INVESTEC – BANKING ON THE BEST
When internationally renowned specialist bank and asset manager, Investec, completed the construction of their new premises in Durban, they needed a reliable and user-friendly audio visual system to match the look and feel of their new home.
Corporate Office Systems had been involved in Investec’s previous systems design and installations and since they knew Investec’s operational systems, they were asked to design the new AV system. The project went to tender and was subsequently awarded to Corporate Office Systems.
The two most important criteria of the new AV system were that it had to be automated in the Auditorium, Boardroom and Bar areas, and it had to incorporate superb videoconferencing facilities. Investec relies heavily on videoconferencing between its branches for widespread, inexpensive and instant communication which occupies a small carbon footprint. These requirements were easily met by Polycom and automation from Crestron.
The Auditorium
The most challenging aspect of the project was the Auditorium, which required the flexibility to make it suitable for meetings and videoconferencing and also be able to be extended for functions to incorporate the use of the Bar and Terrace. The Auditorium had to be able to operate as two independent rooms - each with its own source selection, volume, microphone mix and lighting scenes - or as one large venue.
Control in the Auditorium is via two Crestron TPS4L touchpanels mounted in the lecterns, and with the press of the “Link Room” button, the two rooms become one, with the slave room following the master source, volume level, microphone mix and lighting scenes.
Because only one of the rooms has videoconferencing capability, the microphones were a challenge. The solution was to have two roaming microphones that can be in use in either room in any combination, along with Shure podium microphones. The user has the ability to adjust on the touchpanel the microphone mix per room to match the current requirements.
A Crestron approved partner was chosen to ensure full control of advanced Audio Digital Signal Processing and BSS. In order to eliminate the possibility of an individual changing the settings on the equipment, all the routing, mixing, tone, volume and dynamics adjustments are controlled by the automation software. There are no buttons on either the Crestron processor or the BSS units and only the functions needed by the user are accessible from the TPS4L touchpanels.
The sound installation included Crestron amplifiers and Kramer 6.5” ceiling speakers and cabling and the lighting installation included Helvar Dali dimmers to dim the downlights and the multiple indirect fluorescent lights. In addition, lighting scenes were programmed for presentation and conference applications.
In both the Auditorium and the Private Dining Room (the Main Boardroom which is refered to as the Private Dining Room), in-ceiling motorised screens and projector lifts were installed, which discreetly retract into the ceiling when not in use.
Private Dining
The Private Dining Room facilities were designed to be intuitive and user-friendly and able to be used without the need for advanced training or specialist assistance.
The most cost effective way to handle the routing of sources between the rooms was to install a single Kramer 1608 matrix router, BSS multi-channel audio processing and a Crestron MC2E control processor.
Sources in the Private Dining Room can be routed independently to either one of the two in-ceiling motorised tension screens. Audio follows the last selected source, although a specific audio source can be selected if required. Selecting a source automatically lowers the screen and projector, the volume slowly rises to a pre-set level and the lights dim. The lights can also be adjusted manually, if necessary. All of the above is controlled via a Crestron TPMC3X wireless touchpanel.
Selecting videoconferencing sets up both screens simultaneously, and the volume and mute buttons are automatically routed to the Polycom HDX7000 rather than the Crestron VEQ4 volume controller, enabling the onscreen volume and microphone controls to be used without the user even knowing there was a change in functionality.
The Bar and Terrace
The Bar area has something of a split personality, with gentle background music enhancing the atmosphere in the eating area during business hours, and the potential for high octane entertainment after hours when the JBL Control 47 ceiling speakers and JBL control 40CST ceiling subwoofers can be cranked up to a thumping level.
The Terrace has JBL Control 25 AV all weather speakers which can be controlled independently.
A dedicated laptop is housed in the bar area. This laptop is routed via a CAT5 link to the Kramer VP1608 Matrix switcher. This laptop is sued to control the background music or video to any screen connected to the matrix switcher. This laptop is also connected to the Crestron Processor via X-Panel allowing full control from the Bar area.
Videoconferencing
Polycom HDX7000 XLP was chosen for the 8 videoconferencing units installed – one each in the Auditorium and Boardroom, and the other 6 installed in videoconferencing rooms that are each equipped with 2 x Samsung full HD LCDs. All run off both Quad BRI ISDN and IP to provide the flexibility of dialling to various sites.
The VC rooms are controlled via Kramer RC8ir via RS232 and IR protocols. At the push of a button, the user selects the mode required – VC/PC only/ DSTV – and has control over volume and channel selection. Each meeting room has a Kramer T-BUS 3 for ease of connectivity with a VGA, Audio, LAN and power connection.
TV Broadcast System
Television monitors were installed throughout the building to keep everyone up to date with the latest news, with the option of viewing sports and other channels when required.
A Triax Modulation System was installed to control the TV Broadcast system. A total of 10 x DSTV decoders and 1 x DVD player are routed via RF to 18 x Sony 40” LCDs, as well as to each videoconferencing room, the Auditorium and the Boardroom. The main broadcast is linked into a VLC media streaming PC which streams the DSTV feed to any computer in the building over LAN.
CORPORATE OFFICE SYSTEMS
Corporate Office Systems was formed by Mr Richard Gild in 1995 and has enjoyed 15 years of successful installations. With a vast product range and superb track record the company is well positioned to design and supply AV & IT equipment for corporate applications.
Services supplied by Corporate Office Systems include IT Consultancy, wired and wireless networks, installation, repair and support of AV & IT equipment, maintenance contracts and rental.
With major suppliers as their partners, quality installations and service is guaranteed.