The Saltire Centre in Glasgow Caledonian University is home to the campus library and offers students access to the resources they need, in an open and airy environment. The £23m learning centre, situated in the heart of the university's campus, won several architecture and design awards after opening in January 2006 with the objective of integrating all learning and students services in one building.
The main atrium within the Saltire Centre has been used for events by the University, using hired in conventional loudspeaker systems, and had always resulted in complaints about the quality and intelligibility of the audio or the intrusiveness of the speaker positions.
In early November 2009, after an on-site demonstration of a Tannoy QFlex 32 in conjunction with local A/V Integrator Mediascape, The university specified three QFlex 32's as part of an investment to create a permanent professional/corporate presentation environment. The new system was used for the first time later that same month at the Chancellor's Dinner and instead of the usual complaints, there was only praise for the exceptional intelligibility of the audio. The system design, (comprising of just the three QFlex arrays) and software programming covers the entire open Atrium Area, as well as under the balcony areas.
Mediascape's sales engineer Grieg Ford comments: "The interior of the Saltire Centre atrium is mainly concrete and glass. Conventional loudspeakers struggled to achieve good intelligibility due to the reflected sound and it became a real problem for the venue.
"Being aware of the capabilities of Tannoy's QFlex system, I arranged a demonstration of a QFlex 32 within the space, and it was immediately obvious that this device would provide the clarity and intelligibility required, and then some."
The system is designed with versatility and redundancy in mind. Input A is derived from an Allen & Heath IDR8 controlled via an AMX system, whilst input B has a direct connection to a small analogue Yamaha mixer.
(Jim Evans)
