SITUATION

Bring the High Court of Australia's satellite courtroom in Sydney up to speed with its main seat of justice in Canberra. Deliver clear, comfortable audio that commands attention in the difficult courtroom environment, in which most participants are seated for hours at a time while lawyers move about. Balance the intricate requirements of sound reinforcement, video and teleconferencing, and court transcription. The court relies heavily on audio video technology, especially remote video, for many of its preliminary hearings..

SOLUTION

Acoustical design consultant Glenn Leembruggen and project manager David Gilfillan determined that a networked, automated system like the one they designed for the Canberra High Court was the only way to go. They chose the Biamp® Audia® Digital Audio Platform which simplifies audio design while providing state-of-the-art technology in audio networking and software enhancement.

One Biamp AudiaFLEX unit cost effectively provides the necessary large number of processed outputs for the steered arrays and court transcription, with up to 24 I/O channels in totally flexible combinations of inputs, outputs, and acoustic echo canceling cards. Audia software enables the consultants to tailor algorithms specifically for each requirement: sound reinforcement, video and audio teleconferences, and group and combined output for digital transcription.

For sound reinforcement, Leembruggen designed a system with multiple zones for speakers and microphones, placed in the ceiling for the judge, lawyers and public areas. Each zone requires different EQ and processing, all controlled from the central AudiaFLEX platform. Since people are most comfortable when the sound comes toward them instead of from behind or above, exact speaker placement was paramount. The line arrays in 19A are designed so they don't back bleed, creating more intimate audio because each individual hears the correct loudspeaker. The arrays were designed with Acoustic Directions' in-house software, and the parameters were dialed up on site.

SYSTEM SPECIFICS

The microphones are zoned, with one each for judges, associates and counsel. Each has a mic delay relative to the other to provide optimum localization. With three zones, AudiaFLEX provides a total of 24 outputs, each with its individual signal processing. Each zone has two arrays, with drivers 1 to 8 in the left array paired with the corresponding driver in the right array. On top of this, AudiaFLEX handles the mics, which come into the system, go through equalization, routing, delay and echo cancellation before AudiaFLEX sends the signal to the speakers.

CONCLUSIONS

AudiaFLEX meets all design goals and delivers great intelligibility, as well as very natural and comfortable sound. AudiaFLEX allows for a single platform operating on a single network, giving the High Court of Australia the potential to easily expand. AudiaFLEX's simplified design and installation, along with Biamp's 24/7 support, enables Acoustic Directions to create highly customized applications with lower costs and fewer resources.