From its base in Taiwan, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been playing a leading role in transforming the country’s economy from a basis in labour-intensive industry to one founded on high-tech sectors since 1973. It stands to reason that such a forward-looking organisation has consistently kept pace with evolving audio-visual requirements, and in its latest project ITRI has opted to overhaul Room 604 - the facility most frequently used for important conferences and presentations.
　　Locally-based Seapower Technology Company Limited was enlisted to achieve an update of the equipment for conferencing and video-conferencing applications. Ease of use and avoiding feedback between speakers and microphones in the compact, 40-seat room were specific priorities, says Seapower’s Hsiao Chia-Hsing, who worked on the project alongside installer Sunway Ltd.
　　“We decided not to select a traditional conference microphone system and opted to use boundary microphones instead,” says Chia-Hsing. “For the routing and processing, we had to have the ability to mix each mic input independently and adjust the volume going to any independent speaker. Audio for the occasions on which video conferencing is used also needed to be as simple as possible.”
　　As a long-time aficionado of Symetrix devices - indeed, Chia-Hsing recalls using a SymNet DSP on the very first day of working at Seapower in 2010 - there was never much question about the choice of DSP for the project. Ultimately, Chia-Hsing determined that a pair of SymNet Radius 12×8 open architecture Dante-scalable DSPs would do the job, along with a single Symetrix ARC-2e wall panel remote for the purposes of volume and preset control.
　　“We needed a lot of inputs and output channels for this installation, and with SymNet Radius 12×8 we have 12 mic/line inputs as well as eight outputs,” says Chia-Hsing. “The ability to configure with SymNet Composer software using more than 600 DSP modules, and the inclusion of support for Audinate’s Dante media networking technology are other primary benefits. With this feature-set, it really is a very powerful piece of equipment!”
　　Now available with a configurable input/output option card slot to further optimise channel count and known as Radius 12×8 EX, this DSP remains a flagship of the Symetrix range worldwide. Back at ITRI, the two SymNet Radius devices are now positioned at the core of a high-quality audio specification that also includes four Quad Industrial C6-16 in-ceiling speakers and a quartet of Peavey PVi 1000 amplifiers.
　　“In conjunction with the Symetrix equipment, the Quad Industrial speakers really help us to get a good, clear sound for our guests - for example, boosting the low and mid frequencies when required,” says Chia-Hsing. “The brief was to provide a system suitable for the demands of the new age of conferencing. With this high-capability set-up, we believe we have done this - and more.”