Shaun Hodgson: Area Technical Manager - Saville Audio Visual, Paul Richards: Project Manager - Saville Audio Visual
What we use it for:
Audio processing in corporate boardrooms, conference rooms, training facilities, leisure facilities, video-conference and teleconference suites.
What we like:
The Nexia and AudiaFLEX provide such a wide, all-encompassing range of audio processing facilities in a variety of flavours that it’s hard to imagine an audio project that the products couldn't cope with. At Saville we provide audio and visual solutions to such a wide range of end users that we have to source products that offer maximum flexibility.
The Nexia certainly provides us and our customers with what we need. At the front, the range offers a clean look with little for the user to be concerned with apart from diagnostic LED's. Around the back things are very different, the array of configurable inputs and outputs are impressive. We tend to use Nexia in small to medium size projects. It's available in 'pre-configured' versions which make the job of specifying much easier.
The presentation mixer, conference system and speaker processor units vary the input and output configuration but all three share the same design and programming software. This makes it easy to drag and drop DSP functions. We often work on rooms with opening dividers so the preset facility makes it easy for us to quickly select different saved configurations.
The Nexia Tele-conference and Video-conference variants add wide-band acoustic echo cancelling for eight microphone inputs. The VC model has a direct interface to a video-conference CODEC using mic or line level inputs and outputs whilst the TC model has a built in configurable telephone hybrid. The best bit here is that the audio stays at full bandwidth which really does make a big difference.
Many Saville projects include AMX, Crestron, Extron, Procon or our own Saville Intellect control systems. All of the Nexia and AudioFlex range have RS232 control and an ethernet connection making programming, preset selection and diagnostics a breeze.
What we really like:
The support and training that Nexia’s UK distributor beyerdynamic continue to offer us on the Biamp range - all backed up with a five year manufacturer warranty and even 24-hour human support!
What we would change:
There's really very little we'd change about the Nexia and AudiaFlex products. At first the range can seem a little daunting with a lot of choice, but the relevant benefits soon become clear and the guys at beyerdynamic are spot-on at providing advice and guidance.
The programming software can also look a little complex when you load it up for the first time, but it doesn't take long to get used to. We quickly learned to love the way you can just drag and drop all that DSP power!
Where we recently installed it:
At Rolls-Royce Learning & Career Development Centre in Derby, a flexible system was needed for ‘The Street’ – a space between two buildings, 15 metres wide by 200 metres long, with an arching atrium ceiling to provide an outdoors feel. The system needed to be customisable to minimise feedback and reverberation as well as provide zoning capabilities to keep ambient noise separate from adjacent areas.
We achieved that with an AudiaFLEX processor and an AMX controller to select from any of the Tannoy speakers – four on each wall – to act as a reference point. When a speaker is selected, the AudiaFLEX then accesses various presets programmed into the system’s matrix. This mutes the reference speaker to prevent feedback, reduces volume levels on the surrounding speakers and provides an even audio field with minimal reverb.