Founded in 1982 by Mark Greene, ITA is an AV house managing everything from creative and rental to system design and sales. Offering the support of its own Hotel Services Group as well, the Cincinnati, OH-based firm currently staffs and maintains on-site hotel operations in 22 cities spanning 14 states from the Atlantic seaboard to Texas. With a good deal of its hotel activities centered around the diverse requirements of corporate meetings and events, ITA has found its wireless needs expanding to a point today where turnkey systems are kept constantly busy in properties including Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton, Holiday Inn and Doubletree locations.
According to director of sales and marketing Jim Barnhorst, if ITA has learned anything over the years, it's that when it comes to wireless operations of this scale, reliability, performance and price count. "Within hotel operations, our wireless systems see use with everything from live music to conferences spanning large numbers of breakout rooms," he noted. "The pace of these jobs is always quick, and you can't have the gear go down. Since the sheer number of systems we need to keep in inventory to serve all our hotel locations is high, too, yes, price is a major concern as well."
Since its inception, ITA has turned to Shure to fulfill the bulk of its microphone needs. With the introduction of Shure's SLX wireless last year, the firm took delivery of over 125 SLX systems, all of which instantly found homes within its Hotel Services Group locations. "The SLX systems flat-out perform in these situations," ITA assistant general manager Mike Kent remarked. "Reliability is never a problem, nor is the quality of the audio. And for these kinds of applications, the best thing I love about SLX is its automatic frequency selection and transmitter setup functions. When you have to set up 70 meeting rooms in a single day, it's definitely nice to be able to simply press a button and have all that done for you."
Ideally suited for sound applications of virtually any description, Shure's SLX wireless delivers audio in a compact, easy-to-use package that can be quickly configured. Additionally offering features including an automatic transmitter setup and a frequency locator, SLX supports up to 20 compatible systems across multiple UHF bands, making it a logical choice for everything from boardrooms and lecture halls to houses of worship and portable road cases.
Central to the system's sound is Shure's new proprietary Audio Reference Companding (ARC) circuitry, which brings more transmission clarity and dynamic range to wireless function than with traditional technologies. On an operational level, the system employs features that make setup almost effortless. Guided by an infrared link, a wide choice of SLX bodypack and handheld transmitters are automatically linked with the receiver, while an auto-frequency locator scans all available channels in search of the best for optimal use.
"We've tried other wireless units," Barnhorst admitted. "But we've always been happier with Shure. In fact, the largest percentage of our mics-about 80 percent, both wireless and hardwired-are Shure. They are never met with unfavorable reviews by our guys in the field, nor our clients. Bottom line, that goes a long way toward making everyone's life easier, especially for those of us on the direct firing line every day."
