Queen Mary University London (QMUL) recently concluded a major refurbishment of its Garrod Building, in Whitechapel, which is integral to medicine and dentistry education. Lying adjacent to the Royal London Hospital, it required more modern spaces for student study, socialising, and activity. Q-SYS systems were at the heart of the set-up, but other technology came from Sennheiser, Yamaha, Ampetronic, Shure and Williams Sound. AV distributor Audiologic provided the equipment.
The specification included high-calibre systems for teaching spaces, including 11 seminar rooms and a PC lab, as well as the student union bar and hub and the fitness suite. Utilised for both in-person and hybrid learning over Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the teaching spaces were equipped with a Q-SYS Core 610 network I/O COTS processor with a redundant core, ensuring efficient operations across multiple rooms with multiple Q-SYS peripherals.
The lab and seminar rooms were equipped with QSC TSC G3 touch screen controllers along with a variety of QSC NV-32-H network endpoints, NL-P4 pendant speakers, AD-S6T surface mount speakers, NC-110 PTZ cameras and NM table top mics. A Shure MXA710 ceiling array microphone was installed in one of the larger rooms and Sennheiser bodypack and gooseneck mics and handhelds used throughout.
Hearing for all was an important aspect of the project and phased induction loops including Williams Sound IR transmitters, receivers and headphones and Ampetronic multiloop drivers and induction loop receivers were installed to ensure accessibility for all learners.
An additional QSC 610 network processor with TSC-70-G3 HD touch screen controller was installed in the student union bar, controlling QSC amplifiers, Sennheiser transmitters and mics and Yamaha CZR10 passive and DZR10D active speakers and subwoofers across the bar and social hub.
GVAV, leading specialists in audiovisual solutions, spearheaded the critical revamp of the ageing AV systems with a tight deadline to meet the opening for the new academic year in September 2023.
Inderbir Matharoo, account manager at GVAV, said: “Managing multiple contractors on a project of this scale whilst navigating tight deadlines, compounded by lengthy lead times for certain equipment, presented significant hurdles. However, Audiologic’s expertise proved invaluable. They adeptly sourced necessary equipment and proposed viable alternatives promptly, ensuring seamless progress within our project’s timeline.”
Jay Ahmed, AV design manager, QMUL added: “We’ve been incredibly impressed with the transformation of the audio system at the Garrod Building at QMUL. Having access to state-of-the-art facilities like the ones provided by GVAV, based on the Q-SYS ecosystem, has truly enhanced the learning experience of our students and guests.”
He continued: “The AV systems have been instrumental in facilitating seamless communication and collaboration in our seminars. The addition of Williams Sound IR transmitters and receivers ensures that all students, regardless of hearing abilities, can fully participate in lectures. Overall, the refurbishment has exceeded our expectations.”
Since installation, the rooms have been utilised by a diverse range of users, from final year medical students to the Russell Group IT Directors’ Forum (RUGIT) which involved CIOs/directors of Russell Group (which includes most of the UK’s top, world-class research-intensive universities). All have been highly impressed with the facilities on offer.
Audiologic kit list included:
Student union bar
QSC TSC-101-G3 high definition touch screen controller x 2
QSC Core 610 network processor
Yamaha CZR10 x 8
QSC CXQ4K8 8ch amplifier
Sennheiser SL handheld 865 DW3 transmitter x 2
Sennheiser SL MCR 4 SL radio mic receiver
Fitness suite
QSC AD-S8T
Ecler eSAM402 analogue mixer
QSC MP-A40V 4ch amplifier
Student union social hub
QSC TSC-70-G3 high definition touch screen controller
AudioTechnica ES931 gooseneck mic (cardioid)
Yamaha DZR10D active speaker x 2
Yamaha DXS15XLF-D active subwoofer x 2
Sennheiser SL Bodypack Lapel radio mic x 2
Sennheiser SL handheld 865 DW3 transmitter x 2
Sennheiser SL MCR 4 SL radio mic receiver
PC lab
QSC AD_S8T x 2
QSC TSC-101 G3 touch screen controller
QSC Core 610 network processor
QSC NV-32-H network video endpoint x 14
QSC NL-P4 pendant speakers x 10
QSC NC-110 PoE PTZ cameras x 10
QSC NM-T1 table top microphones x 10
Sennheiser SL Bodypack mics x 2
Sennheiser SL handheld transmitter
QSC MC 12-80 PTZ cameras
Seminar Rooms
QSC TSC 50-G3 touch screen controllers x 7
QSC NV-32-H network video endpoint x 7
QSC NL-P4 pendant speaker x 7
QSC NC-110 PoE PTX camera x 7
QSC NM-T1 table top microphone x 7
QSC AD-68T x 2
QSC AD-S6T x 4 pairs
Williams Sound IR T2-02 IR transmitter
Williams Sound IR RX22-NKL 4ch receivers x 6
Williams Sound HED 021 headphone
Sennheiser SL bodypack mic
Sennheiser SL handheld
Sennheiser SL MCR 2 receiver uc
Shure MXA710 ceiling array microphone
Sennheiser MZH3015 gooseneck mic x 2
Ampetronic C5-2D multiloop driver
Ampetronic TILR03+ induction loop receiver
