- Italy's G d'Annunzio University has recently carried out a refurbishment of its 400-capacity main auditorium, installing Allen & Heath's iDR DSP system to manage audio distribution and live events.
Located on the Chieti campus of G d'Annunzio University, the all-purpose Auditorium del Rettorato caters for a range of events for the university and also for external organizations on a local, national, and international level. Local installers, CD AudioVideo, managed the installation project, with Allen & Heath's Italian distributor, Grisby Music, managing the system design and programming.
Located on the University's Chieti campus, the all-purpose Auditorium del Rettorato caters for a range of events, not only for the university but also for external organizations on a local, national, and international level.
Local installers, CD AudioVideo, managed the installation project, with Allen & Heath's Italian distributor, Grisby Music, managing the system design and programming.
"We selected the iDR system because we wanted a flexible system that could be expanded," explains CD AudioVideo's sales manager, Andrea Mazzone. "The university intends to extend the system to manage audio in other areas of the campus."
Installed in a control room, the iDR system comprises three iDR-8 matrix mixers and iDR-in and iDR-out expander units providing a total of 32 inputs/outputs of DSP. The five rack units are networked to provide control of all the system parameters and routing matrix, programmed using iDR System Manager software. Control can be accessed directly from the units, via two PL-10 rotary fader panels-one located in the control room and the other in the auditorium's sound booth-or from inside the auditorium from WiFi networked laptops loaded with PL-Client software, which enables the installer to create tailor made control parameters and virtual wallplates.
The flexible control methods enable the user to mix audio and select sources, such as CD, mics, videoconference, satellite, and other feeds, from a variety of locations. The two PL-10 controllers are provided for those operators who prefer a physical control surface to engineer events, rather than computer software.
Grisby's design specialist, Luigi Locorotondo, said, "The potential of this system even exceeds the vast number of functions it is currently assigned. Moreover, the preset features mean that engineers benefit from more time to create, produce, and mix live events."
A specific requirement of the new system was that it could manage a large number of microphones. The iDR's Automatic Mic Mixer mode in particular is a great benefit to the conferences that are regularly hosted at the venue, where several microphones can contribute to the mix.
"Thanks to the iDR system we have made an important technical upgrade to our auditorium. It is my job to accommodate many different activities every day, and with the iDR system I have gained flexibility, quality in sound, and a decrease in set up times," concluded G d'Annunzio University's technical director, Marcello Di Nino.
Editor's note: Zibaldone is Italian for mixture or medley.
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