino floor, without having to make massive renovation changes to the AV system.” 

Historically, casinos typically relied on a traditional audio system design made up of a series of high-powered amplifiers driving a chain of 60-70 speakers. This approach provides even audio coverage across the entire gaming floor, but also poses several problems. Casino staff have no way of adjusting the volume for different gaming areas, so the music may be too loud in one area and too quiet in another. For example, the music near the poker tables needs to be much quieter than the slots area, since the poker players need to concentrate and communicate clearly during games. Furthermore, casino floor layouts are often rearranged annually, and any adjustment to the audio system usually requires major renovations.

“In older properties, you’ll often see traditional audio system designs that don’t work very well for the way a casino typically operates,” said Reisig. “We run into a lot of property owners who hate the way the audio system sounds. When we really dig in, it comes down to sharing speaker zones between slots and table games, or transitions between high ceilings and low ceilings. The table games need different volume levels from the slots, and even within the table games area, the customers playing blackjack might want to listen to different volume levels than the customers playing the craps tables. With MGM, we made an effort to solve those issues.”

Products Used:

JBL Control Contractor Series Speakers
Crown DriveCore™ Install Network Series Amplifiers
BSS Networked Audio Systems

HARMAN Professional Solutions’ JBL, Crown, BSS brands help provide sound and networked audio for multi-discipline racing track

BINH DUONG, VIETNAM – Opened in October 2016, Dai Nam Racecourse was created to boost tourism in the Dai Nam tourism park complex, 24.8 miles (40 kilometers) away from Ho Chi Minh City. With such a huge space, it was critical that audio coverage was even and clear throughout the Racecourse. Local systems integrator and HARMAN distributor, Ba Sao Investment, took on the responsibility of installing the audio system for Dai Nam.

Spanning more than 460,180 square feet (42,753 square meters), the $100 million complex was built to accommodate five racing disciplines, with tracks for dog and horse racing, auto and motorboat racing, go-kart racing and fly-board performances. The large racecourse is able to accommodate up to 60,000 spectators with four grandstands that seats 18,000.

The biggest challenge that Ba Sao Investments faced was the tight schedule as the owners wanted to open the Race Course by 2017. Featuring a full HARMAN based system with the BSS BLU Link enabled the seamless ease of connectivity, thus helping the system integrator meet the deadline.

"I am extremely satisfied with HARMAN’s products and their Vietnam partner Ba Sao Investments’ services including installation, operation and timely completion of the project,” said Vo Kim Thanh, Vice President, Dai Nam Race Course. “Not only I am very happy with the quality of HARMAN’s products but the local television stations have also praised the products during their visit.”

The completed racecourse boasts an impressive lineup of technology, with 52 JBL AWC82 taking responsibility for main audio coverage within the stadium. Two JBL PRX710 speakers were installed for monitoring purposes, within the control room. Four AWC129 units were placed for coverage at the entrance of the racecourse and parking area. Driving the speakers are 15 units of Crown CTs2000 and one CTs3000.  Both the AWC82 and AWC129 are highly weather-resistant speakers that offer 1200 x 1200 dispersion and 900 x 900 dispersion respectively. Both speakers offer extraordinary clarity for speech, with extended frequency response for music, which is exactly what the Racecourse required.

A Soundcraft Si Expression 1 console handles mixing duties, with its massive mix capacity of 66 inputs, in a small format. One distinctive advantage with the Si Expression 1 console is the FaderGlow^TM that gives the user an additional level of status indication that helps to reduce operating errors. Several different functions can be assigned to a fader and to ease operations the FaderGlow^TM indicates the actual function type that is currently assigned to the particular fader.

BSS networked audio played an important role at the installation. A mix of five units of BLU-50, one unit of BLU-100, one unit of BLU-102 and six units of BLU-DAN integrate the digital signal processing into one seamlessly working audio system.

Speech reinforcement is offered via five units of AKG WMS470 Vocal Set D5. The set includes a HT470 handheld transmitter featuring a dynamic D5 capsule for well-balanced, powerful sound. The space diversity receiver offers both a microphone level and a line level output.

The AKG wireless system is also supported by two units of AKG CGN521 STS, which is a professional tabletop microphone set with excellent shock absorbing properties. Its features a CGN521 condenser gooseneck microphone with a cardioid polar pattern on a slim, 50 cm long gooseneck. The microphones are used for commentary purposes.

