Case Study: An AREC a Day Makes the Dentist Say Hooray!

Dear ADENA Partners, our case study this month comes from a respected dental practice in the UK, Lodge Dental. Delivered by system integrator Spartan Audio through our distributor, the CUK Group / Tukans, this project is a perfect example of how professional healthcare institutions can use AREC devices to create impressive presentations and recordings – without requiring any training.

Lodge Dental is a private dental practice located in the picturesque town of Abergavenny, Wales. This award-winning institution is known for providing the highest standard of care, thanks to its highly trained team. Due to its strong reputation, Lodge Dental has become a hub for sharing industry knowledge and showcasing new technologies in that part of the UK, regularly welcoming guest practitioners who perform demonstration surgeries and deliver guest lectures.

To make the training and guidance sessions held at the clinic more visually engaging and easier to manage, Lodge Dental began exploring professional AV solutions. The key requirement was simplicity – practitioners without a technical background needed to be able to present and record lectures effortlessly. At the same time, the solution had to deliver visually appealing results that would make presentations enjoyable to watch. From a hardware perspective, it also needed to support multiple HDMI inputs from across the building, including Mac and Windows laptops, Canon cameras, and surgical cameras. Spartan Audio, a leading system integrator in Wales, delivered just what the doctor ordered with a system based on AREC technology and a selection of other complementary brands.

LS-860(N) Media Station

The AREC LS-860 Media Stations fully met all of these requirements and became the foundation upon which the entire solution was built. These powerful devices offer four HDMI inputs, allowing a wide range of hardware to be connected with ease. The Media Stations handle several key tasks – firstly, they are used for source switching, enabling smooth transitions between various camera and laptop inputs. They also provide custom video layouts, combining video sources in split-screen, picture-in-picture, and other formats, while adding graphic effects and branding for a polished look. Presenters at Lodge Dental can easily choose which source  – or combination of sources – to display, thanks to the Media Station’s versatile outputs.

What’s more, the LS-860 enhances the visual flow with built-in production features, such as customisable fade-in and fade-out transitions. These not only contribute to a more professional presentation but also help mask camera movement. When sessions need to be recorded, the LS-860 handles that too – capturing both the mixed video output with custom graphics and layouts, as well as all individual video sources separately.

The stations at Lodge Dental were configured for easy control through multiple methods. One of the primary solutions is the Symetrix Prism, which provides access to key LS-860 functions as requested by the clinic, while also managing audio routing – including background music, the outdoor terrace speaker system, and wireless microphones. Additional control is available through the LS-860’s Online Director web interface, offering more options for graphical customisation and source previews. A mobile-friendly version of this interface is also available and requires no special software – users can access it directly through a standard web browser.

The video sources at Lodge Dental are connected to the LS-860 using Blustream’s HDBaseT products – specifically, HEX11WP-TX transmitters and HEX70CS-RX receivers. Multiple pairs of these devices are installed throughout the clinic to ensure near-zero latency in content transmission. The resulting video is displayed on Optoma 86” Interactive Flat Panels, with an additional monitor located in the surgery room. This setup allows dentists to monitor their work in real time while adjusting the cameras as needed.

Lodge Dental is very pleased with the implemented system and continues to use it regularly with great success. Is your clinic or hospital looking for a solution that makes training and capturing procedures easier than ever? Contact us at www.a-dena.com – we’ll be happy to discuss how we can help.

Special thanks to the Spartan Audio team for providing the materials!

• Dave Morgan | LinkedIn 

• Sean Hales | LinkedIn 

• Emma Kingman | LinkedIn

Case Study: Welcome to the Hotel Catalonia, such a lovely place with AREC LS-200 stations!

Dear ADENA Partners, there are plenty of rooms at the Catalonia Hotels & Resorts any time of year, equipped with AREC LS-200 Media Stations! Thanks to the efforts of our distributor, AVIT Vision, and system integrator, Instronic, event spaces across all buildings of this hotel chain throughout Spain are undergoing a major technological transformation. Learn how a combined solution featuring AREC, AMX and Gude control and automation systems, Biamp audio DSPs, and other leading brands creates a comprehensive, efficient, and innovative setup for hotels in our latest case study.

Example of the meeting room

Catalonia Hotels & Resorts is one of the primary hotel chains in Spain, with 80 establishments across more than 25 different locations. It has a particularly strong presence in Barcelona, where it operates over 3000 rooms. The brand is one of the top choices in the Spanish market for hosting events. 

To maintain its reputation and the high standards customers expect, the hotel chain decided to modernise its event spaces. The goal was to enhance the technological capabilities of meeting rooms by equipping them with the best audiovisual solutions, incorporating advanced communication, audio, video, and lighting technologies. To achieve this, they turned to well-known AV experts — our distributor, AVIT Vision, and system integrator, Instronic. With technology provided by AVIT Vision, Instronic designed a comprehensive and scalable solution, with AREC Media Stations at its core, now implemented in all event rooms across the hotel chain.

