Q-Sys™ in control at La Cité Des Échanges

Lille, France (January 31, 2012) – QSC Audio Products’ French distributor, Sennheiser France, together with French audio-visual integrator AVN, have installed an extensive Q-Sys audio management system in Lille, northern France, comprising a Core 1000 processor, five I/O Frame units fitted with five Mic/Line input cards, plus three DataPort cards. These connect and control four CX204V amplifiers, which drive 45 AD-CI52T ceiling-mounted speakers.

La Cité Des Échanges (CDE) is a large convention centre complex designed to hold exhibitions, seminars, conferences and other events. Situated in a 7-hectare park in the northern town of Lille, less than 20km from the Belgian border, and a mere hour and 20 minutes from London on Eurostar, it's a popular meeting place for European professionals, offering over 3000 square metres of rentable space. It's also equipped with the latest in audio-visual technology, including high-speed internet, video conferencing systems, presentation stages with full lighting, sound and camera rigs, electronic voting systems, simultaneous translation booths, and so on, with a permanent on-site technical team to provide backup.

Last year, a new 800-square-metre site opened at CDE, divided into four audio-visual zones which may be combined or separated as required. The integrator assigned to the provision of the audio-visual systems for the new site called in Sennheiser France, who recommended the implementation of a Q-Sys network for maximum flexibility in the control of the amplifiers and speakers throughout the new facility.

Q-Sys provides integrated control of the audio routing, processing and monitoring systems required for any large-scale AV installation, ensuring clear, comprehensible audio at the touch of a configurable control panel or the click of a mouse. A modular system of processors, I/O units and hardware control panels, tied together with easy-to-use drag-and-drop system configuration software, Q-Sys can be configured for use in stadiums, amusement and theme parks, airports and railway stations as required, and is seamlessly scalable when the project expands or needs change.

Custom graphical user interfaces were constructed for CDE, allowing control of the zoned audio systems in the new building from two main sites, the first from a touch pad at main reception, the other from a password-controlled central control room, where a large touch screen allows the assignment and redefinition of the control zones and networks, and the routing and processor settings assigned to each one. The integrators at CDE commented, "In a difficult place to add sound, faced with a complex problem, Q-Sys has provided the ideal solution with its exceptional configuration flexibility."