“We are extremely privileged to be associated with Dai Nam Racecourse and thank them for choosing HARMAN’s suite of solutions including our iconic JBL, Crown, BSS, dbx and Soundcraft products,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM  HARMAN Professional Solutions, APAC. “We are sure HARMAN Professional Solutions will enhance the experience of Dai Nam customers and ensure complete satisfaction. Thanks to our partners Ba Sao Investments for their support and customer first approach.”

Products Used:

AKG CGN521 STS x 2
AKG WMS470 Vocal Set D5 x 5
BSS BLU 100 x 1
BSS BLU 102 x 1
BSS BLU 50 x 5
BSS BLU-DAN x 6
Crown CTs2000 x 15
Crown CTs3000  x 1
JBL AWC129 x 4
JBL AWC82 x 52
JBL PRX710 x 2
Soundcraft Si Expression 1 x 1

Moog Audio installs an end-to-end networked sound system made up of JBL speakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS Audio systems for Montreal’s newest boutique hotel

MONTREAL—Systems integrator Moog Audio recently installed a complete audio system by HARMAN Professional Solutions at Hotel William Gray, a new boutique luxury hotel located in the heart of downtown Montreal. The building consists of a newly constructed glass tower integrated with two historic buildings that date back to the 18^th century. Owner Group Antonopoulos hired Moog Audio to install a new audio system that would match the hotel’s chic style and provide a great listening experience for guests. Moog Audio selected a complete HARMAN solution consisting of JBL Control Series speakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS Audio networked audio systems. The integrated system provides Hotel William Gray with exceptional sound quality, easy-to-use operation and clean, modern styling.

“We were chosen for the project because our designs are very strong technically,” said Alexandre Kano, President of Moog Audio. “We always use the latest technology, and our clients know the system will be up to date. The JBL Control Series speakers are very compact, and they deliver so much sound for their size. Also, the colors and grills of the speakers are aesthetically beautiful.”

SC Media Canada supplied the audio equipment for the entire project. Using a single distributor and a complete HARMAN solution helped Moog Audio streamline the installation process and complete the project quickly and efficiently.

“For a big project like this, there are so many components involved—from audio processing and amplification to speakers and brackets,” said Kano. “The support from SC Media and HARMAN was amazing. They came to the site, tested everything and helped us solve any issues that came up. Instead of having to deal with 15 other distributors, we were able to use one manufacturer and distributor. The hotel staff has told us how simple and seamless the system is to use, and the client told us it was one of the best projects they’ve ever done. It was a huge project and everything is working flawlessly. The system is bulletproof.”

The eight-story Hotel William Gray features 127 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of event spaces, including an upscale restaurant and lounge, roof terrace, luxury spa with outdoor pool, ballroom, indoor garden, fitness center, boutique clothing store and Café Olimpico—a famous Montreal establishment. Moog Audio wanted to create one centralized and interconnected audio system for the entire hotel, which would allow the staff to play the same music throughout all of the different locations in the building simultaneously, and create a consistent, cohesive atmosphere for guests.

Developing one system for the entire building proved to be a challenge, since each area had unique requirements. The restaurant needed larger speakers in order to accommodate musical performances, while the ballroom needed versatile speakers that could be optimized for speaking conferences and presentations. And the outdoor terrace speakers needed to be weatherproof to protect against the elements. Thanks to the wide variety of speaker sizes in the JBL Control Series line, Moog was able to customize the solution perfectly to each different environment.

“There are so many different Control Series models, that we were able to adapt to each different room and suit any occasion,” said Kano. “We used the JBL Control 25 speakers in the restaurant so DJs or small bands could play. During the hotel opening, they had a DJ hook his gear directly into the system without any additional speakers. People were coming up to the DJ and telling him how good it sounded.”

Due to the customizable nature of the BSS Audio system, Moog Audio was able to create presets to minimize any feedback and easily tune the system room by room, ensuring that everything was operating at maximum efficiency and there were no frequency issues.

“In the ballroom where they have a lot of conferences, we isolated all the frequencies that can cause feedback and saved them in the system,” Kano continued. “In the restaurant, we used a leveling feature to make sure the music stays at a constant volume while guests are dining. The entire system is very consistent.”