LAST SUMMER, PLAY AV was assigned to supply and install a complete sound system for internal communication and audio transmission at the new East Flanders headquarters of construction and manufacturing company Willy Naessens
Industriebouw. The building was being built from scratch, leaving PLAY AV with little more than software simulations of the infrastructure. “We took into account a
number of parameters such as speech intelligibility, sound
dispersion and the financial and aesthetical viability,” explains Lieven Verzele, project manager with PLAY AV. “You cannot use stadium speakers throughout an office building, neither will small enclosures do the job. In addition, some of the areas
Rectangular boxes were constructed to incorporate the round in-ceiling speakers from Bose
required individual volume control, source configuration, or auto-start applications.” The Naessens building project included 65 zones requiring audio systems, from the entrance hall to the restrooms. “The whole multi-zone system is controlled through a BSS Soundweb matrix, consisting of two BLU-800, two BLU-120 and eight BLU-BOB break-out boxes. The BLU series is very powerful in processing and the configuration allows tailor-made adjustments,” Verzele says. “We calculated that, in the process of the installation, we would require lots of individual settings for the many offices served by the system.” For the sound reinforcement
of the system, PLAY AV opted for a combination of Bose install speakers and Crown amplifiers with built-in Cobranet. “We found that Bose provided the solution for the complete building – we decided not to go for a combination of brands. And with both BSS and Crown as part of the Harman Group we had perfect compatibility,” adds Verzele. The whole project included seven CTS8200, seven CTS1200 and three CTS3000 Crown amplifiers offering 84 analogue audio channels steering 251 Bose speakers. “The owner of the building didn’t want any
circular elements in the design – the problem was that the Bose install speakers we used were all round so we constructed rectangular boxes to incorporate the round in-ceiling speakers,” he continues. “In the main entrance hall, we couldn’t make use of array speakers or touring cabinets – we used eight 402 and six MA12EX Bose enclosures for in-ceiling use and three MB24 Bose subs under the stage. This allowed us to meet the customer’s demand for an invisible yet powerful audio system fit for presentations and corporate events.”
As is often the case with
building projects, deadlines were moved all the time, leaving PLAY AV less than one week for the complete installation, leading to a substantial adaptation of the modus operandi and the number of crew members involved, with all cabling prepared in advance. “We’re happy that we’ve
appointed a specialist such as PLAY AV for the integration of our audio and video system,” enthuses Bart Motte, IT manager of Willy Naessens Industriebouw, on the recent completion of the project. “Architectural changes were immediately implemented in the sound and light design, so no budgetary surprises!” www.playbiz.be
The biggest BSS Soundweb configuration ever used in continental Europe has been installed in Willy Naessens Industriebouw HQ, writes Marc Maes