A few years ago, we basically hooked up the community center with homemade amplifiers, a soldering iron, and more or less required miles of cable. This is history though. One perfect example of what this multifunctional cultural space, realized to the highest standard, could look like is the Konopaki Palace, which functions as part of the Praga Cultural Center in Warsaw. Audio Plus has not only introduced a state-of-the-art audio system here, but has also created an extensive network audio system, offering massive configuration, usability, which is still rarely used, especially in facilities such as a community center, a very flexible and comprehensive approach to signal management. acoustic.
After several months of painstaking renovations, in September 2021 the abandoned and neglected Ksawery Konopacki house, which in the 19th century was one of the most beautiful buildings in Braga in Warsaw, began its new activity, becoming part of the Braga Cultural Centre. The facility has regained its splendor, has been completely modernized and will be able to carry out its legal objectives related to the promotion of culture. After the renovation, it included: a well-appointed hall located in the basement, a gallery on the ground floor and an outside terrace with an open garden, serving as a venue for meetings and musical events and an open-air cinema. Konobaki Palace will carry out very diverse tasks and provide residents with many different activities. According to the intention of the creators of this place, there will be projects of a European and even global scale, many of which will be quite innovative, and even experimental in nature. To meet all these requirements, Audio Plus had to approach the entire concept of the sound system and installation in an unusual way, using several interesting solutions aimed at maximum versatility, innovation and wide use possibilities.
From this point of view, the exhibition space, consisting of four rooms, is particularly interesting. Meetings and workshops are organized here, recently it is used as a common room for children from Ukraine.
Work on the entire project, including the implementation of the sound system and signal distribution systems in the exhibition part, was started by Audio Plus during the construction phase. This is due to the fact that due to the number of relationships that can be established between different places in the building, structural cables (twisted pair) and amplifiers were laid at the stage of bare walls.
The gallery-mounted sound system is based on Electro-Voice EVID 4.2 wall pillars. TW, that is, the models equipped with a transformer and in white, match the style of this space. These amplifiers operate on 100V lines and are powered by the Electro-Voice PA2250T amplifier.
Auvitran AV-WALL-DT4i wall connections are the core element of this installation, allowing for extremely flexible management of the audio system and transmission of signals between almost all rooms in the mansion. Each is equipped with an XLR input, a mini-jack input (for example for connecting a portable player, tablet or computer) and a Bluetooth receiver, which allows wireless audio transmission, for example from a phone. The connectors are also Dante adapters. Thanks to this, regardless of whether we give the signal wirelessly or by cable, for example by connecting the microphone to the XLR connector, it will immediately appear in the network. This allows the signal to be transmitted between individual parts of the exhibition, sending it from the connection to specific places in the facility, and receiving the signal here, so that what happens, for example, in a multi-purpose room, can also be heard in the exhibition. This configuration is set up by Audio Plus at the installation stage and it is enough to raise the corresponding slider on the console so that everything that happens in the lower part can also be heard at the top.
As Michał Klimczak, technician from the Braga Cultural Center at the institution responsible for light and sound told us: “It is a very practical solution that we have used many times. For example, during the festive season, four choirs played on stage in the multifunctional hall, and at the same time, the Workshops on creating Christmas decorations and cards in the gallery. Thanks to this, we were able to easily convey to the workshop participants what was happening in the basement. Another example of the practical use of signal transmission in the building and the possibilities of the Dante network was a concert by one of the orchestras rehearsing in our center However, due to the fact that it consists of fifty members, and our ballroom can accommodate a hundred people, and due to the restrictions imposed, fewer people assembled in the gallery who were not able to go downstairs can listen to the concert live.”
Signals from communications and the Dante network go to the MXE5 processor, which is controlled from Dynacord TPC-1 wall panels. As a result, the user can reconfigure the system with just a few clicks. Also combine all rooms to work within one zone or define a preset in which each room is used independently. To meet the needs of events organized by the Dom Kultury Praga at Konopaki Palace, as well as outdoor events and rentals, Audio Plus has also provided portable sets of wireless microphones. These are Mipro brand solutions: MCT-747 4-Channel Receiver, ACT-727 2-Channel Receiver and ACT-717 Single Receiver. Due to the fact that the receivers are enclosed in boxes, they can be easily moved between rooms in the facility, which gives the user complete freedom of use depending on needs. Michał Klimczak admits: “The portable microphone sets and connections under the panels in the gallery are ideal, among other things, during meetings, workshops or outdoor events. We have already witnessed such events here, where the host requested a microphone not wanting to strain his voice. After So, all you have to do is access one of our portable kits, connect it to the Auvitran wall hook, select the appropriate preset that connects all rooms or allows them to operate independently, and we’re ready to get the action started.”
summary
Konobaki Palace, which is part of the Braga Cultural Center, is a space equipped with excellent audio solutions. With their help, the staff here can easily respond to the requirements of a variety of events. A very important element of the facility’s work is also an extensive network of audio signal transmission, based on the Dante protocol, connections and wall panels, thanks to which you can quickly and easily select the desired configuration. Without restrictions!
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