Digital signal processing solutions from Symetrix has helped design and integration firm Excel AV Group to achieve its largest DSP installation to date at Grand Casino Mille Lacs. The system at the Minnesota, US, entertainment complex features 36 inputs and 28 outputs.
As company president Kevin Crow recalled, the venue operators “began looking at upgrading the sound for the main ballroom and smaller adjoining meeting rooms in February 2014. The main challenges were that they did not have a very good main PA, their control system was difficult to use, and patching was difficult.”
Flexible and easy-to-use processing was a priority, and Excel AV’s research quickly led them to investigate the possibility of deploying two Symetrix SymNet Radius open architecture Dante-scalable DSPs. “The SymNet Radius units are so powerful and with their Dante capability, the networking is just amazing. Also, we had already deployed them successfully on a number of projects,” said Crow.
The final Symetrix installation – comprising two SymNet Radius 12×8 DSPs along with one Axiomtek GOT-5152T-830-J touch panel controller, one xIn 12 input expander and two xOut 12 output expanders – allows staff to combine and un-combine ballroom sound. Eight wireless mic channels can be patched to any room or zone via a wireless tablet loaded with Symetrix SymVue GUI control software. Crow noted: “It’s now super-easy for a user to control volume for individual mics or to change room configurations and/or patching.”
For Excel AV Group, the Grand Casino installation is the latest in a long sequence of projects featuring Symetrix DSPs. “We love the pro-audio EQ offerings that Symetrix has in its Composer 2.0 software, and we use Symetrix for our pro-audio rigs all the time without hesitation,” said Crow.
Shure wireless microphones, Danley Sound Labs mains loudspeakers and JBL distributed speakers were also selected during an installation that has met with a wholly positive reaction from casino personnel. “They have encountered no issues running the system, which sounds fantastic for all types of entertainment, from regional acts to comedians and much more besides,” said Crow. “Reliable, rugged and feature-rich, the Symetrix products are integral to the installation and we could not be more pleased with their performance.”
