Day: August 6, 2024

SA: Founded in Austria during the 1950s, Blum is now a global leader in the manufacture of furniture fittings. Its international network spans 120 markets worldwide, with manufacturing plants and sales offices providing a range of services for cabinet makers, the furniture industry, and hardware distributors.
 
Located in Sandown, Johannesburg, Blum’s South African branch recently approached audio-visual specialists Audiosure with a view to enhancing its space with a new audio system for background music, as well as adding advanced AV connectivity.
 
Audiosure’s Solutions team installed a zoned Optimal Audio-centric system to meet the brief. The ability to switch between various sources and zones where customers browse was an essential requirement, as was the ability to support visual playback to its team or clients via a projector and wireless microphone across all or just selected spaces. Ease of use was very important, as was the need for an aesthetically pleasing appearance in a high-end environment.
 
Audiosure’s John Greaves designed a system that could be deployed as seamlessly as possible and could be controlled from a smartphone or tablet. An Optimal Audio Zone 4 controller with DSP and WebApp controls the overall system, which includes third party speakers in some zones, with Optimal Audio Cuboid 8 and Sub 10 units (powered by SmartAmp 30) deployed to support presentations and events in the main area.
 
John Greaves comments:
 
“We kept the system small, efficient, and simple to use, with the Zone 4 allowing everything to be controlled by the client through WebApp via a phone or tablet. The controls in front of the operator are exactly the ones they need – nothing more, nothing less. The Cuboid 8s also allowed us to gain a great level for presentations and video playback. Optimal Audio proved to be the perfect fit for this installation, delivering excellent results for a very satisfied customer.”

US: Mezzo Calzones is a brand new eatery in the Southern Californian city of Anaheim. Specialising in calzones, beer and wings, and located close to the Anaheim Angels stadium, the restaurant is certain to become the favourite haunt of Major League Baseball fans attending games at the venue. Sports-focused, with multiple TV screens showing a variety of events, Mezzo engaged IT/AV specialist integrator Hosted Connection to install all its IT/network and AV systems.

Hosted Connection enjoys a strong reputation in the region, having supplied customised solutions to businesses for more than a decade. Sales Engineer Josh Rezaeio oversaw the project:

“Audio and video are relatively recent additions to our remit, so we consulted with expert Jeff Miranda (then at Allied ProTech) about delivering a high-quality, zoned audio system for Mezzo which would be easy to control for busy staff. His extensive knowledge and experience were instrumental in helping us deploy the right products. He recommend an Optimal Audio system and having taken into account the layout of the TV screens, specified the equipment required for the audio and video elements.”

Host Connection installed a system based round an Optimal Audio Zone 4, 4-zone audio controller with DSP and WebApp, which comprised twelve Up 6 two-way passive, full-range 6” ceiling speakers, and two Cuboid 5 two-way, full-range, passive 5” on-wall loudspeakers, driven by a single SmartAmp 30, 4 x 250W amplifier with DSP. As well as control via WebApp on mobile devices, a ZonePad 4 wall controller was installed to provide staff with intuitive and simple access to the essential controls for the system.

Josh continues:

“Optimal Audio has been incredibly easy to work with, and we’ll continue to use the ecosystem for future projects. At Mezzo, the user-friendly and highly configurable system was very easy to install and delivered outstanding sound quality throughout the venue, with perfect clarity both inside and out. The client loves the system’s performance and ease of use.”