Sennheiser Elevates Hybrid Learning Experience at NTU Singapore

Two ceiling microphones have been installed in the Gaia auditorium of this Nanyang technological university Sennheiser TCC 2 at the front of the stage, while another ten have been distributed throughout the theater seating area.

Sennheiser, brand that distributes Magnetron, has installed a dozen computers TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC 2) in it Gaia auditorium, a zero-consumption building at Nanyang Technological University (Tears) to improve the experience of hybrid learning of his students.

Gaia is the headquarters of the Nanyang Business School (NBS) of ONCU Singapore, one of the most established business schools in Asia and the Pacific. For your audience 190 seating, the school needed a seamless communication system to support its hybrid learning experience.

The auditorium has a height of 9 meters in front, with other variables in the rest of the room due to the cascading seating arrangement. To equip this space with an audiovisual system, the Sennheiser team had to calibrate the system and adjust it for a distance greater than recommended, taking into account the different distances between the ceiling and the floor throughout the auditorium.

AV Media was the designated systems integrator for this project and recommended the TCC 2 from Sennheiser as the ideal solution.

“Physical microphones are a thing of the past. They are inflexible and restrict the movement of the speaker. Besides, Passing a microphone from one side to the other also poses a big hygiene risk. This is why we thought that a ceiling microphone was the right solution for the auditorium and recommended the TCC 2 from Sennheiser for its audio quality and TruVoicelift functionality”, explains Eilee, CEO of AV Media.

An intricate process

Given the size of the auditorium, several CBT units had to be installed 2. Over a period of two months, The Sennheiser team worked in collaboration with the AV Media team to install 12 TCC units 2 with a plan, Intricate simulations and calibration to achieve the desired result.

The initial design provided for the installation of 18 TCC 2 y, after a detailed analysis, the amount was reduced to 12. Two CBT units were installed 2 at the front of the auditorium to serve as a sensor for the stage area, while the others 10 units were distributed throughout the theater seating area to engage the audience. The team took into account the need to install the right amount of equipment to cover all areas of the auditorium, so that no device would be considered redundant.

They were installed 10 TCC units 2 on the ceiling along the theater-style seating area to capture the audience's attention.

“We also had to meet other requirements, such as minimizing unwanted sound in the auditorium and ensuring that the speaker's volume takes priority when several people are speaking in the room.", Goh adds..

TruVoicelift functionality

The TruVoicelift functionality includes a noise gate that can be activated during speaking pauses to prevent background noises from being amplified. Besides, The priority zone and exclusion zones can also be configured through the Sennheiser Control Cockpit, so that audio can be prioritized at the front of the conference room and unwanted background noise from the air conditioning can be minimized, other operating systems, doors and chair movement.

This is especially useful for a theater with many operating systems and a potentially large audience.

TCC was also chosen 2 because it could work with the auto tracking camera Q-SYS to track the active speaker in the auditorium, so that remote participants would not miss key moments during lectures and discussions and would feel more engaged and involved.

Con Sennheiser TCC 2, teachers no longer need to hold a microphone, allowing them the flexibility to move without having to worry about compromising audio quality.

“Students can enjoy excellent audio in class, where the speaker can be heard from every corner of the room. The most important thing is that the system is easy to operate and teachers can do it without technical assistance. This saves time and reduces costs in the long run.”, Goh finishes.

Sennheiser Control Cockpit also allows you to configure different user profiles to meet the specific needs of different users., purposes and environments.

“Teachers have different preferences. Some may prefer the audio to be amplified, while others may lean towards a more natural level. All of this can be easily customized from the back”, added Spring Chong, business development manager at Sennheiser.