With increasing use of distance learning and hybrid classrooms for in-student and online sessions, Washington University in St Louis wanted to upgrade to the latest technology to help ensure the best educational experience possible. University officials approached local integrator CI Select to help equip more than 100 classrooms in 24 buildings. Project Manager, Jeff Weaver, reviewed several options from different manufacturers before selectin Shure.
‘With more than 100 classrooms to outfit over the summer, we had to not only find a quality solution, but also one that was simple to configure so we could have everything ready for the fall semester,’ says Weaver, who oversaw the installation and deployment.
Shure’s Microflex Advance MXA910 Ceiling Array Microphone with IntelliMix DSP proved ideal for the application. The next evolution of the icompany’s array microphone system, the MXA910 is designed specifically for spaces like classrooms that demand seamless and connected audio. It enables broad, cost-effective deployment in an attractive ceiling design.
The system’s Autofocus Technology continually fine-tunes the position of each lobe in real time, for consistent sound when instructors walk around the classroom or when students ask questions from various areas of the room. It also combines state-of-the-art array microphone technology with the Shure IntelliMix DSP — Acoustic Echo Cancellation, Noise Reduction, and Automatic Mixing .
The team used an IntelliMix P300 Audio Conferencing Processor and Shure’s Designer software to help configure and network the microphones. The P300 provides simple set-up, requiring less DSP programming and commissioning time. Multiple connectivity options allow for seamless integration with microphones, laptops and even mobile devices. Easy, rackless mounting enables quick, compact integration behind a display, under a table or in a credenza.
The CI Select team was able to operate at an efficient pace, ultimately setting up 83 teaching center rooms with one MXA910 setup and 18 rooms with a two-mic configuration – well before the 15,000 Washington University students returned to school. The set-up also supports students’ collaborations, including with Zoom calls as Shure products are certified for the Zoom platform and will work with USB cameras – in this case, 103 PTZ Panasonic cameras.
Another consideration was the instructor. There was discussion about some instructors using lavalier mics to augment the audio, however, the audio capture from the MXA910 mic mounted in the ceiling was so good, no other mics were required. It also helps facilities not have to track an additional piece of equipment. To use the technology, Shure designed it to be effortless, so any instructor can use it.
‘We were really surprised at how great the audio quality was,’ says Tom Furby at Washington University. ‘Providing our students with the best technology to learn, and our instructors with the resources to effectively teach, is more important than ever during these challenging times.’
‘We’ve been in business since 1985 because we like to take care of our customers for the long haul,’ adds Marc Enger, Marketing Director at CI Select. ‘Knowing that our work helps a community icon like Washington University continue its mission to provide quality education to the next generation of leaders is a really rewarding feeling.’
