With a key role in transforming Taiwan economy from labour-intensive industry to high-tech sectors, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has recently revamped its Room 604 – most frequently used for important conferences and presentations.

Local company Seapower Technology Company was called in to update the equipment for conferencing and video-conferencing. 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. 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.’

Chia-Hsing recalls using a SymNet DSP on the very first day of working at Seapower in 2010. On this occasion, he chose a pair of SymNet Radius 12x8 open architecture Dante-scalable DSPs, along with a single Symetrix ARC-2e wall panel remote for audio level and preset control.

‘We needed a lot of inputs and output channels for this installation, and with SymNet Radius 12x8 we have 12 mic/line inputs as well as eight outputs,’ he says. ‘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 SymNet Radius 12x8 EX, this DSP remains a flagship of the Symetrix range. At ITRI, the two SymNet Radius devices are at the centre of a high-quality audio installation that also includes four Quad Industrial C6-16 in-ceiling speakers and four 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.’