Case Study: AREC Tracking Speakers for Costa-Rica’s Governmental Meetings

Dear ADENA Partners, our new case study from Costa Rica is about the construction and equipping of a ‘Türkiye Room’ in ICAP, a public administration institute. Designed by our partner in Costa Rica, Interactiva, the room features various AREC, RADA, and other brands’ conferencing solutions. Together, these solutions have significantly improved the organisation’s video conferencing meeting experience. 

The Central American Institute of Public Administration (ICAP) is an organisation within the Central American Integration System (SICA), an economic and political union of Central American states. ICAP’s function is to modernise the public sector and develop human resources, thus increasing the integration between SICA member countries. ICAP does this by holding meetings with partners from all over the world through video conferencing and in-person meetings.

Effective conferencing necessitates the usage of quality AV products. Knowing that, ICAP got an opportunity to upgrade their existing conferencing venue with the help of one of their partners, the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination, otherwise known as TIKA. The two organisations envisaged for this updated venue to have the latest technology in AV conferencing. It was decided that the room needed to host 40 participants, featured a way to quickly display active speakers, and could output multiple cameras simultaneously into conferencing apps like Teams, Zoom, and others. Our partner Interactiva offered a solution based on the AREC DS-4CU Speaker Tracking Station, CI-21H PTZ Camera, and CI-T10 IR Tracking Camera, as well as the RADA A-BR01 HDMI to USB Bridge.

The DS-4CU is a device that allows users to connect up to 4 video sources, such as network and regular cameras, network streams, computers, and others. These sources can be mixed and displayed in customisable layouts with user-uploaded overlay and background graphics. It is set apart from other devices by its unique feature — tracking integration of discussion systems from brands like Televic, Shure, Bosch, Audio-Technica, and others. This allows the station to automatically change how it displays the video sources according to the active microphone on supported systems from these brands. 

Importantly, this switching can also be done manually, even if you do not have a compatible discussion system. This is precisely the case with ICAP, where custom presets are set up for every chair. The operator switches both the video and PTZ presets through the station’s graphical user interface by tapping on seat numbers. ICAP uses CI-21H PTZ network camera to capture each of the possible 40 participants, and a CI-T10 IR Tracking Camera to ensure that the main presenter has freedom of movement. Additionally, a computer with slides is connected as another source to the DS-4CU, and the mixed output of the station is converted into USB by an A-BR01 RADA Bridge. This allows ICAP to join conferencing calls and display their whole room with computer content, active speakers from the audience, and the main presenter all at the same time.

With the AREC system in place, ICAP’s conferencing calls can now effectively display every active participant for the remote side. Interested in learning more about this or other solutions you can build with AREC? Let us know at www.a-dena.com, and we will arrange a demonstration for you.

Case Study: Historical Italian community centre chooses AREC to produce events

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we are sharing a case study from Italy, from the Socio-Cultural Centre of Malpensata in Bergamo. Our distributor Prase, system integrator Airone Service and programming expert Francesco Salvadeo created a versatile media capture solution based on AREC LS-110, QSC control system, Epson, Shure, Atlona, Novastar, and a few other brands. Seamlessly working together, our products deliver a user-oriented interface that will help the community centre involve more of its residents in all of their events and activities.

The Socio-Cultural Centre (abbreviated CSC) of Malpensata is the beating heart of the Malpensata neighbourhood in Bergamo. The CSC features a library, an exhibition showcasing the history of the neighbourhood, theatre, health and senior centres, and thanks to its strategic location, community gathering halls where all kinds of events take place. It was not simple for the centre to share these events on social media as they were not equipped for media work, but this changed with the recent renovation of the building. Performed in two stages, this process helped increase the seating capacity of the centre, made it energy efficient, but most importantly, prepared it to host hybrid events. Thanks to the work of our partners, the centre is now using the AREC LS-110 Media Station to ensure that every event taking place can be recorded and streamed.

LS-110 is a 2-channel Media Station that packs a lot of features in a very compact size. It can simultaneously record and stream two video sources, such as computers, document cameras, network and standard cameras, and other devices. These video sources, as well as connected audio sources, are mixed into customisable layouts that give the user the ability to effectively communicate their message. Additionally, the Media Station can add logos, advertisements, backgrounds, and other graphical elements that increase the video quality and its value.

While the LS-110 is self-sufficient and features numerous convenient control options, it also shines bright when put together with other advanced AV products. For instance, in the CSC, a Shure microphone system delivers crystal-clear audio into the LS-110, capturing audio from the presenters and other speakers. Another important connection is between the LS-110 and the QSC Q-Sys Core 8 Flex. Thanks to the partner-developed control module, all of the key LS-110 features are available in freely customised interfaces, which are different for operators and presenters. This elevates the user experience, as the users only see the functions they require, such as control of the recording and streaming process, volume, layouts, camera presets, and controls of the projector and other devices.

With the new systems from us and other brands in place, the Malpensata community centre will become an even more attractive spot to host, record, and stream events. Is your local community centre due for an update? Contact us to schedule a demonstration of just the right system for it! 

Lastly, we would like to thank Prase Media Technologies, Airone Service and Francesco Salvadeo for continuously choosing AREC as the go to solution for media capturing and streaming tasks.

Case Study: Record Your Meetings Just Like the Cordoba Council in Spain!

Dear ADENA Partners, our case study this time covers the usage of AREC Media Stations by the Provincial Council of Cordoba in Spain. Completed with our distributor Avit Vision and system integrator Electroredes, this project demonstrates yet again why AREC Media Stations are a perfect fit for protocoling in governmental institutions.

The Provincial Council serves as the governing body of Cordoba province, responsible for the promotion and administration of its interests within Spain. This includes collaborating with municipalities through financial contributions, providing public services, and offering technical, legal, and other forms of advice. The Council’s operations primarily rely on conducting meetings, which necessitate reliable recording and streaming for transparency purposes. To meet this requirement, our distributor Avit Vision, in collaboration with system integrator Electroredes, implemented a system centred around the AREC LS-200 Media Station, complemented by products from other brands, such as JBL, Acoustic Control, and others.

The LS-200 Media Station offers numerous features that make it an excellent choice for councils. Firstly, it is a two-channel Media Station capable of recording up to 8 hours of video continuously, ensuring that the entire council sessions can be preserved. It supports HDMI, VGA, and network sources, offering seamless connection with various AV and IT equipment commonly used in councils, including computers, network cameras, and other AV devices. Content from connected devices can be instantly displayed through the station’s physical outputs on projectors and displays, while also being simultaneously streamed within the internal network for viewing in other rooms and on external streaming platforms. Once configured, the station can operate in a fully automatic mode through calendar scheduling and manage storage via integrations with platforms like Google Drive, Panopto, Kaltura, Opencast, and support for standard FTP/SFTP servers. Moreover, the station can be configured with control panels supporting RS-232 or TCP commands, enabling users to customise their experience with the device. Its automatic audio and video mixing capabilities eliminate the need for users to spend valuable time on editing tasks. Together, these features create a solution that even inexperienced users without IT or AV backgrounds can use to create videos within seconds, allowing them to focus on their core work.

Representatives of the Provincial Council have found our solution easy to use and expressed their high satisfaction with it. The system is utilised daily to capture every meeting, which are then shared with the public. Is your council currently sharing its meeting recordings? Reach out to us at www.a-dena.com and we will assist you in formulating a solution that simplifies user experience and media creation.

Text: Anastasia Yakimenko