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APi Sound & Visual Get Cryptic Without The Aid of a Crossword!
A building that houses key articles in the historic journey of this Christian denomination
It receives visitors from across the world as there are congregations far larger than the UK across the globe.
APi Sound & Visual has been responsible for designing sound and camera systems in the chapel for more than a decade and when the museum put out a tender in 2012 we bid to install the complex audio visual display which was planned to be the centrepiece of the visitor experience. On that occasion we were unsuccessful losing out to a major London contractor.
However the system that was ultimately installed proved to be unreliable and the museum were unhappy with the attempts to resolve the issues. APi were invited to tender for replacing the media players and control system that were at the heart of the problems.
This time we were successful and we have now replaced the system with a new Kramer control unit and two iPads allowing intuitive user control plus automated power control synchronised with opening times. The PC was replaced with more reliable Brightsign media players which have a bullet proof reputation.
A HD resolution projection system with Dolby 7.1 surround sound was designed and installed by APi Sound & Visual.
The 4m electric screen when not in use is concealed behind the proscenium arch above the stage and gives a large widescreen image for the viewers.
The sound system was merged with the existing audio system for music playback. Slim line array loudspeakers coupled with 8" two way compact loudspeakers provide the surround sound. They are installed to minimally impact the interior aesthetic of the hall.
An front input socket was fitted for computer based presentations.
A key aspect is that for ordinary sound reinforcement, such as meetings and bingo nights, only the front speakers are used, with a switch on for the cinema surround system, providing separate power control.
APi Sound & Visual selected a clever connection hub from our large range of products, that is inset in the tabletop and offers VGA, HDMI, Displayport and analogue audio connections. This also features automatic detection of the input in use and integrated scaling, so that whichever input is used, the signal to the projector is routed via an HDMI connection to maintain the highest image quality. As the floor box beneath the table only had some wired network ports and pulling in new cables was not possible, we were able to use Blustream HDMI over network cable converters to complete the connection to the projector.
All the audio equipment is in a rack enclosed away from the sports hall and operates for all users on a simple "plug and play" behaviour, making it very straightforward for the various instructors who lead the classes.
These are highlighted below:
Intro AV - Sequences of images thrown onto a large curved AV wall, requiring a powerful projector with clever barrel geometry correction used to correct the image shape naturally distorted by the curve
Enrolment Area - Here a sergeant interviews a volunteer, the sound is produced by out of sight pendant speakers, triggered by a sensor as the visitors enter.
Train Carriage - The Train Carriage has two silhouettes sitting in an imaginary train carriage. Two loudspeakers, one above each of the silhouettes give the impression of them in conversation. The train window is replaced by a 32” NEC Screen showing images and the dialogue.
Advance! The Advance trench simulation area has six flown speakers located above the trenches, and two hidden 15” active subwoofers located behind. A Panasonic projector displays silhouetted scenes of troops going over the top projected large onto the rear wall.
German Machine Gun audio and light effect. As a corner is turned you are confronted by a German machine gun nest and lights are triggered from the sound to give the effect of being under fire, providing an immersive visitor experience.
The World War I Credits area has a large 4m projection screen carrying information about the first crews with sound from directional column speakers.
All the areas are controlled by one on/off switch, to ensure ease of use by the museum staff. Some of the areas are controlled by motion sensor and all areas with audio have an induction loop hearing system. There is also an audio mute switch in each area, enabling museum staff to switch the sound off selectively during tours.
The building has a main hall, optional smaller hall, cafe space and kitchen. The spaces require interchangeable audio and visual equipment depending on the use. Since the hall is also to be a community facility it needed to be robust and easy to use. APi Sound & Visual has worked with Broadclyst School on many projects and so we were pleased to help on this exciting new build.
Our response was to offer:
To complete the system we added a wireless connection dongle, in wall amplifier and 4 ceiling loudspeakers.
A 3m electric screen was mounted behind the proscenium arch so as to be completely concealed from the audience and a 5000 lumen Panasonic projector was mounted through the suspended ceiling to achieve maximum height.
All this was neatly configured to integrate into the existing audio system.
A desktop PC with live video recording software was added, that allows preset recording options to be recalled depending on the type of meeting to be recorded. This includes different camera selections and picture in picture, plus time and date. A monitor gives confidence of recording and a custom simple start stop switch provides simple operation. The material can be recorded in various formats so that further conversion for web access is not necessary.
The audio is recorded from the existing conferencing system.
Ceiling speakers were installed in the indoor area, with weatherproof column speakers outside. A digital message player allows advertising messages to be played every 15 minutes. A paging microphone was also included.
