Commercial Integrator May 2023 - 22

Spotlight on Audio
you can bring one of their MXWAPT devices
to a site and run a scan. [It will tell] you how
many channels can be expected to run
simultaneously without any interference. "
If audio is going to be a magnetic force to entice people to visit theaters, auditoriums
and other attractions, the latest advances in immersive-audio technology might prove
indispensable. When combined with dazzling video, it delivers incredible experiences.
offer good training, software and support.
But it's important not to overlook Q-LAN,
which, according to Diversified's Gutierrez,
well suits sports-facility projects, which represent
a real area of strength for Diversified.
" Diversified relies mostly on QSC Q-LAN
(on their Q-SYS platform) and/or Dante,
depending on the use case, " he comments.
" For sports facilities, Q-SYS is the de-facto
DSP solution on the market today, and either
Q-LAN or Dante are the protocols that work
best for audio distribution around venues. "
As goes without saying, Dante continues
to be a large part of any AV-over-IP conversation.
" Dante is everywhere now, " Salto
emphasizes, " and there is almost always
a requirement to support it. " Naturally, he
says, AVI-SPL works with manufacturers that
utilize their own proprietary or more uncommon
network-audio transport protocols.
However, he adds, " ...we still go with the
ones who support Dante in addition to their
own network audio protocol. " Salto cites
QSC and Biamp as having their preferred
protocols but fully supporting Dante in the
same network environment. Buttressing that
point, Wright says, " It's rare that a piece of
quality technology designed today can't
integrate with Dante. Since the integration is
available, we look at most projects and determine
if using Dante is the right solution. "
Wireless-Mic Considerations
As someone who has been covering
performance-audio technologies since
2004, I've borne witness to very consider22
Commercial
Integrator MAY 2023
able constrainment of the RF spectrum for
wireless-mic users. So, CI now quizzes our
interviewees on how big of a problem this
continues to be. Peavey credits our industry
with adapting to the challenge quite well.
" Innovation on the part of the larger players
provided the solutions to keep our industry
headed in a stable direction, " he states.
" The development of frequency hopping,
then digital wireless helped the industry
utilize the available white spaces more
efficiently. " Pointing to wireless platforms
that can handle 40-plus channels in a 6MHz
sliver of the spectrum, as well as equidistant
tuning without intermod calculations,
Peavey adds, " ...deployment of large wireless
systems has become less of a chore than
in the past. " He also cites the salutary effect
of manufacturers increasingly exploring the
1.9GHz, 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
Kawczynski concedes that a few factors
- namely, the lack of frequency ranges
reserved just for wireless mics and variable
region-to-region regulatory requirements
- can make frequency coordination tricky.
" We rely on many of the free RF-analysis
software tools, provided by companies like
Shure, to coordinate our wireless frequencies, "
he states. He cites the challenging
nature of large-city deployments, saying, " ...
[these] generally require more scanning time
throughout the day to make sure a nearby
venue doesn't turn on their wireless at a
particular time of day, causing interference. "
Salto picks up on this, saying, " My favorite
version of this is in Shure's MXW line, where
Immersive Audio Gains Attention
If audio is going to be a magnetic force
attracting people to theaters, auditoriums,
theme parks, museums and other venues,
the latest advances in immersive-audio technology
might prove indispensable. Richards
believes in the vision, saying, " Immersive
audio is often driven by experience-driven
spaces and can be seen as a requirement
even in purpose-built briefing/experience
centers. " Quite often, AVI-SPL's Experience
Technology Group (XTG) engages with
spaces that require performance visual and
audio experiences that naturally immerse
participants in the client's vision and story.
" While the solution may not be the highest
output or a large venue, the channel counts
and directionality of the audio can become
very important with performance purpose-built
solutions, " Richards explains.
Peavey also embraces immersive audio's
potential but likewise is clear-eyed about
the challenges. " Immersive audio is certainly
making a strong case for its usefulness in
large-scale productions, " he enthuses, but
adds that project stakeholders must be
ready for " ...budgets [that] allow for the
additional order of magnitude in equipment
requirements. " Given that some technology
enthusiasts expended their pandemic-era
excess savings to level up their home theaters
and video-gaming setups, client desire
exists in many cases to replicate - and
exceed! - the soundscapes they've come
to love. " There is a completely new way
of thinking when it comes to mixing in an
immersive space that can be difficult to master, "
Peavey remarks. " With consumer-level
tools like L-ISA Studio from L-Acoustics and
the Dolby Atmos Renderer, I fully expect
immersive mixing to become more widely
understood and the large-scale systems to
be more seriously considered options. "
Others among our integration experts
have a more equivocal view of immersive
audio's potential. For example, Kawczynski's
firm, IMS Technology Services, which focuses
heavily on conference and collaborative
environments, hasn't had any specific
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Commercial Integrator May 2023

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