Sound & Communications October 20, 2008 Issue

Scott Palamar, choreographer/programmerThe new Gaylord Hotel& Convention Center is aglimmering beacon on thebanks of the Potomac Riverjust outside Washington DC.The combination of show control, lighting effectsand AV presentation transforms the Atriumfountain into a spectacular display.Gaylord Hotel Propertiesal/stage lighting supplier for seamlesspresentation of audio/video/lightingcontrol• coordination with the show controlprovider to integrate the mechanicalsequencing of visuals, i.e., fountain/light shows with audio/video elements• provision and installation of hometheater playback systems in six luxurysuites• interfacing with Gaylord’s in-houseIT staff for data-AV networking provisions• interfacing with the data/TV guestroom supplier for shared service provisions.Security and fire alarm systems wereunder the scope of another supplier.Public SpaceAV SystemsIn accordance with the owner’s dictates,the system specifications calledfor a high quality, high-density, zonedpaging and music distribution systemthroughoutthe interior andexterior publicspaces. This tookthe form of 44full-sized, interconnectedequipmentracks strategicallylocatedin 11 equipmentrooms scatteredin and about thepremises. Toprovide the necessary “audiohorsepower,” thesystem uses 134Lab.gruppen amplifiersto deliver250,000 watts ofpower to the connected2400 Tannoyloudspeakers.Each rackalso contains theassociated DSPnetworks to acceptinputs from499 custom-fabricatedinput panels,and provide the necessary audioprocessing.To interlace this complex system,AVI-SPL installed a dedicated Ciscobasednetwork that routes 672 channelsof CobraNet audio, control datafrom 150 Crestron wallmount touchpanelsand six web-based Crestron E-Control systems to the MediaMatrixDSP system. Additionally, Crestroncontrol also integrates seamlessly withthe lighting system to provide touchpanelrecall of lighting presets.Working with lighting system supplierCandela Controls and Gaylord’sIT staff, the entire system can be controlledarea-wide by using PC tablettechnology.According to senior project engineerJeff Vogt, several subcontractors augmentedAVI-SPL’s labor force: Tech,Inc., of Lanham MD, provided fieldcable installation; Towson MD-basedNelson-White Systems provided fielddevice termination services; and WavIntegrators, of Rockville MD, whosetechnicians performed terminationat the rack equipment locations. Vogtoffered, “These firms did an admirablejob and, without them, [AVI-SPL]would have been hard pressed to completethe project within the allowabletimeframe.”Ballroom/ConferenceRoom SystemsMost of the ballroom/exhibit spaceand conferencing facilities are sited ina three-story adjacent structure joinedto the hotel proper by an enclosedwalkway. The lower level, three-football-field-sizedexhibit space is divisibleinto four sections. Naturally, eachsection can be used independently orin a room-combined mode. Similarly,the two distinct ballroom areas can beused in either a combined or a decombinedmode, thus allowing the propertyto be adapted to fit the needs of aparticular group or function.The 55 discrete, standalone meetingrooms were equipped with the necessarycabling infrastructure to supportlocal AV presentations. Selected areas,i.e., boardrooms, administrative salesand staff conferencing rooms, wereOctober 2008 45