LS-200 Media Station

The LS-200 Media Station was selected for live streaming and event recording. This two-channel device allows users to seamlessly combine multiple audio and video signals, recording and streaming them as complete videos. The station not only produces a fully composed video with user-generated overlay logos and background images, but also provides individual source recordings for post-editing and other purposes. Designed with the end user in mind, the LS-200 is extremely easy to operate and offers a wide range of control options, including support for customisable control solutions such as AMX, which was used in this case. HDMI matrices from AVPro Edge were integrated as video sources, enabling a variety of computers, cameras, and other devices to be combined and sent to the Media Stations, while Biamp TesiraForté DAN CI DSP units delivered pristine audio. Finally, Gude Systems products were used to automate all processes, reducing operational burdens, ensuring efficient resource use, and providing an uninterrupted experience for users.

AMX control system interface customised for the user

Example of the event room

Example of an auditorium

The resulting solution significantly enhanced the quality and technical capabilities of the Catalonia Hotels & Resorts event spaces, setting a new benchmark for others in the sector. 

Are you working on a meeting space yourself ? Discover how you can improve it with AREC today by contacting us at www.a-dena.com — we are always ready to assist you!

Case Study: The Human Lab records consumer feedback with AREC in the UK

Dear ADENA Partners, we are concluding the year with a case study featuring a unique facility called The Human Lab, based in the UK. Completed by our distributor, Tukans, and system integrator, Visually Connected Worldwide, the project demonstrates how companies can utilise AREC Media Stations to effectively create content and stream it with minimal user input and maximum security.

The Human Lab, managed by the Human Factors Centre consulting agency, is a specialised testing space for the medical and consumer industries. The lab comprises a viewing room and a respondent room, separated by a one-way mirror. The respondent room can be configured to replicate a wide range of environments: from a typical conference room with chairs and tables to an outdoor setting, complete with grass and landscape rocks. The room is also equipped with various technologies, such as eye-tracking systems, to help companies evaluate responses to products, their usability, and more.

Another invaluable technology required for such applications is AV recording. For a long time, the lab relied on a Hikvision NVR to provide recordings of testing sessions to companies. While the system consistently recorded events, it used an uncommon security format, making it difficult to share recordings with clients. This system also relied on Hikvision static security cameras, which lacked easy control of their pan and tilt positions — a feature that is essential for fully capturing the testing experience. Lastly, the system lacked streaming capabilities and was not designed for hybrid conferencing, thereby limiting The Human Lab’s ability to invite remote observers and promote its services.

The lab was looking to upgrade its system when the Visually Connected Worldwide team reached out. They assessed the requirements and contacted us shortly after. We arranged a meeting at short notice, discussed it thoroughly, and organised a proof-of-concept demonstration with the facility manager — all within the same week. After we addressed all questions and proposed ways to simplify the lab’s AV workflow, it was decided that AREC was indeed the right solution for the facility, and installation followed soon after. The system we proposed completely replaced the original hardware and improved it in every aspect.

To begin with, it was crucial for the lab to have backup recordings at all times and additional failsafes. One of the main reasons the facility relied on an NVR was its ability to record continuously every day. For this reason, we proposed replacing it with an LS-200 Media Station. The station recorded, streamed, mixed cameras, and created backups. It was the ideal choice, as it could record not only a mixed video feed from two cameras but also each camera's output individually, providing the user with all the necessary materials for post-editing, clip creation, and security purposes.

To provide a "plan B" in case the user accidentally stops or forgets to start a recording, we set up a continuous stream to a private channel on a streaming platform. This stream operates automatically as soon as the Media Station is powered on and maintains a 48-hour buffer. The streaming platform restarts the stream automatically and stores streams for up to a week, allowing users ample time to download videos if needed. Since the LS-200 can handle two RTMP streams simultaneously, we also assisted the user in setting up a private YouTube channel, not only for failsafe streaming but also for promotional events and webinars.

Another failsafe mechanism we proposed was the UB-01 Recording Light. This accessory, designed specifically for Media Stations, allows the user to monitor the recording status of a connected Media Station and start or stop recording as needed. An additional feature of the UB-01 is its ability to duplicate the functionality of a USB port to which it is connected. For example, when connected to the front USB port of the LS-200, it enables the user to plug in a USB drive and save recordings not only to the primary storage but also to the external drive.

To further enhance user confidence, we proposed that the customer use ARECloud — our free cloud control solution. This platform allows users to add all their Media Stations, check previews, switch recording and streaming themes, monitor recording and streaming status, and schedule events. ARECloud can be accessed from any location with an Internet connection, making it highly convenient for users to control their Media Stations even when they are away from the lab.

Since most of the lab's customers use videoconferencing software and may need to connect from their offices, we proposed adding a RADA Bridge, an HDMI-to-USB converter. This device transforms the LS-200 into a webcam for Teams, Zoom, and other conferencing applications while also transmitting its audio. With the Bridge in place, remote attendees could observe the testing work and simulations as if they were physically present.

Lastly, the Media Station utilised two AVer network cameras as video sources and a Sennheiser ceiling microphone with a Dante Avio converter for audio. The LS-200’s VISCA-over-IP support allowed the lab to control the PTZ movement of the AVer cameras directly through the station’s web interface, the free AREC software, and the GUI on the station’s video output.

The abundance of new features and security measures helped The Human Lab significantly enhance its content creation and outreach capabilities. Is your company looking for a reliable recording and streaming solution to improve media production? Contact us at www.a-dena.com to arrange a demonstration and discover why AREC is exactly what you need!