LancasterUniversity

BOWLAND LECTURE THEATRE AV REFRESH

Lecture theatre & cinema upgrade

CASE STUD

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Lancaster University is considered to be one of the best higher education institutes in the UK.

Top 10 in three majornational league tables,they hold a TEF Gold ratingfor teaching and are highlyranked in internationalleague tables such as theQS World Rankings.

The Bowland lecture theatre is a 254-seat tiered lecture theatre used for teaching during the day and as a cinema run by Lancaster University Student Union’s Take2 Cinema in the evenings and at weekends.

The university wanted to upgrade the equipment within the space to create

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The optimisation of a multipurpose space

a better environment for teaching and learning.

The solution implemented needed to work alongside the existing NEC N2000 Digital Cinema projector and integrate with the shared audio and AMX control system.

It had to simplify the control for the lecturer and optimise the image and

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sound quality experienced by the audience, whether in a lecture or watching a film.

From a technical management perspective, the new system required the introduction of additional audio and video connectivity in the AV room able to offer greater flexibility during technician supported events.

To enhance the visual experience during teaching a new 12,000lumen Panasonic laser projector was introduced.

This replaced the existing lamp-based unit used during teaching and offered an immediate improvement in the clarity of the images displayed on the projection screen.

As a laser unit, it also offered reduced running costs and minimised ongoing maintenance requirements.

Both the cinema projector and dedicated teaching projector are managed via an AMX control system

with a desk mounted touch control panel on the lectern and a second in the AV control room at the back of the lecture theatre. To build resilience into the system and to offer additional peace of mind, the system is designed

Brighter images and a reassuring backup

to enable simple switch over to the cinema projector should the main teaching projector fail.

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The upgrade was also an opportunity to bring the room control in-line with the rest of the University estate.

When a lecturer enters the space, they are greeted now by a familiar lectern design and touch panel control with the same user interface found in other lecture theatres across the campus.

The addition of wireless connectivity via Mersive Solstice has also increased the flexibility within the presentation area and enables those delivering the lecture to move about more freely within the teaching area.

A familiar user interface

“Working with Pure AV is a delight, it’s easy, and they are very professional.

The feedback from the academics on the upgraded lecture theatres is unanimously positive, and the students are a lot happier as everything looks and sounds so much clearer; leaving them to concentrate on the content and get on with the process of learning”.

Liam Crabb, Senior technican - Liverpool John Moores University

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One of the greatest challenges in a multipurpose space like the Bowland lecture theatre is the creation of two very different audio experiences.

The requirement for excellent speech intelligibility and even content playback when in use as a lecture theatre contrary to the desired theatrical experience when in use as a cinema.

To meet this challenge new amplifiers and BSS Blu 100 audio processors were added to the existing Martin Audio O-line arrays and Sennheiser mics were added to the lecturer’s

A balanced audio experience

tool kit. The Pure AV audio engineer was then able to program and commission the system to extract the best possible audio performance for the room environment and mode of use.

The system is now configured with pre-sets to prioritise atmospheric immersion when in use as a cinema and clarity of speech and intelligibility for teaching.

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Those responsible for the support of the lecture theatre have seen a marked reduction in call outs and improvements to student feedback.

“The upgrade to the teaching equipment has dramatically improved the learning environment; lecturers have commented on how much better the audio is in the space and how much clearer the presentation content is compared to the past.

The fact that the operation of the theatre is now the same as in other teaching spaces has also resulted in fewer call outs for setup support, the lecturers simply come in and get on with delivering the lesson.”

David Neal Teaching space technology coordinator

Lancaster University

Reliable and hassle-free

As far as Take2 Cinema are concerned, it’s been business as usual, with the added benefit of the simplified operation of the system and an enhanced audio experience.

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