The challenges of implementing sophisticated technologies into multi-purpose spaces, which host sport events, concerts, assemblies, theatre plays and the like, are well documented. This project, however, also required that operator controls be portable and operable from four different locations: front-of-house, the scorer's table, on stage, and an off-court ancillary location. Furthermore, the infrastructure needed to be able to address the multiple system requirements within the current budget, yet still offer sufficient flexibility to expand the system in future.
EAI's senior acoustician and performance systems designer Dave Still immediately recognized the added value of Digigram's EtherSound products. He built a network infrastructure based on low-cost standard Cat 5 and Ethernet switches and added Digigram ES8in devices, which convert up to eight analogue audio signals into as many EtherSound channels, to the portable control racks. Via simple Ethernet plugs in the wall, the ES8ins can connect to the network at all four control locations. ES8out devices throughout the building represent the other end of the audio network, and re-convert the digital data back to analogue audio signals. Every input can be routed to one or multiple outputs. Traditional multi-cable copper paths were almost entirely eliminated.
Still comments: "While conventional technology, wisdom, and costs limit transformer-isolated splitters to a 3-way redistribution of audio signals, the EtherSound digital audio network suffers from no such restraint. Remember the four points of access required for this application? By carefully considering the flow of audio through the network, multiple points of access were achieved with only a few Cat 5e cable runs. Multiple networks, each requiring only one additional Cat 5e cable, may be added to expand the overall system size or flexibility."
Regarding the choice of EtherSound, Still adds: "For us, it was important to choose an audio networking technology that is viable and will stay relevant for future evolutions of the infrastructure. Digigram's EtherSound products are a tremendous piece of technology and able to connect to a growing number of compliant products produced by other EtherSound licensees. This gives us a lot of options for the future."
(Lee Baldock)
