As part of Australia’s Digital Dividend Restack, the University of Sydney has had to have its existing wireless audio devices vacate the spectrum currently being used. The educational institute’s exit strategy was implemented with the help of integrators Rutledge AV and Shure.
Being a heavy user of RF devices, the University of Sydney was faced with the task of completely replacing every single wireless microphone device and also factor in their new building, the recently opened Charles Perkins Centre, which is a collaborative research and teaching space dedicated to reducing the impact of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Jason Wheatley, manager for Interactive Learning Services at the University of Sydney, said regarding the challenges faced: “The new mics were going to have to live in a new and more crowded area of wireless spectrum. We wanted to have confidence that the equipment we chose had the flexibility to move to another area of spectrum if there was a problem, and had sufficient channels available to change things to get out of any trouble.â€
After evaluation and testing, the University of Sydney invested in 340 channels of Shure ULX-D
Digital Wireless Systems. The Shure solution was chosen due to its flexibility which would serve as a benefit in the new RF environment. In addition, the university specifically wanted networking features which allow for remote control and monitoring. Trails with the Shure solution also garnered feedback regarding the ease of use for both the handled and bodypack ULX-D transmitters.