The flexibility of Digigram Audio Manager allows the hotel to control the background music to reflect situations and demographics that change by the day or by the hour in the various locations of the $1.5billion complex. Digigram Audio Manager is a software suite for A-to-Z management of multi-zone audio installations, including play list creation, sound library management and signal routing. NCX Networked audio terminals, which are hooked into the Venetian's existing Ethernet, are used as I/O hardware. The audio is streamed via the network legacy from a central database to the audio terminals in the different areas. Using a TCI/IP interface, Audio Manager can remotely control the system from anywhere in the network.
Vella and the Venetian Resort IT staff have tested the system extensively. They had to be certain that plugging the NCX Terminals into their Intranet did not create problems. "It had zero effect on the Intranet and that is not the case with most audio streaming delivery systems. We tested one other product that shut down one of two servers," said Vella. "With Audio Manager and NCX we had no glitches, no anomalies and we didn't notice any audible changes in frequency response and nothing like a file getting stuck, as is the case with CDs and satellite music systems."
The solution comes on line just as the Venetian Resort is finishing a $250million expansion that provides 1,013 additional hotel suites, making the Venice-themed luxury resort the third largest hotel in the world with 4,049 suites. Some of the features of the Audio Manager, such as zoning and paging, are not currently being used, but may well be taken advantage of in the future.
(Ruth Rossington)
