QSC's Q-Sys Takes Flight At Farnborough International Airshow

QSC's Q-Sys networked audio management system was installed at this year's Farnborough International Airshow to control the PA/VA systems.

Show Hire were appointed for the first time to install and manage the on-site PA and audio systems.
The Airshow site at Farnborough covers approximately 2,000 acres. Show Hire elected to employ a fibre-optic network over which the vast majority of the PA system was run digitally. Overall networked audio distribution was managed using the state-of-the-art Q-Sys platform from QSC. The fibre-optic network used for Show Hire's Q-Sys system was installed by DB Event Networks, who began a wholesale refurbishment of the networking facilities at Farnborough in October 2013 in order to be finished in time for this year's show.
Show Hire purchased the system and associated equipment from QSC UK representatives Shure Distribution, after extensive consultation about their requirements for Farnborough.
Ross Slaughter, Technical Director at Show Hire and Chief Q-Sys Engineer at the Farnborough event, said: "We invested in Q-Sys primarily for Farnborough, but we carried out some pretty extensive testing beforehand at other events. We wanted to ensure not only that we were making the most of what Q-Sys can do, but also to ensure that it would withstand the challenges that an event like Farnborough can present."
The finished Q-Sys network installed by Show Hire incorporated two Core 500i processors (one active and one redundant back-up) as well nine I/O frames and two I/O-22 miniature frames. Staff in the Airshow's Show Control were given a QSC PS-1600H page station, programmed to give priority to the control centre over all other PA feeds if necessary.
Another PS-1600H paging station was installed at the Airshow's commentary centre, allowing commentary to be routed across the entire site with ease. A TSC-3 touchscreen was used in the exhibition halls, so that routine PA announcements could be muted in certain areas while various demonstrations and talks were in progress.
"The audio network was in use constantly," adds Ross Slaughter. "Even before the show opened to the public, it was being used to send out safety announcements to contractors working on site, and, during the public days, it was broadcasting Radio Farnborough, warnings about staying cool in the heat, messages reuniting lost children with parents, as well as distributing live Airshow commentary. In short, it did everything an analogue PA system can do, but with greater control and redundancy — which was exactly what we wanted."

www.shuredistribution.co.uk

(IT/JP)