Rey Juan Carlos University completes its AV transformation with NRD

The AV project carried out in the classrooms of the five campuses of this academic institution in the Community of Madrid has been integrated by GDR, with audio technology Xilica y Sennheiser, supplied by Magnetron.

Founded in 1996 by the Government, the King Juan Carlos University (URJC) It has four hundred teaching spaces, divided into five campuses in the Community of Madrid: Fuenlabrada, Mostoles, Aranjuez and Vicálvaro, with more than 49.000 undergraduate students, master's and doctoral degrees registered annually, and is part of the International Consortium of Universities –Eulist–, with eight other Europeans.

In July 2020, The university launched a four-year plan digital transformation to adapt teaching spaces to the demands of the teaching process to face-to-face classes, remote and hybrid, with the installation of a high-quality audio and video system, easy to use for people without audiovisual knowledge (more details in Digital AV).

GDR has been the integrating company chosen for this project, in which you have installed sound equipment Xilica y Sennheiser, supplied by Magnetron, your distributor in Spain. In total, it has carried out the AV renovation of one hundred classrooms on the five campuses of this university.

The objective was adjust the acoustics of each space to achieve maximum audio quality. Besides, NRD has designed a simple user interface, very easy to understand and use for people not used to handling this equipment.

The digital transformation solution for the classrooms of this university has consisted of the audio and video capture from each classroom on the different campuses, in addition to recording and distribution via streaming if necessary.

The most important challenge of the project carried out by NRD has been the microphone adaptation, since each of the spaces is different; The classrooms are different and have varied layouts. Xilica and Sennheiser equipment has been the core of the audio solution selected by this company thanks to its high sound quality and optimal integration.

He TCC2 ceiling microphone from Sennheiser captures high-quality sound from anywhere in the classroom, covering the entire surface of the room. At the same time, los digital sound processors (DSP) Solaro QR1 from Xilica provide clear and intelligible sound, no annoying noises as feedback, echoes, etc.

The Solaro QR1 open architecture processor has been one of the strong points for NRD, since it allows a personalized configuration with the appropriate cards according to the needs of each installation. Besides, It is powered via PoE and integrates into a Dante audio network.

NRD configured each DSP with Solaro XC-SML by Xilica (two channel analog audio input card), XC-SLO (two channel analog audio output card) y XC-Sub (USB 2 audio card×2 for sending and receiving).

In accordance with university requirements, Each classroom also has a Sennheiser MEG14-40 B, a gooseneck microphone 40 cm, with a flexible section mounted on a MZS31, and a fixed installation anti-shock elastic bracket.

This digital transformation at the Rey Juan Carlos University has created multifunctional teaching spaces and easy to use, so that any teacher or student who enters the classrooms can connect to the equipment or carry out specific actions without the intervention of technical staff.

Teachers and students can move freely throughout the class, as Sennheiser ceiling microphones automatically track your voices. Solaro technology, now available in all classrooms, Provides clear, natural sound with echo cancellation and noise free, which facilitates self-recording, content generation, digitization and streaming.

Thanks to it, The students of this university have high quality sound, They are already in person in the classroom, remotely listening to a recorded class.

The functionality of two-way audio allows remote students to collaborate or ask questions through the platform Microsoft Teams as if they were present in the classroom, unifying communication. Besides, any teacher with voice or throat problems, or perhaps with a low tone of voice, You can teach the class with the support of the Sennheiser gooseneck microphone, that sits on your table.

As part of the transformation project, The classrooms at the Rey Juan Carlos University also have digital whiteboards; automation of recordings; high connectivity of external equipment; smart lighting and elimination of architectural barriers, among other important improvements.

As pointed out Luis Torroella, from the engineering department of NRD Spain, “We are very satisfied with the integration of the Xilica and Sennheiser teams in this project, since they have more than met the client's requirements and have made the installation easier for us due to their quality and simplicity., as well as for all the technical support that Magnetrón has provided us, supplier of these two brands. University officials are delighted with the results, since they allow both in-person and remote students to follow classes with clear sound”.