River City Christian Church, Rancho Cordova, CA
Sacramento Production Services partnered with Symetrix Field Applications Engineer Quinn Klarer to help with the project installation.
“He came in and really helped us with his expertise," says Brian Webber, install tech and programmer with Sacramento Production Services. "This involved adding a Shure MXA910, a Data-Video PTZ camera, and a capture card to the existing computer system. I needed a way for the control of all systems to be easy for the end user and this required a lot of programming. I also purchased a 12-inch touchscreen for control.”
"One of my goals here was to have the average, non-technical user be able to walk into this room and do complex things in a simple way. The Prism was the central hub for letting me achieve this."
Brian Webber, Install Tech and Programmer, Sacramento Production Services, Sacramento, CA
Webber continues, “I wanted the ability to integrate the Data-Video PTZ camera into the system, and connected it to the Symetrix Prism 12x12 that sent control data over the network. I was having trouble getting this working on the Windows computer with just straight IP commands and Quinn suggested I try the Bolin PTZ Intelligent Module that he had created. This module was perfect for my needs. Even though it was written for a different brand of camera, we were able to adapt it and make it work. This Intelligent Module includes pan/tilt control as well as preset recall, which I copied all those buttons to the Symetrix SymVue touchscreen. I was able to integrate it with the Shure MXA910 microphone and have the camera recall the preset based on where the person was standing in the room talking. I routed all the individual Dante channels into the Composer file and had each one route through an audio level detector and connected that to a remote-control number module. This then triggered the corresponding camera preset. It took some tweaking, but it works fantastic.”
In addition, Webber notes, “I am also using five Visionary Solution encoders and two decoders in this project. I’ve worked with Chuck Larson, who used to work at Symetrix, who has helped me a lot with the video integration in Composer. With these, I’m able to create a preview of both input and output on the touchscreen, as well as have that preview be a button. I’ve got it set up so the end user can touch the source they want, then touch the destination they want. I find this so much easier to use and explain than a standard classroom switcher. The ability to have the picture/preview is so helpful. I’m able to send all these commands to the encoders/decoders with intelligent modules, including the source select, HDMI CEC commands (on/off), and Bluetooth pairing.”
Ease of Use
Webber finds Symetrix products easy-to-use, yet possessing the complexity to address all the needs at the same time. "I absolutely love the ability to control every piece of gear on the network through the system; this was really important to me,” he states. “We recently started integrating Visionary Solutions products into our installations, and the number of things you can do integrating these two products together is staggering. Also, the 64 channels of Dante are wonderful. For me, I find the analog I/O to just be bonus for me as I’m trying to use Dante as much as possible. The ability to patch everything in the Composer file is great.”
Sound Quality
Sound quality is another aspect of the system that Webber appreciates. "I’ve installed three Prisms in this location alone, as well as many others, and I cannot say enough about how good they sound,” he says. “I can always find exactly the audio module I need. I always use the feedback suppressor with lav mics, which works great. It’s difficult to find a feedback suppressor that doesn’t degrade the audio beyond intelligibility. As far as performance goes, I’d say it’s great. This was an upgrade of a system I installed around five years ago. The Prism was already there and ran 24/7/365 during that time. The ability to upgrade the firmware and put a new Composer file in was super convenient.”
"I’ve installed three Prisms in this location alone, as well as many others, and I cannot say enough about how good they sound."
Brian Webber, Install Tech and Programmer, Sacramento Production Services, Sacramento, CA
Products and Solutions
Webber closes, “I feel like all [the] projects we work on are somewhat unique. I try to identify with the customer what it is they need to accomplish in the room and design around that. In this case, this room was used for many different things, so each of those needed to be addressed in the installation. One of my goals here was to have the average, non-technical user be able to walk into this room and do complex things in a simple way. The Prism was the central hub for letting me achieve this. The feedback I’ve received from this customer reflects that. After the training session, I’ve had no phone calls for help [in] figuring out how to do something. They always manage to figure it out, and I count that as a win.”
